THE RIGHT MEDICINE

Just what the Doc ordered.
And he even makes house calls.
"Just a great play by Doc," lauded skipper Mark Giordano, in the aftermath of another back-from-the-abyss ending rally by the Flames.
"Usually you get the puck in the slot like that on the kill and you just want to get it out.

"But he held onto it. Then I saw an opportunity to jump. Obviously the goal was lucky. It hit their D-man's stick.
"But I thought that was a big momentum goal. Then a huge play by Doc again to draw the penalty and another huge assist on Benny's goal.
"So he had a pretty good stretch there in the last 10 minutes."
On a team teeming with offensive flash and sparkle, Derek (Doc) Ryan has no issue with staying in the shadows.
"The guy," praised Sam Bennett, "does it all."
Friday, Ryan proved decisive on a number of levels.
Set up Giordano's shorthanded goal - Elias Lindholm banished for interference - to equalize 4-4 at 14:03 of the third period.
Then arranged Bennett's careening power move to the Detroit net off the left wing on the game-winner at 16:06, after having drawn a two-minute roughing minor on Detroit D-man/Calgary product Mike Green to put the Flames on the powerplay a minute and 16 seconds earlier.
The end result: More late-on drama and a 6-4 victory at the Scotiabank Saddledome that sends them up the road three hours north for Saturday's business end of a back-to-back doubleheader in a positive frame of mind.
"That's what captains do. That's what leaders do. That's what great players do," said Ryan of Giordano's momentum-shifting strike.
"He's one of the most underrated players in the NHL if you ask me. He finds ways to contribute on so many levels.
"He's always in the spotlight and he always performs great."
When asked if it felt nice to get spotlight time himself for a change, Ryan smiled.
"I don't think that's my role here but it's nice to get some recognition," he replied. "To contribute the way I did tonight feels great.
"But winning is what's fun. No matter who gets the recognition.
"If we continue winning, honestly, I don't need the spotlight."

Friday, he could scarcely avoid it.
"I felt really good," Ryan said. "I felt our line was really dynamic, spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. A little frustration there when we got scored on in the third because that was the only time we'd spent in our zone the whole game.
"I'm glad we just stuck with it.
"And obviously the second powerplay unit was good. Benny was great.
"It's nice to get points for myself. But what's important is the comeback. The result. The points. Comeback Kids in the third period, right? Never give up. That degree of resiliency is huge for our confidence.
"What can I say? It's the sign of a winning team. When you're a losing team games like that seem to be get away from you; you can't find a way back no matter what.
"When you're a winning team you have that confidence, in the guys on your line, the guys on the bench. You rally around each other.
"Killer instinct. Bloodthirsty. Whatever you want to call it, you get that little smell and you have an unshakeable belief that you're going to get it done, somehow. That it's going to happen."
The least showy of the three Carolina recruits that followed head coach Bill Peters here in the off-season might've turned in his most visible game as a Flame on Friday.
"Made a big play on the game-tying goal, the shorthanded goal," praised Peters. "A real good decision to hang onto it allowing Gio to jump up the wall there.
"A valuable guy. Kills penalties, really good hockey sense, takes valuable faceoffs.
"He's been a good addition."
So outside acclaim or no, those that matter most, emphasizes the captain, are fully aware of the value.
"Guys like that who kill penalties, play in defensive situations, they don't get the recognition,'' said Giordano. "The guys providing the offence usually do.
"But that's fine. We know that in any key situations he's out there. We know what he brings to our team.
"And those were great plays by him down the stretch tonight to put us over the top."