Aydar Suniev’s first NHL goal was the kind of finish that doesn’t happen by accident. It was built, shot by shot, in a garage back home in Russia, where he spent years loading up on repetitions long before the moment arrived Saturday against Anaheim.
Suniev said Tuesday morning that his routine as a kid was simple but relentless. “I do have a whole setup in my garage at home back in Russia,” he said. “Every day trying to shoot maybe 200, 300 pucks after practices.”
That habit showed up in a big way in the second period against the Ducks, when Suniev found a tiny opening and beat Anaheim goaltender Ville Husso from an angle that left little room to work with. It was his first NHL goal, and it helped pull the game level at 2-2 in a 4-2 Calgary loss.
“The first one is always a special one,” he recalled. “It's kind of like a weight dropping from my shoulder when you get that first one, and now you kind of hold more confidence.
“Now you’ve just gotta focus on the next one.”
For Suniev, the goal was the latest reward for steady work since turning pro. The third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has kept earning chances, including this latest look with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato back at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The work behind that opportunity has been hard to miss. Suniev has made a point of staying on the ice after practice, hammering away at one-timers and sharpening the details that matter at this level.
“He's a very strong young man in regards to the mental side of the game, he knows the areas that he has to improve on,” Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska commented Tuesday morning. “He put in a lot of work over the last two years.
“Now, it's just a matter of going out there and doing it shift after shift, and that's the real big challenge for younger players, is to learn how to handle that; after good situations, when you score a goal, you’ve got to come back with a great shift, and it's the same thing when things don't go your way.”
Suniev says the process is about finding what works, then sticking with it. The extra work after practice is part of how he gets himself ready for game action, and he trusts that preparation when his name is called.
“You stay out after practice, or take some more shots, and I think once you kind of find what works for you,” Suniev said. “Now you build on it. That's what I try to do.
“I stay after practice, and do as much as I can, and then in the game, I'm ready.”
As he goes into Tuesday night’s meeting with the Ducks at Honda Center - the Flames’ sixth game of the regular season, with puck drop set for 7:45 p.m. on Sportsnet West - Suniev is already looking past the first goal and toward what comes next.
“He’s a really strong scoring threat for us for sure,” said Huska. “We know he can put the puck in the net from wherever, as we saw from his goal the other night in Calgary.
“It's just a matter of moving his feet and having confidence to make the plays - and the right plays - at the NHL level.”
In Other News...
Flames Finally Got The Response Fans Needed After That Start
After a season-opening skid that had Calgary looking for any kind of traction, the Flames found a response in Anaheim. They built an early lead, lost it when penalties opened the door for the Ducks, then settled back in and played with more purpose over the second and third periods. The result was a 4-2 road win that at least gave the club something to point to beyond the frustration of its first few outings.
Aydar Suniev helped turn the night around with the tying goal and a key setup on the go-ahead score, while Martin Pospisil added the late game-winner after beating the Ducks off the rush. Dustin Wolf also had to be sharp when the game was still hanging in the balance, and the Flames eventually closed it out with Yegor Sharangovich sealing it into an empty net. The penalty issues still stood out, but for one night Calgary looked more like a team willing to push through the mistakes instead of being buried by them. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Trade Buzz Is Growing But One Frustrating Reality Remains
Early-season trade chatter is starting to pick up around the league, and the Calgary Flames have a name in the middle of it. Connor Zary has drawn attention from Vancouver, part of a broader stretch of roster movement and lineup uncertainty across the NHL as teams try to sort out needs before the market settles. For Calgary, it adds another layer to a season already being watched closely, since interest in a young forward can say as much about outside perception as it does about the player himself.
Zarys situation is especially notable because the Flames are not dealing with this in isolation. While other clubs are juggling injuries, extensions and possible trade targets, Calgary has a developing player who appears to be on the radar of another Pacific Division team. The question now is whether that interest becomes anything more concrete, or whether it remains another example of a player attracting attention without any easy answer for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Face A Tough Blue Line Call As Trade Buzz Builds
The Flames are still sorting through the ripple effects of an active market, and the blue line is right in the middle of it. Simon Edvinsson has come back to North America to train while working toward a deal with Detroit before the Dec. 1 deadline to make this season count, leaving one more notable name in the defensive conversation and keeping attention on how much movement could still be ahead around Calgary.
Zach Whitecloud has also been part of the chatter, with Toronto taking a look at the veteran defender as it gauges its options. For Calgary, he arrived in the Rasmus Andersson trade and has brought the profile of a Stanley Cup winner, but the early returns have been quiet so far, and that only adds another layer to a blue line picture that already feels unsettled as the deadline buzz starts to build. [Read more 🡒]