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Originally Posted by Bleeding Red
So the Flames are just......slow on the uptake?
Mackinnon made the most of his 20 PO game experience while Johnny is still working on it after his 20?
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Quite possibly, yes.
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Every player is a playoff bust, until they are not. Ovechkin couldn't get it done, until he did. Couldn't win with Kessel, until they did. Each players' experience is their unique own, which is why I think it can't be used as proof of winning or an excuse for losing.
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I would tend to agree, but I also think that a player's individual experience with playoff hockey, how he handles it, how he is trending must be factored into consideration. My point is not that a lack of playoff experience is the reason why the Flames lost, but I do think it was a factor for more than one high-impact player, and it is not something that can always be discounted outright.
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...I think the "favorite vs underdog", along with play in the last 10 games of the season were more a factor than playoff experience. Teams that were fighting to get in took that momentum into the post-season in pretty much every series. Having something to prove also played a factor for a couple of teams (STL, NYI) & players.
Next year it's our guys who will have something to prove. Hopefully that and some forward, fighting momentum will lead to a longer run.
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I think this was also something that worked against the Flames this year, but again, it was not just one reason why they played so poorly.