Flames Takeaways: Dramatic rookie breakthrough a sign of things to come

The Calgary kid who almost hijacked the Presidents’ Trophy party in Denver Thursday night wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup.

Tyson Gross, a 23‑year‑old college free agent who was supposed to be watching this one from the press box until Ryan Strome fell ill, nearly authored the Flames’ feel‑good moment of the season.

Down 2–0 late, with Dustin Wolf miraculously keeping things close by making 38 saves, Ryan Huska tapped Gross on the shoulder for an offensive‑zone draw with the goalie pulled. A show of trust for a kid playing just his third NHL game.

Gross rewarded him by winning it, as he did on eight of ten attempts, and then going straight to the blue paint.

Seconds later, he was living the dream.

A rebound popped loose at the top of the crease, and Gross, on his backhand, shoveled it home with three minutes left.

His first NHL goal. The bench erupted. 

“Obviously it’s something you dream of your entire life, so to be able to get it is special,” he told reporters after the game.

“It’ll go in my parents’ house for sure.”

As he told Sportsnet’s Brendan Parker, “I kind of blanked out a little bit. It took a second to realize I scored a goal in the NHL.”

And then, just a few minutes later, he did it again, prompting captain Mikael Backlund to stare wide-eyed from the bench and mouth the words all Flames fans were thinking: “Wow.”

Alas, the celebration lasted only long enough for the replay to hit the Jumbotron.

Colorado challenged for offside, and it didn’t take long to see why. Gross had entered the zone early on a Matt Coronato pass. The dramatic, “is this really happening” goal was wiped out.

It ruined the type of story Flames fans hope to see much more of, as the Flames’ youth movement is bound to produce all sorts of milestone moments from its future stars as they try to gain footing in the bigs.

“Unfortunately the second one didn’t go in to tie the game up,” Gross said. 

“But hopefully more opportunities in the future.”

The Avs added an empty‑netter moments later to seal a 3–1 win, leaving the kid who grew up 20 minutes west of the Saddledome with a souvenir puck on its way to being mounted and presented to his family.

Huska, who is doing well to give all sorts of youngsters primo chances to make impacts, couldn’t hide his pride in the rookie.

“He did a really good job winning draws and he went right to the net,” the coach said. 

“We’re quite excited for him to score his first goal in the NHL at a big moment. He should leave here feeling a lot more confident.”

Gross became just the ninth Calgary‑born player ever to score for the Flames.

The college season came to an end in the Frozen Four semifinal for Flames prospects Abram Wiebe, Cole Reschny and Cade Littler Thursday when North Dakota lost 2-1 to Wisconsin. The Flames sent assistant GM Brad Pascall and director of player development Ray Edwards to take in the action in Vegas, and will do their best to ink Wiebe to an NHL contract while they are there. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-shot defenceman was acquired in the Rasmus Andersson trade, and will graduate one year early, meaning the clock is ticking on the Flames signing him before he is eligible to be a free agent. The Flames have saved one of their two open contract spots for Wiebe, and would love to see the third-year finance major make his NHL debut next week when the Flames wrap up the season with three games at home.  

Wiebe, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Golden Knights who had five goals and 29 points in 39 games.   

Reschny, who was the Flames’ 18^th pick overall last summer, had a solid freshman season, with 35 points in 35 games, not to mention a stellar world juniors showing.

The Flames said they want to talk to the 19-year-old Saskatchewan native about his future plans before helping him map out what’s best for his development.

Three more veterans were scratched from the lineup Thursday, including Kevin Bahl, who left two shifts into the team’s last game with a lower body injury.

After making awkward contact with Thomas Harley along the end boards, Bahl immediately grabbed his left knee and limped off the ice in obvious discomfort. He left for the dressing room soon thereafter and was sent back to Calgary for further observation.

Strome was ill, and Blake Coleman missed the game as he had rushed back to Dallas to attend the birth of his fourth child.

The Flames played in Dallas Tuesday, where he got to spend time with his family, but after flying to Denver with the team he was immediately summoned by his wife Jordan to return in time to meet little Cade, who decided to show up a little earlier than expected.

The Avs played without former Flame Nazem Kadri, who left Colorado’s last game after blocking a shot. The team hopes to have the veteran centre back in time for the playoffs.

The Lines        

Sharangovich-Backlund-Coronato
Farabee-Frost-Gridin
Zary-Beecher-Suniev
Olofsson-Gross-Klapka

Kuznetsov-Whitecloud
Maatta-Brzustewicz
Pachal-Parekh