'Now You Build On It'

ANAHEIM — Aydar Suniev didn’t develop his shot overnight. 

It came from years and years of work back home, pinging pucks off posts, fine-tuning his game to be ready for moments like the one that fell his way this past Saturday.

“I do have a whole setup in my garage at home back in Russia,” he said Tuesday morning when asked about his training regimen growing up. “Every day trying to shoot maybe 200, 300 pucks after practices.”

That practice paid off with his first NHL goal, against these same Ducks against whom the Flames will contest their sixth game of the regular season Tuesday evening at Honda Center (7:45 p.m., Sportsnet West).

Suniev picked his spot, from a near-impossible angle, threading the needle on Anaheim netminder Ville Husso in Saturday’s second period.

“The first one is always a special one,” he recalled. “It's kind of like a weight dropping from my shoulder when you get that first one, and now you kind of hold more confidence. 

“Now you’ve just gotta focus on the next one.”

Since turning pro, Suniev’s focus is evident. A third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Russian winger has put in the time to earn his latest opportunity, slotting alongside Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato for his latest NHL appearance, back at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

That work ethic - staying out after practice taking one-timer after one-timer - gets noticed.

“He's a very strong young man in regards to the mental side of the game, he knows the areas that he has to improve on,” Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska commented Tuesday morning. “He put in a lot of work over the last two years. 

“Now, it's just a matter of going out there and doing it shift after shift, and that's the real big challenge for younger players, is to learn how to handle that; after good situations, when you score a goal, you’ve got to come back with a great shift, and it's the same thing when things don't go your way.”

But for Suniev, it’s all about preparedness. He’s confident enough in his ability to know how he can help this Calgary squad, and that post-skate fine-tuning is all part of his process to make sure he’s at his best every time his number gets called.

“You stay out after practice, or take some more shots, and I think once you kind of find what works for you,” Suniev said. “Now you build on it. That's what I try to do. 

“I stay after practice, and do as much as I can, and then in the game, I'm ready.”

That eagerness to get into the fight paid off Saturday. Suniev’s first NHL goal was a big moment in that 4-2 setback to the Ducks, knotting the game at 2-2 late in the second period. 

And as his total number of NHL games played crosses into the double digits this evening in Orange County, Suniev - and his Head Coach - are both eager to see what’s next.

“He’s a really strong scoring threat for us for sure,” said Huska. “We know he can put the puck in the net from wherever, as we saw from his goal the other night in Calgary. 

“It's just a matter of moving his feet and having confidence to make the plays - and the right plays - at the NHL level.”