Young players are bound to make mistakes, and Calgary Flames fans witnessed that firsthand on Thursday night. Chasing their fifth consecutive win, the Flames found themselves in a tight spot against the Anaheim Ducks, tied at two heading into overtime. A crucial penalty by Zayne Parekh, however, tipped the scales in Anaheim's favor, allowing Mikael Granlund to complete his hat trick with a power-play goal just as regulation time expired.
Granlund's game-winning goal was a result of Parekh's misstep. The young defenseman jumped onto the ice prematurely, mistaking Zach Whitecloud's intentions for a line change. This led to a too-many-men penalty, leaving the referees with little choice but to make the call.
Flames head coach Ryan Huska didn't mince words postgame. "That’s totally on us," he admitted.
"Whether you’re a young guy or an old guy, the referees made the right call. We were both warned.
Both teams were warned right before it."
When asked if this could serve as a learning moment for Parekh, Huska was straightforward. "No, no.
Not for me. No."
This challenging moment highlights the NHL's unforgiving nature. Just two nights earlier, Parekh was celebrating his first goal of the season, expressing relief to reporters.
"I was kind of accepting I wasn’t going to score this year," he shared. "It was nice to find one.
I feel like I’ve had better nights, but I was putting pucks to the net, and eventually you hope it’s going to go in."
Despite the setback, brighter days are ahead for Parekh, the ninth-overall pick in the 2024 draft. As the Flames prepare for the final game of their six-game homestand against the Vancouver Canucks, both Parekh and the team will be eager to bounce back and learn from this experience.