Ruzicka stars, Tanev returns as Flames end streak

Forward Adam Ruzicka stood confidently, almost defiantly, in front of reporters on Saturday night after his team snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. 

Ruzicka, thrust onto the top line to play with Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli because of an injury to Jonathan Huberdeau, was coming off a one-goal, two-point evening. Already the target of fans and pundits’ attention for not producing in that role when first given the opportunity, which included clamouring for the recall of prospects Matthew Phillips and Connor Zary, or a veteran like Andrew Mangiapane to have that chance on the top line, the big centre summed up his efforts.

“Easy to play with those guys,” he said. “Just (need) to do my job, work hard and, obviously, the points are going to come.”

Just two weeks earlier, head coach Darryl Sutter used the media to deliver a message to Ruzicka. The boss was asked what the 23-year-old needed to do to stay in the lineup.

“Some energy, some emotion, some possession, some zone time, some shot volume, some faceoff wins, some contact,” Sutter said. 

“What else?”

Filling in for Huberdeau, whose status remains unclear, Ruzicka has checked those boxes. Perhaps as important, he’s gotten a huge endorsement from one of his linemates.

“I like that (Lindholm) likes who he’s playing with,” Sutter said. “He’s our best forward and we shouldn’t be experimenting with him.”

“He has a lot of skill, big body,” Lindholm said. “Tonight, he played a real good game and hopefully he can build off that. That’s the Adam we expect.” 

Jacob Markstrom was stellar versus the Jets, keeping the Flames in the game when Winnipeg had control. He also made an incredible, old-school, windmill save that galvanized his teammates.

“That was pretty cool,” Chris Tanev said. “The stack the pads, that’s old-school Ron Hextall, maybe? I don’t know, definitely in those days. A huge save for us, and he made those all night.”

Markstrom ended the evening with 21 saves on 23 shots.

Tanev’s return was also a huge boost to the Flames. Often called the team’s security blanket, he had missed the past five games because of injury. With veteran Michael Stone on injured reserve, Calgary had to dress a pairing of AHLers Dennis Gilbert and Nick DeSimone. Sutter appreciated their efforts, but with Tanev healthy, both were scratched. Tanev was a key part of a very successful penalty kill that was a perfect three for three, including a long five-on-three kill where they essentially did not allow the Jets to get set up.

“We definitely played the right way,” Tanev said. “Just how hard we played, made hard plays, won battles, kept their guys to the outside. And when they had shots, Marky made the save.”

Much has been written and said about Calgary’s schedule. Eight of their first nine games were at home, with the lone road game being up the highway in Edmonton. Including training camp, the team basically stayed in the province of Alberta from mid-September through the beginning of November, save for one-off trips during the preseason. Sutter again brought up the scheduling, saying his team had gotten too comfortable at the Saddledome.

“The reason that we hadn’t won lately was we got soft at home,” he said. 

“There were three games in a row where we had a lot of soft players. So you have to work your way out of it.”

Calgary, now 6-6-2, will play at home on Monday before a two-week road trip through Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Carolina.