Calgary Flames Need Better Play From Veterans For Christmas

For the Calgary Flames, the injury bug bit the team early in the 2014-15 NHL season. Joe Colborne, Matt Stajan and Mason Raymond all missed significant time due to injury, leaving a rather large hole in the Flames’ forward lineup. Now all three of those players are back, and thus far they’ve had a tough time getting back into form. Plus, the team is on an eight-game losing streak, which doesn’t help much.  

Raymond, Stajan and Colborne are all experienced NHLers. They’ve been in the league for a while now, but they are still having a tough time coming back from injury. Each of them has played 17 games this season, combining for 20 points. There are six other players on the team who have more than 20 points individually, including defenceman Mark Giordano, who has a team leading 32.

Hockey is undoubtedly one of the fastest sports out there, so it’s easy to understand why it can be hard to go from being injury to game shape instantaneously.  However, these guys have all been in the league and know what it takes — the puck just hasn’t bounced their way yet.

While these players were held out of action, several young call-ups played in their place.  Josh Jooris, Sven Baertschi and even Michael Ferland all found ways to contribute to a Calgary team that was finding plenty of unexpected success at the time. For players like these, every game in the NHL is almost like a tryout — if you work hard enough and play well, you may, like Jooris, earn a full-time spot on the team.

When you’re in this situation, it is almost like you will naturally push yourself further trying to make it, or the pressure will get to you. The young guys played with a certain hunger in their game that guys like Raymond, Stajan and Colborne may be lacking.

These three injury returnees are considered leaders in a young Calgary locker room, and the best way to lead is with on-ice play. They’ve had a tough start to the season with injuries, and now they’re in a bit of a slump. They need to increase their level of play and help a Flames team that is desperate for a win.

Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.