Nobody is going to — and nobody should — point the finger at a rookie, but that won’t stop Zayne Parekh from putting pressure on himself to help solve the Calgary Flames’ scoring woes.
It is, after all, what the 19-year-old blueliner does best.
“I don’t think I’ve gone six games without a point in a long time, maybe ever,” Parekh told Postmedia. “It’s frustrating, but I’m just trying to earn more ice. And once the team starts to get a couple more bounces, I think the production will come.
“But we’re not getting our bounces and we’re not scoring right now, so it’s tough.”
It has, indeed, been tough. For all of them.
The Flames have now lost seven in a row, although they did snag at least a single point in their latest bummer, a 2-1 overtime defeat to the Montreal Canadiens. They have notched only nine goals during this skid and a dozen in total as they’ve sputtered to a 1-6-1 start through eight games.
Can Parekh help to bust them out of this offensive funk?
That’s the hope and there was a hint during Wednesday’s home matchup with the Habs that it should be just a matter of time before you see his name on the scoring summary.
Carrying the puck out of his own territory on a second-period power play, the talented teen shook off his first check, gained speed through the neutral zone, raced wide around another defender and dished to a trailing Joel Farabee.
Farabee promptly passed to Connor Zary in slot and, although that shot was blocked, the highlight was immediately clipped by fans who are calling for Parekh to get an opportunity to quarterback PP1.
While that has yet to happen, it’s certainly a positive that this future cornerstone has now suited up for six consecutive contests, starting to stake a claim to an every-night role after sitting the first two of the fall.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flames have out-chanced their opponents by a 39-29 count while Parekh is on the ice during even-strength scenarios. That 57.3% share is second among Calgary’s blue-line crew.
The rookie righty so far is averaging 16:01 per night. He has been credited with nine shots on net and has posted a minus-3 rating.
“I thought up until (Wednesday), I was getting better each game,” said Parekh, currently the fourth-youngest rearguard on an NHL roster. “I think that was my worst out of the six. But as long as I keep progressing … I know there’s going to be setbacks but just keep working on little things and trying to progress each game and get a little bit better each game.
“It’s one of those things where you have to realize there’s going to be some games you want back and not every game is going to be perfect because it’s the hardest league in the world.”
That includes being the hardest league in the world to score goals in.
Parekh put up eye-popping numbers last winter with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, with 33 snipes and 74 assists in 61 outings.
After joining the legendary Bobby Orr as only the second defenceman in OHA/OHL history to pot 30 in consecutive campaigns, he undoubtedly deserves to be done with major junior. And while he is far from a finished product, there have been plenty of positives as he learns on the fly with the Flames.
“I hate to lose and it’s never fun when you’re not winning hockey games,” said Parekh, who does have one big-league point on his resume — a goal in his debut in April. “But this is what I love to do and I try to remind myself that it’s the NHL, at the end of the day, so you can’t take any of this for granted.
“I think there’s a little bit more to my game that I’m trying to find. I think I can be better. But every chance I get to play, I’m obviously excited. I’m just trying to build my confidence and see what works and what doesn’t. I mean, maybe it’s not the league to try things, but figuring out what works and figuring out what plays I can and can’t make.
“Even if it’s one small part of my game, I’m just trying to make sure I’m doing something a bit better than the previous game, or at least trying to.”
Wranglers ready to hit home ice
With the Flames still looking for their first Saddledome victory of the season, perhaps their farm club can beat them to it.
The AHL’s Calgary Wranglers host the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Friday’s home-opener at 7 p.m.
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The Wranglers are 1-2-1 in four road games so far, but their success is measured more by the progress of some of Calgary’s top prospects than by wins and losses.
In that case, there has been plenty of reason for encouragement to start the new season — Rory Kerins is off to a hot start as he bids for a call-up, Hunter Brzustewicz has been a point-per-game guy from the back-end, Matvei Gridin has scored in each of his two minor-league loggings and Andrew Basha buried his first professional goal this past weekend.
The Firebirds are in town for a two-game set, with the rematch Saturday.
Flames recall depth forward
Nazem Kadri missed Thursday’s practice at the Saddledome, although head coach Ryan Huska told reporters that it was simply a maintenance day for his top-line centre.
There must, however, be some uncertainty among the forward cast. Before the Flames’ flight departed for Winnipeg, where they face off Friday against the Jets (6 p.m. MT), the club announced that Dryden Hunt has been recalled from the Wranglers.
The 29-year-old Hunt is off to a productive start in the minors, with two goals and six points in four games this fall, although he’ll be counted on as more of a checker if he gets into the lineup in Winnipeg.