First the Habs, then holidays
Michael Stone’s twins, Jolie and Wyatt, are definitely in the Christmas spirit.
“I think we’ve had Elf on in the house every day for at least a month and a half,” said the 27-year-old with a chuckle.
But the Calgary Flames, he promises, are not quite ready to put on their holiday sweatpants and dip into their rum and eggnogs just yet.
“Maybe it’s in the back of your mind but you do whatever you can to try not to think about that stuff,” Stone said after the Flames practised for their final time before the NHL’s mandated holiday break. “The holidays are a time for family so you have to embrace that as well. But we’ve got one more game and we have a job to do so let’s get focused in this room.”
It’s Stone’s first Christmas as a member of the Flames, having been dealt to his former Western Hockey League home at last year’s trade deadline.
His wife, Michelle, is from Calgary. Her family is here. His family is in town. His kids just turned one in the fall, so Christmas will, of course, be the best thing ever. No matter how many times he has to watch Will Ferrell in an elf costume.
For many of us, the last few days of work before the holidays can drag on.
But, the focus of Thursday’s skate — the team’s last official practice until Dec. 27 — was firmly fixed on Friday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., TSN2, Sportsnet 960 The Fan). The next time they’ll hit the ice for an NHL game after Christmas will be Dec. 28 in San Jose.
And as if they have any more reason to prolong “holiday-mode,” they’re on a two-game win streak and have been playing sound hockey, limiting opposition scoring chances and playing with intensity.
Their defence, too, will be on high alert with Travis Hamonic out of the lineup as the blue-liner had a groin injury flare up again.
When Hamonic left after the first period of Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues, the Flames relied heavily on their other five defencemen, including Stone.
“Any time you see a guy go down, it’s not an ideal situation,” Stone said. “But, we’ve got enough guys back there that can help carry the load. When it happens so early, you have to pick your battles on certain shifts.”
Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said Matt Bartkowski will be inserted to replace Hamonic, the logical choice as the extra blue-liner.
But, for a defenceman, the extra workload is sometimes better.
“All of those D, they’d rather play with five anyway,” Gulutzan said. “I thought they all got in the game and did a good job.”
When the Flames picked up Stone (a right-shot defender), they immediately paired him with TJ Brodie (a smooth-skating lefty) and it was a match.
The two will be back again as Bartkowski joins Brett Kulak on the third pairing. Stone figures they’ll pick up right where they left off.
“I think so,” he said. “Both guys skate real well, Brodes and Koo … I try to focus on what I’m doing, for the most part. My game shouldn’t change, no matter what.”