Maybe it was the home-cooked meatballs that did the trick.

Matt Coronato, the 22-year-old Calgary Flames right winger, suited up for the first time as an NHLer on Long Island on Saturday, about 50 kilometres from where he grew up in Greenlawn, N.Y.

Coronato’s family had been in the stands to see him score for the Flames in wins over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden and in Newark against the Devils.

Long Island was different. He had a much larger contingent in the UBS Arena stands and was at his family’s place the night before for dinner.

“It was nice to have a nice, home-cooked dinner and eat some good food,” he said after the team’s practice on Monday following a road trip where the Flames got six of a possible eight points.

“[My mom] knows it’s my favourite. She texted me and she was like, ‘I’m making meatballs.’ I was like, ‘Perfect.’”

Coronato scored........

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