For the Calgary Flames to continue stoking the Battle of Alberta in the NHL playoffs, they need to take their game from good to great.
Down 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal, Calgary faces elimination Thursday at the Saddledome where the Flames went 25-9-7 during the regular season.
Calgary avoided elimination in the post-seasonB次元官网网址檚 first round with a Game 7 overtime win over the Dallas Stars.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to need the same desperation we had in that Game 7 against Dallas,B次元官网网址� Flames forward Milan Lucic said Wednesday at the Saddledome.
B次元官网网址淲hat I said before that game is you need big plays from big-time players, so thatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e going to need tomorrow.B次元官网网址�
The Flames played their best game of the conference semifinal in TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 5-3 loss in Game 4 at Rogers Place. Calgary battled back from a three-goal deficit after one period to tie it in the second.
Holding Oilers captain Connor McDavid to two assists was CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 most effective containment of the NHLB次元官网网址檚 leading scorer in the series.
"In order to win three games you got to win one game. You have to start off by winning one game."
B次元官网网址� y - Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames)
Milan Lucic on the mindset heading into Game 5 tomorrow night.
B次元官网网址淚t was our best game, but it still wasnB次元官网网址檛 good enough,B次元官网网址� Lucic said. B次元官网网址淲hether itB次元官网网址檚 doing two things better or give 10 per cent more, or whatever youB次元官网网址檝e got to do, itB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檝e got to do.B次元官网网址�
The veteran of 135 NHL playoff games took the B次元官网网址渂acks against the wallB次元官网网址� clich茅 the distance adding B次元官网网址渋n the corner, up against the ropes.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been a good home team all year long,B次元官网网址� Lucic said. B次元官网网址淲e rely on our fans coming and cheering us on and having our back and going from there.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 up to us to see what weB次元官网网址檙e made of and go out there and play our game for 60-plus minutes, if thatB次元官网网址檚 what it takes to give ourselves a chance to stay alive.B次元官网网址�
To have a chance at advancing to the third round for the first time in 18 years, the Flames must continue to limit McDavid - as much as thatB次元官网网址檚 possible - while cleaning up defensive breakdowns in their own end.
Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom and 40-year-old counterpart Mike Smith have been both brilliant and faulty in this series with show-stopping saves and soft goals.
Markstrom misplaying a puck behind the net for an Edmonton goal seconds after puck drop and Smith getting beat by a cleared puck from 132 feet away for the Flames to tie it in Game 4 adds to the suspense of which goalie will be sharper Thursday.
CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 playoff fortunes rely heavily on Markstrom, but Flames head coach Darryl Sutter insists McDavid and Markstrom arenB次元官网网址檛 the ultimate authorities on the seriesB次元官网网址� outcome.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 all anyone else had talked about. TheyB次元官网网址檝e either talked about Jacob Markstrom or Connor McDavid. ThatB次元官网网址檚 all theyB次元官网网址檝e talked about,B次元官网网址� Sutter said. B次元官网网址淚n the end, thatB次元官网网址檚 not what the difference in games is.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l have to improve some things.B次元官网网址�
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Over half of CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 73 shots either missed the net or were blocked Tuesday. Sutter is fine with the shot output, but says creating and finishing a few more quality chances is in order.
Since CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 9-6 win in a wild Game 1, the Flames have been outscored 14-7. TheyB次元官网网址檝e mustered two power-play goals on a dozen chances over the last three games.
Sutter pointed out earlier in the series that EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 blue-line B次元官网网址� led by Duncan Keith, Cody Ceci and Tyson Barrie B次元官网网址� boasts more playoff seasoning than the Flames.
B次元官网网址淭he big difference in the two defences is the Oilers have twice as much experience on the back end as us in terms of playoffs,B次元官网网址� Sutter said last week ahead of Game 2.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 like 350 to 170 (games) or something like that, so itB次元官网网址檚 a big difference. WeB次元官网网址檙e getting experience as we go, whereas theyB次元官网网址檝e got itB次元官网网址�.
Without top shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev for the first three games of the series, the Flames were disjointed in their own end.
TanevB次元官网网址檚 return Tuesday, albeit labouring with what appears to be a right shoulder injury, was a stabilizing influence.
B次元官网网址淓ven-strength minutes, he was very effective,B次元官网网址� Sutter said. B次元官网网址淓dmontonB次元官网网址檚 defence is an experienced defence. When weB次元官网网址檙e playing four younger defencemen, those guys need a little bit of a security blanket and Chris Tanev is that for sure.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just on the ice. ThatB次元官网网址檚 in the locker room.B次元官网网址�
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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