Brett Kulak needs a goal and a spot in the lineup
Calgary blueliner still searching for first tally after 71 NHL games
The good-natured barbs are always followed by words of encouragement.
Yeah, Calgary Flames defence man Brett K ula kiss till shooting for his first goal at the National Hockey League level.
And yeah, his buddies occasionally like to bring that up.
“They grill me about it sometimes,” Kulak nodded. “But then they always say, ‘Don’t worry, it’s coming. Just keep doing the right things, and it’s coming.’ ”
The Flames will be in the mood for some chirping and chuckling after finally snapping out of a sixgame losing funk with Saturday’s 4-3 overtime triumph against the Chicago Blackhawks on Retro Night at the Saddledome.
Kulak’s immediate goal is to find his way back into the lineup. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch for the come-from-behind victory over the Black hawks, more a victim of a gotta-end-this-skid shakeup than punishment for his play.
On his list of hopefully-not-toolong-term goals is to find the back of the net.
Now a full-timer for the Flames after a couple of winters on a yo-yo between Cowtown and their farm club in Stockton, Calif., Kulak has logged 71 outings at the big-league level, including 41 so far this season.
He’ s fired a grand total of 64 shots on net in NHL action.
Every single one of them has been dead-ended by the opposing netminder.
“You’ve gotta be careful, you score your first, and the next year, they’re going to want two,” teased Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “He’s around it. He’s been getting shots. He’ s been getting some looks. So I think it will happen. But it’s not something that’ s keeping me awake at night.”
There was a time, Kulak admitted, that it might have impacted his own sleep patterns.
“It was something I thought about for along time. Everyday, I’d be like, ‘OK, I wanna score, Iwanna score,’ ” he said. “But that wasn’t making things any better or making things any easier. I just have to play my game. There are different ways I contribute now with the role that I’m in and I think I just have to bear down and focus on shooting to score when I do get those shot opportunities. That’s the way it’s going to come.
“My job right now is I’m depended on to play good defence and not give anything up. That is definitely, first and foremost, my objective going into games. But I’ve played enough hockey that I know( ago al) is coming.
“It’s just the way things have gone so far. I mean, there’s nothing I can change about it. It’s the way it’s meant to be, I guess. That’ s lighting at any level. the way I look at it.
“A year or two from now, I’ll look back and think ,‘ Yeah, it wasn’t that big of a deal.’ ” came suspect Saturday’s courtesy — Sean overtime Monahan of the most whizzed marker usual a blocker-side wrist-shot past Black hawks masked man Jeff Glass to end both the three-on-three session and the Flames’ miserable six games lump.
The sharpshooting centre leads the league with eight game-winners so far this season.
“The goalie had my number all night ,” Monahan said after matching his career-high with eight shots on net. “So I was happy to put one by him.”
Heading into Super Bowl Sunday, Flames fourth-liner Curtis Lazar 6:30p.m., had played more games (38), more minutes (354:59) and registered more shots (35) than any other NHL forward who has yet to tickle twine this season.
Andrew Mangiapane earned a promotion by stuffing the net for the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat, but the speedy call up has been shutout in nine NHL outings so far.
Seldom-used defenceman Matt Bartkowski, who replaced K ula kin the lineup against the Blackhawks and was presented by his pals with the Calgary Police Service cowboy hat, hasn’t scored since last March.
It’s been even longer since Kulak’s last lamp-lightning at any level, He buried one for the Heat back on Feb. 18, 2017, one of his 10 career markers in the AHL.
To date, have his contributions in Calgary been limited to seven assists. When he does erase the goose-egg in the goal column, he’s sure it will be worth the wait.
“It’ll be awesome,” Kulak said. “It’s obviously something I’ve grown up my whole life thinking about — scoring in the NHL. So it will bean awesome moment for me when it comes.”
Until then, he’ll occasionally be razzed about it.
The Flames enjoyed an off-day high with eight shots Sunday to watch pigskin and pack their suitcases for a marathon six game road-trip. Their next action is Tuesday’ s re match with the Black hawk sat United Center( 6:30 p.m., SportsnetWest/Sportsnet960The Fan).
He’s been getting shots. He’s been getting some looks. So I think it will happen. But it’s not something that’s keeping me awake at night.