Jonathan Huberdeau is finally back on the scoresheet, and the Calgary Flames are back in the win column after handing the Vancouver Canucks just their fourth regulation loss of the season on Thursday night.

Huberdeau scored his third goal of the season early in the third period of a 5-2 victory at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Alberta.

“Obviously, it felt good; it has been a while,” the former superstar forward told reporters afterwards. “It was good to get, finally, a goal and a big win for us.”

The 30-year-old's tally led to a massive roar from the 17,501 spectators in attendance, a gesture he appreciated.

“I [took] it in, I think it's nice to get the support from the crowd. They've been patient,” he explained. “It's nice, obviously, but hopefully that can get me going. It was a good game, our line, we created a lot of chances. We've just got to take that and do it for next game.”

The former third overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft has had a brutal start to the year, compiling just nine points in 16 games. But based on his performance on Thursday, it looks like he could be coming around.

“I thought it was cool. We have great fans here, and what they do recognize is hard work,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said about the raucous crowd energy after Huberdeau's goal.

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“You could see that from him tonight, so when he gets rewarded, it was nice, and it goes a long way for a player that is really working to find his way. We're all happy for him. It was good to see him score that.”

Huberdeau later assisted on Elias Lindholm's empty net goal, his first multi-point affair since Oct. 12 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Huberdeau still a shell of his former self

Despite the strong performance, Huberdeau is still playing like a bottom-six forward, and has been relegated from the first powerplay unit completely. It's a far cry from a player who is just two seasons removed from a career-high 85-assist, 115-point campaign with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22.

In his first season in Calgary, the veteran's numbers dipped to 15 goals and 55 points in 79 games, along with his lowest average ice time (15:52) since the 2013-14 season.

Now in his 12th NHL campaign, it's clear that Jonathan Huberdeau is not the player he once was. But if this can be the start of a hot streak for the flashy playmaker, it could help the 6-8-2 Flames make some progress up the Western Conference standings.