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Huberdeau on red-hot start with Flames: “It’s the best I’ve felt”

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Oct 13 2024, 6:38 am
Huberdeau on red-hot start with Flames: “It’s the best I’ve felt”
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

The Calgary Flames couldn’t have dreamt of Jonathan Huberdeau having a better start to this season.

After scoring in season opener on Wednesday versus the Vancouver Canucks, Huberdeau opened the scoring Saturday night in the home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. He wasn’t done there either, adding three assists for a four-point game. All of a sudden, he finds himself with five points through two games.

“It was better,” Huberdeau said of his confidence level entering this season. “I think it’s the best I’ve felt the past two years. It’s early, but I was feeling good coming into training camp. I worked really hard this summer to be able to do at my best.”

That hard work from Huberdeau wasn’t just on the physical side of things, either.

“I think working mentally with psychologists to get my confidence back, that’s what I did throughout the summer. I’m feeling good physically too, which I think is important, so there’s no excuses out there.”

Not only is Huberdeau putting up points to start the season, but he’s quickly turning into a well-rounded forward. He has even been killing penalties, which seems to be making head coach Ryan Huska happiest of all.

“He wants to be a difference maker every night,” Huska said. “It hasn’t gone the way he would have liked to see it go the last couple of years. He’s doing a lot of things that he did prior years well without the puck. He’s killing penalties now. I’m probably more excited about that stuff than the points he put on the board tonight, because I feel like he’s engaged, even on the penalty kill.”

Even better is that his point production is resulting in team success. After a 6-3 win Saturday, the Flames now sit at 2-0-0. It’s early, but it’s been an impressive start for a team that seemingly everyone counted out going into the season.

Both Huberdeau and the Flames will look to continue their hot start Sunday night in a game against the Edmonton Oilers.

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