Carneys Point native cherishes homecoming with Calgary
NEWARK » Whenever Carneys Point native Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames are in town, attendance at the Prudential Center is always sure to get a boost.
Well, almost always. With the Philadelphia Eagles holding their Super Bowl parade on Thursday afternoon, many of those who the 24-year-old superstar was leaving tickets for were faced with a difficult decision.
“A lot of them sacrificed (going to) the parade to come watch me tonight, and I’m very fortunate,” Gaudreau said through a smile after the game.
“My family are big Eagles fans, and a lot of my friends are Eagles fans. But they decided to come watch me play instead, which makes me want to play well in front of them.”
Indeed. Gaudreau scored a goal in Calgary’s 3-2 win over the Devils on Thursday night, temporarily putting the Flames back in the top eight in the very crowded Western Conference playoff picture.
Calgary has very quietly put together a talented group of forwards, with Gaudreau and 23-yearold Sean Monahan serving as cornerstones. Taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft — which was held in Newark — the skilled centerman scored twice for his 26th and 27th goals of the season, putting him on pace to shatter his previous career-high of 31, set in his 2014-15 sophomore season.
However, he has just two postseason appearances in his first four years to show for his individual success, and is hopeful that he, along with Gaudreau, can help lead the team back to playing meaningful hockey in April.
“Two wins to start this road trip, we’ve just got to build off of that and continue to go,” Monahan said.
“(Johnny) and I have played with each other for a long time, and we have some chemistry there. We want to make plays and we want to help the team win. It’s a privilege to play with him, and we look forward night in and night out to get our team going.”