Calgary Herald

GAUDREAU’S LAMENT

Flame star reflects on dismal playoff

- WES GILBERTSON wgilbertso­n@postmedia.com Twitter.com/WesGilbert­son

Chuck Berry’s hit record collected dust during the Calgary Flames’ oh-so-short playoff run.

There was no ‘Go Johnny, Go,’ the catchy tune that blares from the Saddledome loudspeake­rs every time Johnny Gaudreau finds the back of the net.

In fact, as they filed to the exits after the Anaheim Ducks put the finishing touches on a firstround sweep, you couldn’t blame Flames fans if they were wondering, ‘ Where did Johnny go?’

“Personally, as our line, I think we had a lot of good looks five-onfive,” Gaudreau said after Friday’s exit meetings and locker cleanout. “Obviously, it’s frustratin­g we lost pretty much every single game by one goal. But looking back on it, we were getting the looks, we just didn’t find the net. I can think back in every single game, five-on-five, where two or three chances we had some really, really good looks and we didn’t find the net.

“That’s something we need to be better at.”

From the outside, Gaudreau will always be judged on his point totals.

That’s just life for a budding superstar, face of the franchise and a guy now earning US$6.75 million per campaign on a big-ticket contract.

Nobody suggested it would be easy against Selke Trophy nominee Ryan Kesler and the rest of Anaheim’s shutdown unit, but Gaudreau’s playoff stat-line — zero goals and two measly assists — was more Johnny Hooky than Johnny Hockey.

He teed up Sean Monahan for a one-timer on the power play in Game 2. When the series shifted back to the Saddledome, No. 13 collected a secondary assist as Troy Brouwer spied Monahan for another man-advantage marker.

Internally, though, Gaudreau is judged on other numbers, and Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan was adamant Friday that the 23-year-old left-winger and his linemates — Monahan and Micheal Ferland — earned a passing grade despite the four-game ouster from the Ducks, painting his lack of playoff production as a case of snakebite rather than see-ya-later.

“You’ve got to realize that we were playing against an elite team, the team that won our division,” Gulutzan said. “And their matchup was against a real good line, one of the better lines in the National Hockey League. And they outchanced that line heavily throughout the time. It could have easily went either way. But I look at the chances — the quality chances — that they had, that line specifical­ly and Johnny, and I’m happy with the way they played.

“And I know that our power play ran at 33 per cent and their line scored, I think, five or six of those goals. So maybe you’re not the first or second assist, but when you’re putting the puck in the right spots and guys are banging them home with rebounds and executing what we talked about, I have no problems with that.

“I’m not here to beat up any of my players, but I like the way that line played against a tough match. And even when we got them away, they created a lot of offence for us. Actually, the most in the series. It just never went in.”

Gaudreau didn’t score in his final four regular season outings, either, so Calgary’s marquee man finished the 2016-17 campaign on an eightgame goal drought.

His next lamp-lighting, though, could come sooner than you think. Gaudreau has already accepted an invite to skate for Team USA at the world championsh­ip in Paris and Cologne.

“Personally, I didn’t want the season to be over here,” Gaudreau said. “I wanted to keep playing and I think we deserved to still be playing. For me, I think going over there and playing for my country, it’s always exciting.

“It’s huge to just build confidence up, have some fun over there and hopefully win. Because it’s always fun winning.”

The Flames are optimistic there’s a lot of winning in their not-too-distant future. Gaudreau plans to be a big part of that.

“It was a tough series. I don’t think we deserved to get swept,” Gaudreau said. “I think, right now, it’s just a learning experience. … (The Ducks) are a big, physical team. They’ve been in the postseason before and they’ve gone deep before, too. You kind of learn playing against those guys.

“As a young team, as younger guys, we can get better in the offseason and come back pretty excited to try to get back to the same spot we were.”

Personally, I didn’t want the season to be over here. I wanted to keep playing and I think we deserved to still be playing.

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 ?? THE CANADIAN PRESS ?? Johnny Gaudreau signs autographs as the players gathered to clean out their lockers on Friday. The Flames star is on his way to Europe to skate for Team USA at the world championsh­ips.
THE CANADIAN PRESS Johnny Gaudreau signs autographs as the players gathered to clean out their lockers on Friday. The Flames star is on his way to Europe to skate for Team USA at the world championsh­ips.

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