CALGARY — Mikael Backlund spent the last few days talking about loyalty and the importance of sticking with it and seeing things through.
His father worked for the same company for 33 years, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who had a similar run.
As he spent the summer debating the merits of extending his stay in Calgary and becoming team captain, it was nights like these he dreamed of.
He’s made it clear, the milestones, the wins, the history, his connection with the city and his legacy as a Flame all mean so much to him.
So, shortly after Backlund finished lacing up his skates Tuesday for his 949th twirl with the same team that drafted him, the occasion called for something special:
His daughter.
As captured in a video released by the team that had Backlund, several teammates and the bulk of the viewers who watched it online fighting back tears, young Tillie read out the opening lineup, punctuating it with an emphatic “Mikael Backlund” that was followed by a sprint into dad’s open arms.
“There was a few little water works around the room before the game,” chuckled coach Ryan Huska of a pre-game salute that also included having Backlund’s father, wife and younger daughter on hand.
“Mikael is an emotional guy, and I loved it. His daughter did a fantastic job so it was a great way for us to get us going tonight.”
Tying Mark Giordano for second on the franchise games-played list, only Jarome Iginla has played more in red and gold at 1,219.
Three franchise pillars.
And while the team’s play through the first two periods against a pedestrian Ottawa club saw the Flames losing 3-2, the group wound up doing Backlund, his dad and his family proud by following through with four unanswered goals in the third period for a 6-3 win.
It ended with Backlund facing an empty net that he purposely looked off to find Blake Coleman whose second of the period put him one back of the NHL lead with 11 third period goals.
“He’s the captain for a reason — he’s a great leader,” said Coleman of his longtime linemate.
“Milestone night for him. Not once, but twice he tried to give it to me.
“He’s a great friend, great teammate, a guy you love to play alongside.
“Very happy for him and special his family could come in and read the starting lineup. I know that meant a lot to him.”
Winning means plenty to Backlund too, which is why he was so proud to see his team rebound from the two crushing losses that wrapped up their road trip.
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And they did it with an NHL-leading seventh third period comeback in front of an adoring crowd that included the players’ dads, who will join the team in Tempe and Vegas this week.
Further fuel to help keep this team in the thick of a tight wild card race that’s only halfway through being settled.
Despite falling behind on three separate occasions, the Flames kept battling back, kick-started in the third by Noah Hanifin, who tied the game before adding subsequent assists on Yegor Sharagovich’s second of the game and Coleman’s first.
“Might have been his best game I’ve seen him play,” said Huska of Hanifin, who finished plus-5.
“Skating wise, how he handled the puck, he was in the rush a lot. He did a lot of really good things for us tonight. Whether or not his dad’s in town. If that’s the case, they should stay here all the time.”
Jacob Markstom’s 30 saves included a key stop on a Mathieu Joseph breakaway early in the third with the score tied 3-3 – one of his many big stops of late as one of the league’s hottest netminders since his return at Christmas.
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The Flames top three lines all chipped in offensively, with Nazem Kadri’s line being the most noticeable with his two assists, Martin Pospisil’s physical play and a banner night from Connor Zary who tied the game 1-1 five minutes in with an unassisted gem.
“He’s been unbelievable, and made a huge difference for us,” said Hanifin of Zary, who finished plus-4 and now joins Johnny Gaudreau and Jarome Iginla as the only two Flames rookies over the last 30 years to post more than 20 points in their first 31 games.
“The way he plays the game with his energy. Sometimes it can be tough in your first year in the NHL to stay consistent, but for the most part he’s been unreal for us almost every game.
“All his habits in practice, he’s already acting like a pro.”
On Tuesday, so was the rest of the team – taking cues from the ultimate pro.
Enough to put tears in the captain’s eyes all over again.
