Flames Takeaways: Rory Kerins makes great debut in win over Blackhawks

Rory Kerins knew it would take some time to adjust to the NHL.

How does 12 seconds sound?

That’s how long into his first NHL shift it took for the Wranglers’ call-up to make a neat right and drive that ended with Jakob Pelletier tearing home the opening goal after 74 seconds.

Ten minutes later, the two boys, who were AHL linemates earlier in the year, connected again for Pelletier’s second of the night.

You could hear the two booing as they silenced the Chicago crowd.

The smiles on their faces were as genuine as the souvenir pucks they left town with, destined to be framed.

After all, both have had plenty of moments in their careers where they wondered if a night like this would ever come.

Pelletier opened the season on waivers, unsure if his time in Calgary, or even the NHL, might be over.

A sixth-round draft pick in 2020, Kerins was so far down the Flames’ training camp depth chart that the undersized 22-year-old was assigned to the dreaded Group C, meaning the former ECHLer didn’t even get a single preseason start.

Pelletier responded by lighting up the AHL, as did Kerins, who was called up to replace the injured Connor Zary on Saturday, thanks to a start that has seen him lead the AHL with 21 goals.

On Monday, they made their reunion, with one recording his first multi-goal outing in the NHL and the other becoming just the fifth Flame to start his career with two helpers.

The last Flame to pick up a point on his first shift was Sam Bennett, and only one player in NHL history (Roland Eriksson) has picked up more than two assists in their first NHL stint.

It set the tone for a 5-2 victory that helped the Flames open a four-game roadie by leapfrogging Vancouver for the final playoff spot in the West.

Those are the nights Flames management (and fans) appreciate, even if not as much as the kids.

With friends and family in attendance, Kerins followed up his rookie stint by finishing plus-3 with two assists and two shots on goal in nearly 15 minutes, including time on the second power-play unit.

A natural center used on Yegor Sharangovich’s wing on Monday, Kerins also came close to scoring a goal atop the blue paint, also helping to create traffic for a Jake Bean goal.

For an organization that has made good on its promise to give youth a chance, Kerins’ exuberant entry point follows a smart pattern that saw both Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil score in their first NHL games.

Kerins’ stay with the big boys may not be as impactful or long-lasting as those two revelations, but there’s even more reason for optimism after his opener.

The other two Flames kids who were mainly responsible for the team’s 3-1 lead after one period were Dustin Wolf and Matt Coronato.

Wolf won his third straight start by making 23 saves, highlighted by a spectacular reach-back paddle stop on Taylor Hall that was executed while sprawling across the crease in the division.

Coronato made a brilliant zone entry, deftly shielded the puck to make a play and appeared to score his 11^th of the year on a give-and-go with Blake Coleman. The league later ruled that Mikael Backlund hit the eventual game-winner on the way in, but regardless, Coronato extended his scoring streak to three by making another impression in a big moment of a game.

Interestingly, Coronato, Kerins and Pelletier have all spent time in the AHL this season, where Wolf spent the majority of his last three years.

Pospisil crosses the line

In a game the Flames led 4-1, Martin Pospisil delivered a nasty hit on Taylor Hall’s numbers, sending the veteran awkwardly into the boards a few feet away and hitting his face on the dasher as the Flames winger followed.

Hall left the game briefly but would return.

After a quick review, it was ruled a five-minute major and game foul for boarding, which the Blackhawks capitalized on shortly after as Connor Bedard picked up his 100^th career points with a goal.

Fortunately for the Flames, whose penalty kill has struggled all season, the three-goal lead was restored by Yegor Sharangovich soon after.

It was the first ejection this season for Pospisil, who was ejected three times for reckless hits last year.

Sharangovich had gone 15 straight games without a point before he managed to convert a shorthanded deke on Petr Mrazek late in the second period.

He had just three assists and 16 shots during the drought, making his two-point night a monumental breakthrough for the former 31-goal scorer, who signed a five-year, $28.75 million extension last summer.

It says a lot about his struggles that even though linemates Pelletier and Kerins combined for two goals earlier in the game, he didn’t get a point on either of them.

His assist came after he missed the net with a shot, only for Bean to slam in the rebound off the end boards.

The Flames play in St. Louis Tuesday.