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“I think I’ve maybe taken it for granted over the years, playing in playoffs,” said the Calgary Flames’ fan favourite and superstar left-winger. “Just the way Darryl (Sutter) talks about playoffs and how hard it is to get in … Half the teams don’t make it. Looking at it, it’s kind of crazy that I have taken it for granted. But now, looking back as I get a little older, it’s exciting to be back and just try not to take it for granted.

“And when you have a team like this, we’re super excited to get there and have some fun, hopefully.”

“I don’t think anything really changes with us,” Gaudreau said. “Obviously, it gets harder. I don’t think you’ll see any four- or five-point nights like sometimes we’ve had throughout the year. But just try to create some offence for our team and try to get those big goals and be smart defensively in our own zone.

“I think we’ve done that all year, so just keep going with that.”

On second thought, one thing probably will change this week.

“Playing with Chucky, I’m going to find myself in a lot more scrums, I think, in playoffs,” he said. “So gonna have to put on my armour, my shield and stuff, and get ready to protect him a little bit.”

https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey...e-for-gaudreau