Miles outside the post-season picture and focused firmly on the future, Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings meant nothing to the Calgary Flames.
But try telling Hunter Shinkaruk that.
Or Mark Giordano. Or Johnny Gaudreau. Or Sean Monahan.
Or Deryk Engelland, for that matter.
But, bound and determined to make up for last year’s debacle, the Kings walked away with a 5-4 overtime victory despite Calgary’s best intentions.
Just 40 seconds into overtime, Jeff Carter slipped the game-winner past Joni Ortio who faced 26 shots.
It was the second straight year that the Flames tried to foil the Kings at the end of the season, eliminating them from playoff contention last spring.