Quote:
Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
Overall, the Flames appear to have been remarkably healthy this year.
I don't know who to give credit to. Is it Ryan Van Asten? Gulutzan's coaching style? Treliving (for acquiring durable players)?
Even the recovery of the players has been remarkably quick. Glad to see Backlund isn't banged up too badly.
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I think credit has to go to the Flames' medical staff. They really changed things around in the last 5 years or so.
Flames were always ahead of the times, especially when we compare them to the Oilers. For instance, if an Oiler got rocked in the head and complained about a little bit of dizziness or a headache, their medical staff would take them to the trainers' room, and proceed with trepanation to reduce pressure, and then they would get sent back out (and it explains a lot more than you think about MacTavish who didn't use a helmet for the entirety of his career). An Oiler complaining about feeling a bit lethargic? A teaspoon of mercury will cure that right away! You can see why the Oilers have that reputation - it has been well-earned!
For the Flames in the past, when a player got injured, he was sidelined for precautionary reasons, sent for thorough tests like MRIs and X-rays, and so on, until the specific injury was deduced, and then treated.
Now the Flames are taking a much more proactive approach, and have just decided that any time a player gets injured, they are injected with adamantium and then dipped in titanium. Players are then 'sidelined' only as far as they are able to get in artist in to properly airbrush their face on.
Hartley found out, and decided that the Flames would take more advantage of this and start blocking shots. Treliving hasn't let Gulutzan in on the secret, as the Flames aren't very good actors and divers, and the rest of the league has grown suspicious, so the Flames are 'playing it safe' so to speak and don't get in front of pucks much (who needs to, when the Flames turn on the force-field now and then? - but I digress, as it is another story for another question).