“Finally.”
That’s what both Matthew Tkachuk and the Calgary Flames may have been thinking late on Tuesday night after a 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Tkachuk gets to breathe a sigh of relief after scoring his first career NHL goal. Keith’s son had his fair share of solid chances before finally beating Robin Lehner there, but his elation was clear.
He also barreled around the ice, continuing to make an impression around the league with his abrasive play.
Tkachuk lays Ennis out with clean hit, has to answer for no reason. https://t.co/JqoB2PeHvZ
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) October 19, 2016
It wasn’t just a great night for Tkachuk, mind you.
While there were still some signs of growing pains, The Flames got their first win of the season to improve to 1-2-1. It doesn’t hurt that franchise cornerstones Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau combined for the pretty overtime-winner, either.
Buffalo falls short of the victory, yet they might feel heartened to see some potential in a trio that figures to be a big part of their future, as Ryan O’Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart looked dangerous at times tonight.
Just not enough to keep Calgary’s frustrating losing streak going.