"Our backs are against the wall": Flames facing elimination situation

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames will take the ‘eating an elephant’ approach when it comes to trying to win its second-round Battle of Alberta playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers.

One bite at a time.

But the Flames best be hungry given the plate they set — a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-7 series that can no longer afford one bobbled puck, bad turnover, or brain cramp.

“I think mentally that’s where you can get yourself in trouble, if you look at it like, ‘oh, we’ve got to win three games,'” Flames forward Milan Lucic said in an intimate media gathering Wednesday.

“In order to win three games you’ve got to win one game. You’ve got to start off by winning one game. That’s something we’ve got to do tomorrow. We’ve been a good home team all year long. We’ve got to rely on our home game and how we’ve played at home and rely on our fans coming and cheering us on and having our backs, and going from there.”

Calgary won the first game of the series in an up-and-down rollercoaster affair that should’ve had them confident despite losing grasp on a pair of four-goal leads. They took two two-goal leads before handing the Oilers an even series in Game 2.

Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton weren’t particularly productive, leaving the Flames in a significant hole heading home.

And the season on the line.

“You’re down to seven teams still playing out of 32. So it’s a whole different level,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. “That pressure of it and that bullseye part of it is way, way higher up than at any point during the season. But what you take from your season, or if you’re out of a round and into the next one, then you take those things and you use them.

“And then see how the player actually handles it.”

Historically, not well.

Calgary has never found the combination to a 3-1 series rally in franchise history, going 0-9 overall when needing to sweep out the final three-game set, including 0-6 when starting at home.

Edmonton hasn’t been particularly generous in the situation, either. They’re 14-1 overall, and 7-1 when starting on the road, when taking a 3-1 series edge.

“We’ve got to win a game. Plain and simple,” Lucic said. “Our backs are against the wall. In the corner, up against the ropes. It’s up to us to see what we’re made of and go out there and play our game for 60-plus minutes, if that’s what it takes, to give ourselves a chance to stay alive.”

One game at a time. One bite at a time.

That’s the thought process.

“It’s a very tight mindset,” Sutter said. “That’s the easiest thing to do.”

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