HOTN: Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund Connect

Highlight Of The Night

Calgary Flames 3 – San Jose Sharks 4

Not the ending the Flames were looking for for sure as they blew a 2-0 lead and a 3-1 lead during a 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night.

It wasn’t all bad though, as is evidenced by the HOTN. It’s been one of those seasons for Mikael Backlund. He hasn’t been putting the puck in the net and what breakaway chances he’s had haven’t gone his way, but tonight he took matters into his own hands.

Gaudreau would steal the puck at the blue line and come into the zone on a two on one with Mikael Backlund on his left. Gaudreau would wait out the lone San Jose defender and saucer a perfect pass to Backlund who went forehand to backhand, finding Reimer’s 5-hole and extending the Flames lead to 3-1.

It looked for a minute like Backlund was going to get Johnny Gaudreau the puck, but Backlund chose to finish himself and said this between periods to Ryan Leslie:

Ryan: Mikael, you looked like your were going to get the puck back to John?

Backlund: Yeah, great play by Johnny. I looked at him, but I thought, “why not?”

Hahahaha.

by Mark Parkinson