Flames aim to maintain momentum in rink return
‘To get back into the groove right away, it starts with your mind,’ Gulutzan says
Perhaps the sun tans are a good sign.
This doesn’t look like a crew that has cooled off.
The Calgary Flames are officially back from vacation and, in case you forgot, they were cruising at impressive heights before their little getaway.
The Flames strung together seven consecutive victories before hitting the CBA-mandated bye in their NHL schedule. They’ll be shooting to extend that streak to eight during Saturday’s matinee matchup with the Winnipeg Jets at the Saddledome (1 p.m., CBC/ Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
“I think we have to remind ourselves a little bit today and (Saturday) that we’re on a pretty good run,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano after Friday’s late-after- noon practice session at the Saddledome. “There are a lot of guys feeling really good and positive in here. But then look at the standings, and it’s tight. So we have to keep that momentum.” That’s the challenge.
The Flames started their sevengame tear with a hat-trick of victories on home ice — dumping the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks.
They continued their roll with a sweep of a four-game sojourn against the likes of Minnesota, Tampa, Florida and Carolina. Then they split.
Bad timing?
“For me, a vacation is a vacation. I don’t care when in the season. I’ll take it whenever,” said grinning left-winger Johnny Gaudreau, who was soaking up the sun somewhere when he learned Monday he’d been named the NHL’s first star of the week. “(The bye) obviously came at a time that we were playing really, really well … We just have to keep playing the way we played at the end before that break. Just keep playing that way, and I think we’ll be just fine.”
The Jets, it’s worth noting, just returned from a bye of their own. They even had an extra day off. Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan welcomed back his group Friday with an hour-long sweat at the Saddledome.
The key to maintaining their momentum after their brief holidays? According to Gulutzan, that’s mostly between the ears.
“It’s just trying to get right back to where we are without making a huge deal about the layoff,” Gulutzan said. “It’s just getting yourself mentally right back on track. Whenever you take a day or two or three or whatever and come back, it’s mental, right? To get back into the groove right away, it starts with your mind. So that’s how we started (Friday) with our group, to get them right back into feeling like maybe that break wasn’t as long as it was.”
Essentially, the Flames bench boss wanted them to feel like they just stepped off the return flight from Carolina, where they skated to a 4-1 victory Sunday before going their separate ways.
“Exactly — even though they might be coming from Cabo,” Gulutzan said. “We just substituted a couple of letters there to make them think they’re back in their routine.”
Before the R and R, their routine was winning, night after night, game after game.
The Flames remain undefeated since the calendar flipped to 2018.
“(Friday), we watched the things we were doing well before we went on that break. We were playing some good hockey, doing the right things ...” said Giordano, who staycationed in Calgary, visiting several schools with his wife, Lauren, as part of a charity initiative near and dear to their hearts.
“Now, the challenge (Saturday) is going to be habits. I think getting back from a week without practice and then playing a game right away, it’s those little things that are going to push us through. We were doing all of them before, and that’s why we went on that run. Now, hopefully, we can continue.
“I feel like this first one is important. We get that one, we’re still on the streak and we go from there.”