Flames Notes: Dryden Hunt hoping to capitalize on latest audition

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Dryden Hunt hadn’t scored an NHL objective for 13-plus months.

This one was definitely worth the wait.

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Hunt, who has spent the majority of this season within the minors, buried a magnificence in Saturday’s instalment of the Battle of Alberta. Higher but, it turned out to be the game-winner because the Calgary Flames snapped out of a too-long dropping skid towards their arch-rivals from Edmonton.

“Yeah, that was fairly particular,” Hunt mentioned with a smile. “It had been some time, so to get one within the Battle of Alberta, and in a fairly loopy environment … You play lots of video games in lots of arenas, however that was only a totally different feeling. Proper from warm-ups on, it was fairly cool. So it was enjoyable to get that one, for certain.”

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Simply as satisfying because the snipe, his first in a Flaming C, was a post-game praise from bench boss Ryan Huska, who was requested for an evaluation of Hunt’s efficiency in Edmonton and informed reporters at Rogers Area: “I beloved him. He was onerous. He scored an enormous objective for us, after all. And I believed he did lots of issues the fitting means.”

After that kind of shout-out, it looks like a shoo-in that Hunt can be suiting up for Tuesday’s conflict towards the Los Angeles Kings on the Saddledome (7 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

The query is, will the 28-year-old journeyman be skating on the primary line or the fourth?

The Flames have a novel state of affairs — their second and third strains are primarily set, so Hunt will both be skating with Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich on the highest trio, like he did in Edmonton, or he’ll be working as one of many checkers.

Andrei Kuzmenko was again at follow Monday after lacking the Battle of Alberta on account of sickness, however Hunt remained with Huberdeau and Sharangovich for a lot of the drills.

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“Regardless of the place you’re taking part in, you continue to must play onerous,” confused Hunt, who has notched a grand complete of 16 big-league targets in six totally different sweaters. “I believe that’s what makes guys versatile and in a position to play up and down the lineup. You’ll be able to have a look at it each methods — you’ll be able to play with ability guys since you play onerous, and you’ll play down the lineup as a result of that’s the position you’re prepared to play.

“Any time you’re taking part in up the lineup, you simply wish to forecheck and create these free pucks and attempt to get the puck to these ability guys. And once you’re taking part in down the lineup, you wish to create power and get on the forecheck after which, in the event you get an opportunity, take advantage of it.”

He made essentially the most Saturday of a candy saucer cross from Huberdeau, choosing the highest shelf from the excessive slot, a showcase of the depraved shot that made him the WHL’s main lamp-lighter in 2015-16 and a fixture on the power-play when he’s with the farm membership.

In 4 video games on this newest call-up, Hunt has additionally been credited with 18 hits, the second-highest complete on the workforce over that span.

“He brings somewhat little bit of edge,” Huska mentioned of Hunt, who began the season with the Flames earlier than being reassigned to the AHL’s Wranglers in early November. “The flexibility that he has to play with these high guys … When he was youthful, he was a talented man, very a lot a talented man. I believe he’s simply discovered to adapt his sport somewhat bit.”

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OH, THAT WAS CONNOR?

A savvy veteran, Flames ahead Blake Coleman wasn’t going to brag about Saturday’s massive hit on the very best participant on this planet.

Connor McDavid doesn’t get crunched fairly often. Coleman earned a spot on the spotlight exhibits by cranking the celebrity centre into the side-boards, though the Oilers scored in a while that very same sequence.

The 32-year-old Coleman was a marked man for the remainder of the night, scrapping with Mattias Janmark after which being dinged with a misconduct after exchanging pleasantries with Dylan Holloway within the late phases. He completed the affair with one objective — boosting his team-leading complete to 23 — and 17 penalty minutes.

“It’s an Oiler participant … Anyone on the opposite workforce, in the event you get an opportunity to get a lick on him, you will end your hits,” Coleman mentioned Monday when requested about that hit on the reigning Hart Trophy winner. “That’s what my position is — to be onerous to play towards. It doesn’t actually matter who’s carrying the sweater. You’ve gotta deal with everyone the identical.” 

ICE CHIPS: In response to Huska, there may be “no concern” about Jacob Markstrom’s availability towards the Kings. Markstrom served as backup in Edmonton, with Huska explaining that his go-to goalie was “not 100%” … Jeremie Poirier has returned to follow with the Wranglers. The 21-year-old defence prospect has been sidelined since October on account of a skate laceration on his arm. An intriguing expertise, he’d piled up seven factors in 4 video games earlier than the damage.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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