The knock on Andrei Kuzmenko when he arrived from Vancouver revolved around engagement.
Coach Rick Tocchet wanted him more engaged along the wall, in his own zone and in general.
That wasn’t an issue Thursday night when the Flames’ 28-year-old winger flashed the sort of skill that made him a 39-goal scorer before Tocchet arrived to demand more.
His first of two goals was a highlight reel beauty that saw him strip Justin Faulk of the puck as the defender rounded his own net, before making a nifty move that ended with a roof-job in tight over Jordan Binnington.
His second was a gorgeous redirection of a Nazem Kadri backhander over Binnington that tied the game 3-3 late in the second period.
He appeared to give the Flames the lead one minute into the third by using his soft mitts to bat down a point shot in front of the net before calmly finishing it for the hat trick.
The last one was disallowed due to a (questionable) high-stick call that blew the play dead, but the hand-eye demonstration was sublime.
This is what Kuzmenko is capable of when he’s fully involved.
Playing on a line with Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil, theirs was the Flames’ most dangerous and entertaining trio in a 5-3 loss to the host Blues.
Kuzmenko made a great dish to Kadri for a great chance to tie the game late, and also had another chance to score his third when he turned a great back check into an offensive chance moments later when his between-the-legs shot was gobbled up by Binnington.
“We had some good individual efforts tonight that we didn’t reward them for,” said Blake Coleman, referring to Kuzmenko, who has seven goals in 19 games since arriving as part of the Elias Lindholm trade.
Outings like these give hope for Flames fans who want someone and something to look forward to next season when this recalibrated bunch continues its search for its future leaders.
Perhaps it’s all for naught, as the former KHL star has one year left on his contract and may opt to sign elsewhere.
However, maybe he rediscovers his mojo and wants to be one of the club’s cornerstones moving forward.
His is the sort of skill every team craves, but only when it comes with an engagement he put on display Thursday.
These are the things the team is looking for as it plays out the string on a run that has seen the team lose five in a row and nine of its last 12.
Each of the Flames’ last 13 losses have been by multiple goals, which is the longest active streak in the NHL and the third-longest streak in franchise history.
Granted, several of their last few losses have included empty-netters at the tail end of close games.
But the streak says plenty about how tough it has been for the team to try staying in the fringes of a playoff race following the departure of several key veterans.
Ryan Huska and several players who spoke after the game were happy with the effort, and felt their team deserved a better fate.
We’ve heard that plenty of late, which is somewhat encouraging given how tough it must be for this bunch to play otherwise meaningless games.
In a game that saw the Flames enter the third period tied 3-3, the visitors hit two goal posts and had two goals disallowed.
“I think he made a wrong call, but he’s trying to do it in real time,” said Huska of the Kuzmenko high stick call, which he wasn’t able to challenge due to the quick whistle.
“I would rather see them let it go, and if the other team deems it to be a missed infraction then they can challenge that. It happens. The game is fast and those guys have to make decisions in real time.”
Brandon Saad scored the game-winner less than a minute later, only to see a Yegor Sharangovich goal disallowed 23 seconds after that, following a great play at the blue line by Matt Coronato.
The Hawks correctly challenged, as the puck Coronato tried to keep in the zone had squeaked out by an inch or so.
Dustin Wolf’s 10th start of the season wasn’t his best, as the Blues beat him on four of 18 shots to move within five points of the final wild card berth. Twenty-one-year-old Airdrie, Ab. native Jake Neighbours scored his team-leading 26th in the win.
The Flames are now 16 points behind Los Angeles for that final spot, setting up the possibility they could be mathematically eliminated with a loss to the visiting Kings Saturday.
