[Article] Gio's decade long absence in playoffs

[Homeslice]

Great George Johnson article on Gio. You really can't quantify his value once games become more important and I cannot wait to see Gio in beast mode!

http://cflam.es/2nXkrBf

Mods please delete if already another thread

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by George Johnson

Following the 2007 playoffs, Giordano was unable to come to contract terms with GM Darryl Sutter, remember, and spent a nomadic winter brushing up on Cyrillic for Moscow Dynamo of the Russian Super League as Calgary faced the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1 of 2008.

A year later, back in the Flames' fold, he blew out a shoulder and underwent surgery on Feb. 23, ruling him out of a six-game opening-round loss to the San Jose Sharks...

That is not quite right:

The Flames took the SJ Sharks to seven games in 2008. The following year, 2009 was the year the Flames defence and their #1 centre were decimated by injuries, and they lost in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.

[fanman]

So happy for Gio and so excited to see him finally leading this team in the playoffs.
I have a feeling the Gio/Hamilton pair have an extra gear just waiting for post-season action. Can't wait!

[FireGilbert]

Good read but there are still 4 games left in the season, hopefully this doesn't jinx anything. Maybe they should make Gio a healthy scratch until the playoffs?

Crazy he has been out of the playoffs for so long. I forgot he was also injured back in 2009.

[Huntingwhale]

For some players, the playoffs seem to be the time of year where they fizzle out and they seem to be the complete opposite of what they were in the regular season. It's frustrating as a fan to see, and I'm sure for the players as well. Unfortunately we might see some of the Flames' players whose heroics we've become accustomed to, disappear in the post season.

But I don't think Gio is like that at all. I still think even at his age, that he has an extra gear just waiting to be activated. I'm more excited to see him step on the ice then I am any other Flame. More so then Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Monahan, etc. It's Gio I'm excited to see the most.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Brad Treliving

"Someone that good, that competitive, should be in playoffs. Playoffs are built for people like Mark Giordano."

Awesome.

[heep223]

Good article but incorrect. Gio wasn't tripped by Bernier and the injury wasn't from falling into the boards. Bernier stuck his stick into Gio's arm area as he was taking a slapshot from behind his own net to rim the puck. Still don't know why CP wasn't more pissed off about that.

[calgaryred]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Good read but there are still 4 games left in the season, hopefully this doesn't jinx anything. Maybe they should make Gio a healthy scratch until the playoffs?

Crazy he has been out of the playoffs for so long. I forgot he was also injured back in 2009.

Makes me think of Gary Suter injured and didn't play both times Calgary went to the cup.

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[PostandIn]

Originally Posted by heep223

Good article but incorrect. Gio wasn't tripped by Bernier and the injury wasn't from falling into the boards. Bernier stuck his stick into Gio's arm area as he was taking a slapshot from behind his own net to rim the puck. Still don't know why CP wasn't more pissed off about that.

Totally true. A dirty and deliberate play by Bernier.

[Homeslice]

Can't even imagine Gio's heartache having to watch on the sidelines two years ago. Really makes you wonder how much farther the Flames could have gone with him healthy in the lineup.

Anaheim was fairly dominant in that series, but there was no D player on either team that had (and still has) his skillset and determination. 7 games would not have been out of the question.

What's past is past, but I have a feeling Gio is gonna take that experience and just make every opposition forward his bizsnatch (a.k.a. Dustin Brown ownage style).

[dying4acup]

Imagine Gio-Uppity-chucky-backs-fro on the ice every time mcstoopid tries a toe drag. Mcstoopid will learn playoffs the hard way.

[Samuelsson]

Who's Richard Schlemko?

[Rtown]

Nice article

I remember 3 years ago watching the first round of the playoffs and wondering to myself who on that current Flames squad would be able to ratchet up their play for the intensity that is playoff hockey. Gio was the first one that came to my mind. I was very disappointed 2 years ago when he got hurt.

Can't wait to see an unleashed Gio this year!

[handgroen]

good article but have you guys ever been driven nuts by this part of EVERY george johnson article?

On that night, nearly a full decade ago, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Holmstrom and the rest of the Winged Wheel gang used Miikka Kiprusoff as whatever the Finnish equivalent of a piñata might be.

For closing in on 85 minutes of non-stop machine-gun bursts, the silent superstar goaltender had been riddled with more rounds of ammo than Bonnie and Clyde's stolen getaway car on that lonely stretch of rural road in Bienville Parish, Louisiana in May of 1934.

2nd paragraph in every george johnson article, you get a break from sports writing and get to enjoy the answer to a trivial pursuit question that nobody asked.

[MarkGio]

I don't like the idea of this article. There's games left in the regular season where Giordano can still get injured. Gio has only played a full season 4-5 times in his career so it's asking for bad luck by writing this.