Extinguished early: The Calgary Flames haven’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989 but both sides say that is not a factor in this series.
“I don’t think it’s a focus on anybody’s part,” said Hartsburg. “Some teams go years without even making the playoffs. How many (Calgary) players were there five years ago?”
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How many were there even last year, when the Flames were upset in the first round by the San Jose Sharks?
“Your team changes from year to year,” said the Flames’ Theo Fleury. “The new guys we’ve gotten this year were not a part of that. It’s unfair to say we haven’t had success in the playoffs.
“We’ve been in five series and three of them went to overtime in the seventh game. When that happens, anything can happen. A funny bounce, a bad break here and there.”