Aydar Suniev didn’t need long to make himself noticed after getting the call to the Calgary Flames on Oct. 7. Through three games, he has already put up two goals and three points with a plus-1 rating, and the most obvious thing about his game is simple: he can be a problem when he finds space.
That’s the part the Flames have seen right away. Suniev has shown he can score from just about anywhere in the offensive zone, and both of his goals - especially the first one - came from angles that don’t usually turn into goals. Even with only a tiny NHL sample in front of him, this has been his best stretch so far.
His debut against the Colorado Avalanche was the toughest of the bunch. Calgary briefly tied the game 1-1 late in the first period, then watched Colorado score five straight to take control. The Flames did add two more goals, but the Avalanche answered each push and shut the door on any comeback.
Suniev logged just under 12 minutes in that game, which was only more than his linemates Jonathan Castagna and Adam Klapka, the latter of whom scored on a slick toe-drag wrist shot to earn Castagna his first point with an assist. Suniev finished minus-2 with one shot on goal, and there were moments when he looked out of sync on the backcheck, including one sequence that led to an Avalanche goal.
Still, the role explained a lot. He wants to score, he wants to shoot, and buried on the fourth line for under 12 minutes, he wasn’t put in many positions to do that.
It was a solid first night overall, but the defensive side clearly has room to grow.
The next game, against the Anaheim Ducks at the Scotiabank Saddledome, brought a different setup and a better result for both Suniev and the team. Calgary lost 4-2 in the first half of the home-and-home, dropping to 0-5 in the process, but head coach Ryan Huska shuffled the lines and moved Suniev onto the second unit with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato.
That change paid off. Suniev scored his first NHL goal, tying the game 2-2 late in the second period after a sharp feed from Coronato from behind the net.
The finish was pure finisher stuff. Calgary moved quickly through the ice, Coronato got driven to the corner, and instead of drifting to the front of the net, Suniev slipped into a soft area to the right of Ducks goalie Viille Husso and opened up for a one-timer that beat him clean.
Afterward, Suniev made it clear how much that moment meant: “It’s so great - you dream about it, scoring your first goal, and here it is.”
He looked far more at home with Frost and Coronato, and the line generated dangerous chances throughout the night. Compared with his first outing, the difference was obvious.
The rematch with Anaheim brought Suniev’s best night yet. He stayed alongside Frost and Coronato, picked up his first multi-point game with a goal and an assist, and helped Calgary finally get into the win column with a 4-2 victory. The result left the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers as the only remaining winless teams.
Once again, Suniev’s scoring touch showed up in a big moment. His goal tied the game 2-2 in the second period, and it came after a Calgary 5-on-3.
Even after the man advantage expired, he remained out there with the second unit. As Anaheim was still sorting itself back into five-on-five shape, Suniev found room on the right side of the slot, got a feed from Ryan Strome in the corner, and hammered another one-timer past Lukas Dostal.
He added his first assist of the season later, setting up Martin Pospisil’s game-winner with just under five minutes left in the third. That was his cleanest, most complete performance yet. He looked calm, he looked ready for the moment, and with every shift he seemed to earn more trust from Huska.
For the Flames, Suniev’s first three games have been a major bright spot. He still has work to do in his own zone, but even in this small sample, his defensive positioning has already improved. If his ice time keeps climbing and the trust keeps building, he has a real chance to make this a strong rookie campaign and give a struggling Calgary offence a meaningful lift.
In Other News...
Ducks Still Havent Solved The Problem Fans Thought Was Behind Them
The Ducks were back at Honda Center trying to turn the page after a frustrating start, and for a while the night had the feel of a chance to steady things. Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson gave Anaheim offense, Luk Dostl kept them in it with 32 saves, and the crowd also got its first look at Roger McQueen in an NHL debut that added a little extra intrigue to an already important home date.
Instead, the game slipped away in familiar fashion. Calgary, winless coming in, broke through for its first victory of the season behind goals from Adam Klapka, Aydar Suniev, Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich, while Dustin Wolf turned aside 23 shots at the other end. For Anaheim, the larger concern is how quickly the night exposed the same issue fans hoped was finally behind them, especially with Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Poehling out injured. [Read more 🡒]
Gulls Get An Early Rivalry Test Ducks Fans Will Recognize
The San Diego Gulls are getting an early test in a rivalry that Ducks fans know well, with Ontario coming to Pechanga Arena San Diego tonight to open the season series. The two clubs have spent plenty of time circling each other in the Pacific Division, and the matchup already carries the kind of edge that tends to show up when nearby teams are separated by little more than familiarity and pride.
For the Gulls, it is also a useful measuring stick, since Dave Manson and Nico Myatovic have both pointed to the value of seeing where the group stands in a game like this. There is the usual rivalry heat attached to it, but there is also the more practical question of readiness, and this one should start offering a clearer answer once the Reign settle into their first real lineup look of the season. [Read more 🡒]