James Neal has plenty of playoff wisdom to share, and it's been crucial to a young Flames squad. (via EricFrancis)
Sam Bennett was in the near corner, trying to get to his feet after a hard hit from 6-foot-5 Kings defenceman Kurtis MacDermid left the Flames forward woozy late Monday night at the Staples Center.It came several minutes after the two teams exchanged runs at one another, prompting a furious Flames bench to ensure the opposition and the officials knew of their fury.Never let ’em get you off your game.
“We’re a team that’s very fiery and we like to get on things and get on the refs a little,” said Austin Czarnik, one of many impressionable young Flames looking to soak up knowledge ahead of next week’s playoffs. “I feel like that’s something he’s always been good with. He’s never really shown much frustration or anger. He has a cool demeanor when he’s playing. We need that type of leadership on the ice to control our emotions.”In Monday’s 7-2 win over Los Angeles, the former 40-goal scorer extended his point streak to three with a goal, a helper and another solid showing.
“It’s a whole different game,” said Neal, 31, who has been to the last two Stanley Cup finals with Nashville and Vegas. The Flames have plenty to learn, and Neal is keen to pass on the wisdom he’s gained from playing alongside other playoff stars. “Mike Fisher, Shea Weber, Brad Richards, Brenden Morrow, Sidney Crosby, Malkin and all these guys I’ve played with helped me out and helped you learn. I think you learn a lot just being in the playoffs and going through different things that happen.”It’s how you respond to it that matters most, which is why he’s already started reminding players that ref rage is counterproductive and wasted energy.
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