Flames face final tune-up before the real fun begins
Win Saturday in San Jose would lock up first-round date with Pacific champion
Go in with a win.
That would be ideal.
The Calgary Flames don’t need a victory in Saturday’s regularseason finale against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center, but it sure would be nice to polish off their prep on a high note before what they hope is an extended run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“We want to ramp it up and make sure we’re playing the same way in that game as we want to play in Game 1,” said Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman after burying the game-winner — on a breakaway, no less — in Thursday’s 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.
“So it’s a big game, because we can use it that way. We just want to play the way we need to play to win.”
This is the final weekend of regular-season action around the NHL. The race to 16 wins — must-see TV every spring — starts midway through next week.
The crew from Calgary will open its playoff run in enemy territory, but they’re still not sure exactly where they’ll be headed.
The Flames (45-32-4) continue to jockey with the Nashville Predators for the two wild-card slots in the Western Conference. They’re currently deadlocked with 94 points apiece, although the Flames have the edge in the would-be tiebreaker.
Plain and simple, a victory against the Sharks would solidify Calgary’s status as the first wild card and set a date with the Pacific Division champs. The Anaheim Ducks can clinch that honour with one more point, but the Edmonton Oilers still have a shot at it, too.
If the Predators, who wrap up their regular-season slate against the Jets in Winnipeg, climb above Calgary in the standings, the Flames will instead open their Stanley Cup quest against the topseeded Chicago Blackhawks.
“Of course, we want to win every game and it would be important to get a good feeling,” said centre Mikael Backlund of Saturday’s meeting with the Sharks (8 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). “But I think what’s more important is the way we play. I think we want to go into playoffs having a good feeling. Finish off with a good game just like (Thursday). We have to keep this thing rolling.”
The Flames officially punched their playoff ticket with a 5-2 triumph over the Sharks March 31 at the Saddledome.
Since then, skipper Glen Gulutzan has talked repeatedly about maintaining the “hum.”
“Because it’s not an easy thing to turn it on and off,” he warned earlier this week.
There was a definite dip in an April 2 home-ice loss to the Ducks. The Flames also dropped the rematch two nights later at Honda Center, but they were at least pleased with a spirited performance.
It was back to the win column Thursday against the Kings with crease call-up Jon Gillies delivering 27 saves in his NHL debut and getting offensive support from some of the depth guys — Sam Bennett, Alex Chiasson and frequent scratches Freddie Hamilton and Wideman — on his special night at Staples Center.
Gillies will be a spectator in San Jose with will-be spring workhorse Brian Elliott wanting one more start to fine tune his game for the second season.
Don’t be surprised if a few of Calgary’s marquee men get a night off against the Sharks. In fact, it would be a surprise if they didn’t.
“You allow some of the guys that have done a great job getting us to this spot to rest, while we get the chance to prove and show them that we’ve worked hard in practice, that we’ve been listening, we’ve been watching and we’re ready to contribute,” said spare forward Curtis Lazar, who had a teamhigh three hits in a feisty showing against the Kings. “You’re going to need everybody in the playoffs and you know that.”
Playoffs, with the 82-game leadup almost in the books, is next.
Sure would be nice to go in with a win.
“Any game of the season, if you’ve just had a tough game, you have to kind of mentally get yourself back going,” Backlund said. “But if you have a good roll, you just go with it. You feel good about yourself, the whole team feels good, so you just keep rolling. So I think it’s important we play well on Saturday.”