'Confidence Booster For Me'

It happened just before 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The pass. The shot. The pop from the crowd.

Daniil Miromanov’s strike against Nashville was easily the most important of the four goals he’s scored since arriving in Calgary last March.

After the Flames’ 2-0 win, he even said he had a vision preceding that moment that something good - something momentous - was about to happen.

Having had a couple of days to reflect, Miromanov is treating the tally as a building block, a boost to the psyche as Calgary chases its 10th win of the season Tuesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. TICKETS

“I’ve been getting some looks in the offence,” he said Monday after an up-tempo practice. “It’s great to feel that one go in, especially this important one.

“Definitely a confidence booster for me.”

Miromanov’s story is one of perseverance. Never drafted, he’s had to scratch and claw his way to his 65 NHL appearances.

And there have been bumps in the road, too. He missed the better part of a year recovering from a knee injury suffered in the American Hockey League in 2023.

But since arriving in Alberta eight months ago, he’s found a home on a steady blue line pairing with veteran MacKenzie Weegar.

Miromanov sits +5 through 16 games this season, a figure bettered by only two active Flames teammates.

With Weegar, the Russian rearguard has helped form an intriguing duo. Both right-shot defencemen, Weegar has been a mainstay on the left side, while Miromanov has found a home on the right.

But as he continues his first full season in the NHL (Miromanov needs eight more games played to match his career high for appearances in a season), he’s found a bit of a role model in Weegar, too.

“It’s a massive blessing,” Miromanov said of the partnership. “I look forward every single day, practicing, I’m learning from Weegsy. I feel like every game counts as 10 in experience.

“This guy is like a mentor to me, he helps a lot on the ice, in the locker-room, he really took me under the wing when I came in. I try to help him out as much as I can, I feel like we have great chemistry together.

“I know where Weegsy’s going to be in the D zone, he knows where I’m going to be, we feed off each other as well.”

That all bodes well for Flames head coach Ryan Huska, who figures that over Miromanov’s time with the Flames, he’s at his best when he’s thinking - and playing - the game on his toes.

“When Miro was at his best from what we saw last year, he was skating, he was involved,” Huska explained Monday. “And I felt like he was using his size to close on people quickly, defensively.

“Lately, I feel like we’re seeing that again; it’s probably because he feels a little more settled in his role, and who he’s going to play with.”

Tuesday’s opponent - the New York Islanders - brings about another familiar face.

Miromanov and Isles defenceman Noah Dobson played together in 2016-17 with the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

That season, Miromanov scored 20 goals and finished fourth in team scoring with 62 points while Dobson, in his first major junior campaign, had 26 points on the campaign.

The next season, Dobson won a QMJHL title and Memorial Cup with the Titan before being picked 12th-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

“It was fun,” Miromanov said of their time together in New Brunswick. “It was his rookie year, it was my second year. Dobbie’s a great kid, great guy.

“When he came in as a rookie, he was a great player right away. It was very fun to see him grow.”

That type of growth, is exactly what Huska wants to continue seeing from Miromanov, as he continues to etch out a place in Calgary’s top four on the blue line.

“We need him to keep taking steps,” Huska said. “Because we need him, and his ability and his size on the back end, to be a really good player for us.”