Flames’ Suniev Impressing in First 3 Games

His playing style is clear: he is a goal scorer and needs players around him to help produce. Suniev has a nose for the net and wants to shoot the puck as much as possible, and playing not even 12 minutes buried on the fourth line won’t do that. Overall, it was a decent season debut for the youngster, with lots of room to work with, certainly on the defensive side.

Game Two vs. Anaheim Ducks

This was the first of a home-and-home series, with the first game at the Scotiabank Saddledome where the Ducks won 4–2, continuing the Flames’ rough start, going winless through five. 

Head coach Ryan Huska changed up his lines for this game, placing Suniev on the second with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato. This change benefited the team and Suniev, and it was the Flames’ best game so far. Suniev finally notched his first goal, tying the game 2–2 near the end of the second thanks to a nice pass from Coronato from behind the net. 

The goal was a goal scorer’s goal, as the Flames rushed down the ice. Coronato was pushed to the corner, and rather than planting himself in front of the net, Suniev found a soft spot just to the right of Ducks goaltender Viille Husso and opened up for a one-timer, sneaking one past the netminder. His relief at scoring the goal was hard to miss, and he noted it post-game: “It’s so great — you dream about it, scoring your first goal, and here it is.” 

Playing with Frost and Coronato was the right move, as Suniev looked more comfortable than in the first game. The line also produced good chances throughout the game; a big improvement from his first.

Game Three vs. Ducks

In the second match of the home-and-home series vs. the Ducks, Suniev again played with Frost and Coronato. This time, he collected the first multi-point game of his career with a goal and an assist. It was also a great game for the Flames, as they collected their first win of the season, 4–2, leaving the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers as the only remaining winless teams. 

Suniev’s goal was again a crucial one that tied the game at 2-2 in the second period. Following a Calgary 5-on-3, he was still out there playing on the second unit as the penalty expired. As the Ducks readjusted to five players on the ice, Suniev found some open space on the right side of the slot, leading to a nice feed from Ryan Strome in the corner and another one-timer blasted by Lukas Dostal. 

He then picked up his first assist of the season on Martin Pospisil’s game-winner with just under five minutes left in the third. It was his most complete game yet. He looked composed and ready for the big moments, gaining Huska’s trust with each shift. 

Suniev’s first three games of the season have been superb, and the Flames should see this as a major positive for the talented young sniper. He will continue to work on his defensive zone coverage with each game, but even through this small set of games, his ability to mark his man has improved. With more trust and a continued increase in ice time, Suniev could have a solid rookie campaign, contributing meangingfully to a struggling Flames offence.