Quebecer Jonathan Huberdeau silenced some critics by making the difference in a Calgary Flames victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, and his teammates intend to encourage him to produce even more.

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The striker broke the deadlock in the third period, scoring his seventh goal of the campaign and his second in his last four outings in a 3-2 win. head coach Darryl Sutter, the net should prove beneficial. It was also a first winning goal in 2022-2023 for the former Florida Panthers who had totaled seven during the previous campaign.

"It's great for him. He's worked really hard and I don't think he's had a lot of good jumps this year," Flames goaltender Dan Vladar told the Calgary Sun. In practice he hit the mark against us [Vladar and Jacob Markstrom], so it was only a matter of time before that happened. Hopefully that continues because he's doing the right things and he's a great guy."

Points to pick in a hard section

If the Alberta team wants to carve out an advantageous place in the playoffs, it will have to count on Huberdeau who claims 25 points in 34 games. Also, the battle is intense in the Pacific Division, in which Calgary ranks third with 41 points, one more than the Edmonton Oilers and the Kraken. The competitiveness of the division does not seem to surprise former Montreal Canadiens hockey player Tyler Toffoli.

“I played in the Pacific for most of my career and I think it has always been one of the most difficult sections, assessed the one who also played with the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks . The forecheck is consistently tighter and the trips to California and Canada are tougher. On the other hand, looking at the standings, it's very tough, so you have to find a way to collect points and put everything in order on the ice.

The Flames host the Canucks on Saturday.