DENVER - Closing in on history.
With his goal Saturday night in Edmonton, Yegor Sharangovich now sits three away from 100 career goals.
Once he hits the mark, he’ll become just the third Belarusian player in NHL history to reach the milestone joining Mikhail Grabovski (125) and Andrei Kostitsyn (103).
Though it’ll be an impressive feat, the focus remains on the true task at hand late in the season.
“It’s a big number, but I’m not just focused on individual goals,” Sharangovich said. “I know it’s been a hard season, I’m just trying to help the team make playoffs that’s our goal first.
“If I get it, it’ll be fun and nice to be part of Belarusian history.”
After sitting out last Thursday’s game against Dallas, Sharangovich returned for Saturday’s Battle of Alberta on a line with Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil, and generated a handful of chances.
It’s been no secret the tear Kadri has been on, riding a six-game points streak (7G, 3A) and for Sharangovich playing alongside him has been quite the treat as they look to build a little more chemistry together.
“It’s always fun to play with them,” he said. “Playing with a guy who has played 900 NHL games, he always telling you what to do, helping on the ice and the locker room. Me and Pospi just try to get him the puck because you know he will make something happen.
“It helps with the confidence playing with Naz, he’s a really smart player and always helping out.”
The one game reset gave him an opportunity to see the game from a different view, clear his mind a bit and jump right in and now, he’s focused on building off the momentum from his last outing.
With a tough matchup against one of the league’s best in the Colorado, Flames head coach Ryan Huska noted that the coaching staff are looking for guys to jump into another gear in yet another critical tilt.
“I thought he (Sharangovich) was more competitive and I thought he was around the puck more,” Huska said. You see it, when he goes to areas, the harder areas of the game, he has a skill set that allows him to make plays or allows him to score goals so I’d like to see him take more steps tonight.
“He’s another player that we need to raise their play for us today.”
With the Flames currently seven points of a playoff spot, chasing both the Blues and Wild who sit at 87 points, the belief hasn’t dwindled in the room.
Ten games left - it’ll be a fight to the very end.
“Everyone believes to make playoffs and it’s our big goal,” Sharangovich said. “It’s a fun spot, you’re fighting for playoffs. Last season it was decided earlier but on this day we still have a chance to make it and we just need to focus on every game and win the game.”
