The 2015-16 NHL season has barely started and Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano has already criticized his team’s effort. The Flames fell in their opener 5-1 against the Vancouver Canucks and Girodano had some blunt comments following the game.
Via The Score:
“That was probably as bad as we can get out there. We’ve got to get back to playing our system. We can’t play like that. That is unacceptable.”
The Flames entered the year with fairly high expectations, but Giordano’s comments are ones you might expect after a multi-game losing streak and not after the first game of the season. He’s not wrong in his comments and the Flames should be better on defense than their 5-1 loss may have indicated, but it’s important not to go overboard with a reaction too early in the season.
NHL captains and coaches walk a fine line when discussing wins and losses. Making a mountain out of a molehill, especially doing so frequently, can zap credibility.
Prior to the game, Giordano was already commenting about how critical it would be to take two points from the Canucks early in the season. Again, he’s not wrong, but he’s turning every instance into a do-or-die situation which can grow tiresome in a hurry.
