Calgary Herald

REGEHR KNOWS THE WAY OUT OF AN 0-3 HOLE

The former Flames defenceman was part of Kings team that pulled off comeback feat

- ERIC FRANCIS FILES efrancis@postmedia.com

The Calgary Flames will now attempt to do something only four teams in NHL history have done: come back from a 0-3 series deficit.

While searching for any signs of hope that they can beat the Anaheim Ducks — and the odds — they needn’t look much further than northwest Calgary for living proof it can happen.

Robyn Regehr has been there, done that.

The recently retired defenceman and former Flame was part of the last NHL team to pull off the feat when his 2014 Los Angeles Kings shook off a 3-0 start against the San Jose Sharks to not only win their first-round series, but eventually claim their second Stanley Cup in a threeyear span.

“The trend was our friend,” Regehr said, sharing a motto of sorts that helped him and Darryl Sutter’s bunch focus on winning four straight.

“We got our butts kicked pretty good in San Jose and then we played better in the third game even though we gave up a late lead and lost in overtime. (Hmm — sounds familiar.) We were getting better, and once we were able to win Game 4, we just created more and more momentum from there.

“When we won Game 5 and then Game 6, the momentum was all on our side. By then, they had to play under a large amount of pressure, and in my opinion that helped a lot.”

Regehr said even after his club’s Game 3 overtime loss, there was still optimism because many of the players on that team won the Cup two years earlier.

Regehr said the coaches focused throughout the series on improving the team’s attitude, which helped.

Attitude hasn’t been a problem for the Flames — they’ve believed all along they could run with the division champs. Penalty problems, a disallowed goal and a bad line change were all that separated the two teams in the first two games before the Flames squandered a dominating start in Game 3.

Some would argue the club is indeed trending well, but Regehr said Monday’s late collapse — the Flames saw their 4-1 lead toppled in overtime — means this matchup is a different story.

“With this series, it’s not looking good with the trend,” said Regehr, 36, who played 11 seasons in Calgary and is the franchise leader in games played by a defenceman.

“When you’re leading 4-1 and eventually lose in overtime, that’s not a good trend. That would be a huge concern. I’m not saying they can’t do it, but the bigger picture is they’re not trending the right way.”

Regehr’s veteran-laden Kings club was able to count on many things the Flames don’t have, like Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick as well as the leadership of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

“Four teams have come back from down three and Carter and Richards were on two of them,” Regehr said, referencin­g the duo’s experience with the 2010 Philadelph­ia Flyers.

“In a way it would be easier for the Flames if they had those two guys on their team, because they’ve been involved in half the comebacks.”

Asked how Sutter handled the pressure of going down three games in the series, Regehr broke into laughter.

“Against his former team in the playoffs?” Regehr asked, still giggling. “How do you think he was? He was as intense as ever.”

Regehr said another advantage the Kings had was in the players’ ability to leave the rink and escape talk about the series. The Flames don’t have that luxury.

“It was a nice little reprieve, where these players here in Calgary, they live and breathe it every day,” said Regehr, who works in the oilpatch now and will attend Game 4 on Wednesday.

“Whether they go to a restaurant, a grocery store, a movie or whatever it is, people want to talk to them about hockey. Everyone loves hockey and the playoffs.”

And everyone in Calgary is heartbroke­n over the nature of the Flames’ last loss. The fear is that even if the Flames can salvage a win on Wednesday, their fate is sealed in Anaheim where they’ve lost 29 straight — a string Regehr was a part of.

“Hey, c’mon, I think I scored a goal the last time we won there in the 2006 playoffs,” Regehr, who indeed had two points that night, said with a chuckle.

“I just know if I was involved with the team now, I’d change it up. I’d stay at a different place, go through a different routine because they need to shake things up a little bit.”

A win would shake things up for sure.

“The only thing we were thinking about after Game 3 is winning Game 4,” Regehr said.

“That’s what Calgary has to do as well — focus on what to do and how to play.”

That, and they need to ignore the math involved in determinin­g how long their odds are at joining Regehr’s comeback club.

When we won Game 5 and then Game 6, the momentum was all on our side. By then, they had to play under a large amount of pressure, and in my opinion that helped a lot.

 ??  ?? Robyn Regehr, seen in 2008 with the Calgary Flames, says strong play “created more and more momentum” for the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, who were down 0-3 but beat the San Jose Sharks in seven games.
Robyn Regehr, seen in 2008 with the Calgary Flames, says strong play “created more and more momentum” for the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, who were down 0-3 but beat the San Jose Sharks in seven games.
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