By rights, the sins of the recent – or distant – past shouldn't be visited upon the current edition of the Calgary Flames. Just about every contributing player in the Flames line-up has been with the organization for three years or fewer. It's the same for their cheerleader/coach Bob Hartley who joined the organization in May of 2012, fresh off a championship season in the Swiss league.
Collectively, it isn't their fault that the franchise has advanced past the first playoff round just once since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989, or that they are 0-6 in possible series-clinching games since their last deep playoff run occurred back in 2004.
The only blemish the current roster is responsible for occurred this past Thursday, when the Flames lost 2-1 to the Canucks in Vancouver, narrowing their lead in the best-of-seven Pacific Division semi-final to three games to two. Calgary can advance to the second round with a win Saturday.
Whatever energy they might have been missing in Thursday's loss, you have to think they'll regain for Saturday's game, if only because of their loud, wild supportive crowd.
Hartley was in his second season coaching the Atlanta Thrashers in 2004, but watched pictures of the Red Mile throughout that playoff year on his television screen.
"I had a friend working for Reebok at the time telling me every factory they had around the world were manufacturing just one jersey – the Flaming C – because they were going out like hotcakes," Hartley said Friday, following a lightly attended optional practice.
"It's the same now. You go to restaurants, you go to shopping malls. Gosh, when you put in gas, you need to sprint to the nozzle because the fans want to put gas in the car for you. That's how crazy it is. But it's fun. We're a big part of the culture of this city.
"I saw this city, two years ago, after the flood, face a humungous challenge. Downtown was soaked. Because of the leadership of people in this great community, we stepped up. I saw the people here, 300 or 400 a day, working around the clock, rebuilding the Saddledome.
"This city, this community, has lots of grit and character. We look like them, and they look like us, and that's why we're one."
After the thundering crescendo from that inspiring pep talk died off, Hartley didn't dwell much on the fact that Calgary kept Thursday's game close, largely because of Jonas Hiller's excellent goaltending performance. Hiller stopped 41 of 43 shots against a Canucks' team that came to life offensively behind the Sedin twins.
"If somebody had told me before the series, we'd be up 3-2, I would take that any day," Hiller said. "We still have home ice advantage, but we have to know they're not just going to hand it to us. We have to work hard for it, but if we play like we did in the third and fourth games, we'll have a chance."
The Flames could use more production from their No. 1 line, of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler, who've contributed on the power play, but have been mostly silent at even strength. It is particularly odd in Hudler's case because he led the NHL in even-strength scoring during the regular season.
"Jiri's played well," said Hartley. "It's just a matter of fighting for your ice. There's just no space out there. This is playoff hockey. There's lots of body checks, emotion, intensity. You have to fight for each inch of ice out there. It's not the same game. It's the same players, but the game has changed."
"We're not a one-trick pony. We understand from game to game, there's a lot of momentum swings. That's the beauty of playoffs. Every day, it's a different story."