Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Adam Klapka continues to impress, and leave an impression, as the 6-foot-8 Czech pushes to make the Calgary Flames’ opening night roster.
Klapka scored his third goal in three games and delivered two thunderous body checks to lead the Flames to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in an NHL preseason game on Saturday.
“When I arrived here from Europe, every game I became more comfortable with the puck. The same thing here, I feel more and more confident with the puck on my stick,” said Klapka.
Signed out of Europe as a free agent in 2022, Klapka is in his third season with the Flames organization. He has played 125 AHL games and last year played six NHL games, scoring his first goal.
“I’m impressed,” said Ryan Lomberg, who had a goal and an assist. “I don’t even know how tall he is, just how tall this ceiling is, and he can move, he can make plays, he can shoot, he physical. It’s exciting stuff.”
Klapka’s goal at 16:31 of the second period ended up being the last goal of the game.
On both sides of his offensive prowess, his physical ability was on full display, throwing an open ice shot in the first period on Nils Aman that sent the forward flying. In the third, his heavy hit on defender Akito Hirose sent him wildly to the sidelines. Hirose had to be helped off the ice.
When Flames coach Ryan Huska was asked what he wants to see out of his fourth line this season, he pointed to Saturday’s body of work from Klapka, Lomberg and center Kevin Rooney.
“Tonight was a good snapshot of him. They are a group of guys that have to be tough to play against,” Huska said. “They have to make things uncomfortable for the defenders, knowing, oh well, these guys are coming again, and with that, I think they’re going to drag people to into the game with them, as they did tonight.”
Lomberg is looking forward to playing more with him.
“He’s going to make my job really easy this year if he keeps hitting guys like that,” Lomberg said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
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Brayden Pachal, who also had an assist, and Blake Coleman also scored for Calgary, which improves to 4-0-1.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Aatu Raty were the markers for Vancouver, who were 2-2-0 in exhibition play.
Dan Vladar, who stopped 17 of 19 shots in 40 minutes of action, got the win. Devin Cooley made nine stops in relief.
Artus Silovs, beaten four times on 24 shots, gave way to Nikita Tolopilo to start the third. Tolopilo made eight saves.
Calgary opened the scoring at 4:23 when Pachal lifted a wrist shot from the blue line through a maze of bodies dodging Silovs, who never saw him.
The Flames surged to a 2-0 lead three minutes later when Lomberg snagged a MacKenzie Weegar rebound in the slot and fired a shot just inside the goal post.
Lomberg, 29, who broke into the NHL as a Flame in 2017-18, re-signed during the off-season in Calgary as a free agent after four years with the Florida Panthers, and was ended by winning the Stanley Cup.
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he likes Raty’s game.
“He’s a sticky player. He goes in there, finds loose pucks, he makes some good plays,” the Vancouver bench boss said.
Raty’s goal came on a perfect shot after being neatly set up on a 2-on-1 by Conor Garland.
“He wasn’t really looking at me at all, but I knew he was going to find me, he’s a great, great walker,” said Raty. “I got the ticket and I had a lot of room.”
Raty, a 2021 second-round pick, was acquired by the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade. He has spent most of the last two seasons in the AHL.
“It’s nice to have someone find the net,” Raty said, noting that it gave him confidence.
An unexpected crime
Known more for his physicality, Pachal has never had a multi-point game in his 62 NHL regular season games. The 24-year-old was in his fifth season with the Vegas Golden Knights organization when he was claimed off waivers by Calgary last February.
Up next
Canucks: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Flames: Host the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://globalnews.ca/news/10785218/calgary-flames-vancouver-canucks-nhl-pre-season/
