A goal scored.
A score settled.
Calgary Flames fan favourite Ryan Lomberg accomplished both in a five-second span Saturday on a shift that packed more punch than Cousin Eddie’s rum and eggnog.
There were plenty of highlights as the Flames rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in their final home date before the holidays, but there was no doubt the story of the night was Lomberg’s double whammy.
Although he couldn’t complete the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick, the fourth-line thumper was rewarded with the Flames’ red blazer, a Hockey Night in Canada towel and a fresh cut on the bridge of his nose.
Mikael Backlund tucked two against the Golden Knights, including the would-be winner. Adam Klapka, Joel Farabee and Jonathan Huberdeau chipped in with singles, while MacKenzie Weegar and Connor Zary piled up three assists apiece and Devin Cooley made 34 saves in the home crease.
But enough about the other guys.
Starting with some love for The Lomberghini, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s clash …
Flames forward Ryan Lomberg scores on Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid on Saturday.
The Shift
If you ever need a refresher on why Lomberg is a fan fave at the Saddledome and absolutely beloved in the locker-room, simply replay this sequence.
“Is that what we’re calling it — The Shift?” Weegar asked in his post-game scrum. “Yeah, it was a great shift.”
A first of its kind, apparently, for Lomberg, who doesn’t think he has ever tickled twine and chucked knuckles in such short succession.
So how exactly did it all unfold?
It started when Lomberg buried on a two-on-oh rush, accepting a feed from Connor Zary and going blocker-side for his second strike of the campaign.
After cruising past the bench for the customary fist-bumps, the 31-year-old had some other business to tend to.
You see, Golden Knights defenceman Jeremy Lauzon had, minutes earlier, stapled Matt Coronato into the side-boards. Lomberg always takes it upon himself to answer those bells.
So as he arrived at centre ice for the ensuing faceoff, and with Lauzon standing at the blue-line, he requested a dance.
In his fourth scrap of the season, this 5-foot-9 forward was — as he so often is — ignoring a drastic size mismatch, giving up roughly six inches and 40 pounds to his fighting foe. He had an out when he was knocked off-balance early in the bout, but he climbed back to his feet before the linesmen could intervene.
“He hit Matty pretty hard there, and Matty came off struggling a little bit,” Lomberg explained during a walk-off interview on Hockey Night in Canada. “So I was planning on goin’ him before I scored and he was back out there, obviously, after the goal and I asked him and he obliged.
“He’s a big boy. We had a pretty good tilt there.”
Flames forwards Connor Zary and Mikael Backlund (11) celebrate Backlund’s second goal during Saturday’s game.
What, no assist???
How soon did Lomberg start thinking about the possibility of a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick?
“Probably right when my gloves came off,” he grinned.
So what the heck happened?
Why no helper?
“Ask my linemates,” he replied. “Nah, I’m just kidding. I told the boys, ‘If I give it to you in the o-zone, I don’t want it back. Shoot it, shoot it.’ ”
Even though Lomberg didn’t notch the one setup needed for the Gordie, he was credited by his buddies and boss with a couple of unofficial assists.
For sticking up for Coronato.
And for firing up the home crowd.
“Scores a goal, big fight, steps up for a teammate … ” said Backlund, saluted as Saturday’s first star after potting a pair for the second consecutive game. “So a lot of credit to Lombo. He is a great teammate and just an awesome player and fun to watch.”
“He is the ultimate team guy,” added Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “He has great speed. He has great energy that he brings to our team. A very positive guy that makes people around him feel good about themselves. So it was nice to see him score.
“I like when he scores at home, because the crowd really gets into it. So it’s nice to see him score and then do what he does after that.”
After that, it’s a sure thing they sold a few No. 70 jerseys at the concourse merchandise stands.
“It felt like the Dome was extra special today,” Lomberg beamed. “The C of Red has come alive here. We’re definitely going to need ’em to continue to give us energy.”
Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar and Knights defenceman Jeremy Lauzon tussle at the Saddledome.
Apples upon apples
This was a career night for Zary, his first three-point performance in the NHL spotlight.
In fact, he hadn’t even notched a two-pointer since last winter.
Can this be a kick-starter for the 24-year-old in what has been a mostly underwhelming campaign?
His skipper thinks so.
“I thought Connor was really good tonight,” said Huska, whose squad with head north to face another Connor in Tuesday’s Battle of Alberta. “He had the puck on his stick a lot, he had great composure with it and I thought he had impact when he was on the ice.
“So when he leaves the rink tonight, for one, he should feel good about his effort and the way he played the game. But players always feel better when they see their name on the scoresheet and for him to get three assists, I think, is a really good thing for him and it’s something he can kind of use to propel himself forward.”
With three apples of his own, Weegar marked a milestone against the Golden Knights.
In NHL history, he’s now one of just seven defencemen drafted in the seventh round to rack up 200 career helpers.
Impressive.
“I think I got more compliments on the plus-2 than I did on the 200th assist tonight,” quipped Weegar, a self-deprecating shot at his miserable minus-19 rating. “It’s one of those nights. It’s one of those years. I think when I sit back and realize that I have 200 assists and that I was a plus-2, it’ll feel great.”
Flames goalie Devin Cooley stops a chance by Golden Knights Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl.