DEFINING MOMENT
Gaudreau silences doubters of his playoff proficiency with OT winner
There have been moments during Johnny Gaudreau's time in Calgary when he's had a reputation for not producing in the playoffs.
That's a stigma no hockey player ever wants to have attached to their name.
On Sunday night, in the biggest game of his career and one of the biggest games in the last three decades of Calgary Flames history, Gaudreau put any doubts about his playoff proficiency to bed.
When his team needed him the most, Gaudreau stepped up. Twice.
He had the assist on Matthew Tkachuk's game-tying goal in the second period.
And then, when tensions were at their highest in overtime and every Flames fan in the Scotiabank Saddledome was wondering if there was anything anyone could do to put a puck past Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, it was Gaudreau who buried one in the back of the net to secure the 3-2 win and set off celebrations across the city. Biggest goal of his career? “Is that a question, really?” Gaudreau said post-game. “Come on. There's no bigger stage than what we just did there. That was really special for me, I was really excited.”
It was a special moment for Flames fans, the organization and the players themselves. It might have meant the most, though, to Gaudreau.
If the Flames had lost on Sunday, nobody could have put their failure to advance on their superstar's shoulders. He was dangerous throughout the series and finished with eight points in seven games.
Against an extremely defensive opponent, those are very good numbers. He produced, plain and simple. He emphatically answered any lingering questions about his ability to perform on the massive post-season stage.
“I thought Johnny had a really strong series, to be quite honest,” said Flames head coach Darryl Sutter. “It was good that he got the game-winner, series-winner.”
The overtime goal will be one that Flames fans cherish for years and years. It's not like Gaudreau needed to do anything more to prove his hero status in Calgary, but on Sunday he was front and centre for one of those playoff moments that fans never forget.
And with the goal, he earned a shot to make even more memories and to further establish himself as one of the all-time greats to don the Flaming C uniform.
“One of the best feelings I've had in hockey when that one went in for Johnny,” Tkachuk said. “That was awesome.”
It was fitting that earlier in the night, Gaudreau skated onto the ice wearing an `A' on his chest because Chris
Tanev's injury kept him out of the lineup. There was certainly something meaningful for the 28-year-old being formally recognized as one of the Flames' leaders, even if he's long been considered part of their leadership group informally.
And as he skated off the ice after the dramatic series-winner, his best friend was waiting for him. Sean Monahan was arguably as important to the Flames' post-Jarome Iginla rebuild as Gaudreau and faced some of the same criticisms about playoff productivity over the years. Monahan's season ended early this year because he needed hip surgery, but he's stuck around the team and has continued being on road trips.
Sharing that moment with Monahan mattered to Gaudreau. And based on the way the clip was shared on social media, it mattered to long-suffering Flames fans, too.
“Yeah, I wish he was playing, he's just the ultimate team guy,” Gaudreau said. “It sucks the way it ended for him this year, but he's such a good friend, such a good teammate, such a good leader. I thanked him today for being injured so I could wear an `A' for once but no, like I said, he's just such a great teammate and great friend.”
Now, the Flames' attention will quickly turn to the Oilers. The Battle of Alberta promises fireworks, and the only man who had more points than
Gaudreau in the NHL this season, Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid, will present a very different challenge than the defensive-minded Stars.
But McDavid won't be the only star on the ice with the potential to take the series over and carry it on his back. The Flames and their fans can trust Gaudreau to do that, too.
After Sunday night, that never needs to be questioned again.
“It was awesome,” Gaudreau said. “It was a tight series throughout the whole week or two weeks here and came right down to the end there and the game ... You dream of stuff like that, scoring in overtime.”
It was awesome ... you dream of stuff like that, scoring in overtime.”
—Johnny Gaudreau