Gage Goncalves’ week started on a high note.
The 23-year-old Canadian forward had just returned home from practice with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, on Monday when his phone rang.
He was heading back to the NHL.
“I just went and packed up my stuff quickly and hopped on the quickest flight,” a smiling Goncalves said of his recall after Thursday’s morning skate.
Goncalves, a 2nd-round pick by the Lightning from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, played two NHL games with the Bolts last season. He has four assists in four AHL games this season.
He made his season debut with the Lightning on Tuesday in St. Louis, playing 10 minutes, 34 seconds on the team’s third line in a 3-2 loss to the Blues. Goncalves is wearing No. 93 for Tampa Bay and is expected to play again in Thursday’s game at AMALIE Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The forward said he felt ready for his first NHL opportunity of the season, in part because of last year’s cup of NHL coffee.
“Knowing the guys for a little bit kind of makes it more comfortable. Just coming up and seeing guys you’ve played with or that you’ve been with at camp and stuff like that. It kind of just makes you focus on the hockey part more and not so much everything else.
“I think it helped a lot just kind of settling my nerves and knowing that I have played at this level. Even though it was only two times before, just kind of knowing that if I stick to my game and I play the way I can, hopefully I can stay here or at least have a shot.”
Goncalves said Lightning coach Jon Cooper told him puck management would be a big priority during the player’s time with the big club.
The forward focused his offseason training on improving his power skating, building lower body strength and adding speed.
Tampa Bay’s coach noticed that improvement on Tuesday. Cooper said on Thursday that Goncalves’ “maturity of the game” has improved the most since he last saw the forward.
“I thought he played great. He did everything we asked and made plays that he could make and didn't hurt us defensively,” Cooper said of Goncalves’ season debut. “He’s a prospect for us, and he’s been up here before. And usually when you bring guys up, they go back and you bring them up again and you want to see the progression. And I thought he did a great job a couple nights ago and he earned another start tonight.”
Goncalves said the uptick in NHL game speed requires the biggest adjustment from the AHL.
As an insurance policy for an injured Brayden Point, Goncalves has delivered for the Lightning.
He won’t take any of his second NHL stint for granted.
“These are the best players in the world. You grow up watching these guys like Hedman and Kuch and all these guys that have played here for so many years and been at the top of the game,” Goncalves said. “So to be able to be on the ice with them and learn from them every day with what they’re doing with drills or how to pick up pucks and stuff like that, it’s really big.”
