They say with the right mindset, anything is possible.
Martin Pospisil is proving just that.
With four points from his first five NHL contests, the young forward has helped bring a new energy and a new sense of determination to the Calgary lineup.
And with each passing game, Pospisil is feeling, and playing with, a confidence that’s been years in the making.
“I’m trying to enjoy every moment on the ice, and I’m trying to help the team,” Pospisil said Wednesday after the team returned home from a three-game, all-Canadian road swing. “That was a long time that I was waiting for this kind of moment, to play in the NHL.”
He collected a point on each game of Calgary’s recent trip, scoring in Toronto before earning helpers in Ottawa and Montreal.
But offensive numbers aside, there’s more to Pospisil’s game than meets the eye. As a youngster growing up, he idolized Michal Handzus’ ability to create offence amid a spirit of defensive responsibility, and he’s adapted that 200-foot mentality to his own game.
“Because I can also play centre, I really (liked) his style of play; how he (went) to the net, how he (took) draws, how he (played) well in the D zone,” Pospisil mentioned.
It’s no coincidence, then, that he leads the team with a +5 rating since his call-up from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
“In my game, to create offence, you have to play defence first,” he said. “A lot of chances, especially for me, (come) from the D zone.
“It also gives you confidence to be plus, not minus; the D zone is really important for me.”
Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska tipped his cap to the Wranglers Wednesday for helping instill that confidence in Pospisil, as well as fellow rookie Connor Zary, who has earned six points from his first six NHL contests including his first career multi-point effort Tuesday in Montreal.
“That's one of the great things about the American League, and a lot of people are like, 'Hooo boy, I don't know if a player should be down there at that time,’” Huska said. “But they learn to become players there, for the most part; they have to come here with the belief in themselves and try to make that same thing happen at this level.
“I think it's just the experience they've gained over the last couple of years and coming here now, they're in a position where they're not just about playing in an NHL game; they're like, 'Listen, I've been a pro for a couple years now, and I have to do something to make sure I stay here.' That's what the guys have done.”
Pospisil, who turns 24 years of age this coming Sunday, started his NHL career on a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, both of whom earned assists on his second career NHL marker this past Friday against the Maple Leafs.
For Backlund, the veteran of 900-plus NHL contests, Pospisil’s game has passed the eye test.
“He plays with a lot of speed and grit. At the same time, he has some skill, he made a really nice pass to Colesy in Ottawa,” Backlund said Wednesday. “He’s not afraid to take pucks to the net and get physical, do some reverse hits and that kind of stuff.“I like what I’ve seen, we saw a little bit of it in camp this year, the games he played, he took a lot of pucks to the net; that’s been very effective and it’s something this team has needed.”
It’s the type of veteran leadership young players like Pospisil and Zary need, as they learn the ins and outs of the NHL.
And for Pospisil, that mentorship has carried over from Backlund, to Coleman, to Nazem Kadri, who centred his line Tuesday in Montreal and was pivotal in the creation of the game-winning goal in the second period.
