Flames hoping pack mentality gives them edge in Round 1

If there’s a commonality between the many, many Zoom media availabilities the Calgary Flames have hosted since Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play began back in July, it’s this: these guys love talking about their teammates. Frequently, questions about an individual player’s approach turn into discussions about the team’s common processes and focuses.

Much of the talk about collective buy-in and team maturity might have come from two places: the hard lessons the Flames learned from last April’s early exit, and the common experiences the team’s youngsters have had alongside the team’s big guns.

One of the main success stories of Brad Treliving’s tenure as Flames general manager has been…