'SACRIFICE YOUR BODY'

The margin for error is minimal.
Cliché, sure, but it's true that very shift matters in the post-season.
It's a message that Flames coach Geoff Ward has repeated leading up to the best-of-five qualifier series against the Winnipeg Jets, and something that has resonated with Dillon Dube.
Look no further than the third marker in the Flames eventual 4-1 victory in Game 1 Saturday night, as the young forward made a subtle but important impact on the play by taking a solid hit to get the puck down low which ultimately lead to a timely Mikael Backlund tally.

"That goal was huge for us and it felt good to have a hand in it," Dube said Sunday after the team's up-tempo practice. "Every second of every shift can be huge to swing the momentum or make a play.
"It's simple things like that which go a long way. We need to keep on top of it to be successful as a group. It's all about finding that fine line of when not to do too much and knowing how much more you need to give.
"You are going to take some bumps and bruises and just need to be ready to sacrifice your body this time of year."
It was all clicking for the Flames Saturday once they got their feet under them in the series-opener, as they dominated in an impressive defensive effort to limit the high-flying Jets offence, while also capitalizing with their special teams.
All in all, it was a pretty memorable first career NHL playoff game for the 22-year-old Cochrane product.
"It was a great first test for us, it had everything," he said. "It was very competitive and both teams showed how much they wanted to take that first game.
"Personally, I wanted to treat it like any other game. I didn't want to go in too high because sometimes you can be overexcited and you don't play the right game. It was a happy medium yesterday for me to see it as another game with high intensity.
"Next game will be even better."

And the wait for it won't be long, as the two clubs will square off again Monday at 12:30 p.m. for a pivotal Game 2, with Game 3 to follow the following day at 4:45 p.m.
Although the Flames drew first blood, there is still a long, hard battle left to put the series away and advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"It's important to have a short memory, especially when it's a best-of-five," Dube said. "We reset right away and know we are going to get their best (Monday) and we need to be ready for that.
"They don't want to go down 2-0, they are going to come out strong so it comes down to who will want it more. There is no denying how dangerous they are - we need to raise our play up a notch each time out."
One thing the series will certainly continue to have is energy.
With each goal, save, or big hit, the benches were rocking Saturday night.
No crowds, no problem.
"We need that as a momentum builder," explained Dube. "When the bench is in it, that's all you can hear and it was electric last night. When the guys are up and excited that creates a ton of energy and usually you can't hear that with the crowd. It's a big motivator hearing your teammates get hyped up like that.
"It adds a lot of atmosphere and it will only grow going forward, which is exciting."
Although the post-season qualifying series is just a day old, you wouldn't be able to tell when you see the beard and hair that Dube is currently sporting.
He's looking pretty scruffy already.
"Last time I shaved was our last game in March," he laughed. "I never had a beard and I kind of wanted to feel my age. I had the belief we would back playing so thought might as well get the beard and hair going and here we are.
"I'm competing with Benny for sure but I might need to find extensions to compete with him. I have to give him credit how quick he is able to get that growing but I'll try and give him a run for his money.
"Hopefully it gets a lot longer because that means we'll be playing for a while."