With an impressive 5-2 drubbing of last year's Stanley Cup runner-up Friday, the Calgary Flames booked their ticket to the 2017 playoffs.
For the organization, the return to postseason play provides some much-needed stabilization for a rebuild that looked in danger of going off the rails. But for captain Mark Giordano, it's fair to assume it meant much more.
When the Flames take the ice for Round 1 of the playoffs in just under two weeks, the 33-year-old defenseman will get his first taste of playoff action in 10 years.
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That's assuming no more misfortune comes his way, of course, and Giordano's had his fair share, having missed out on Calgary's past three playoff runs.
When the Flames went on their Cinderella run through the postseason in 2015, the captain was forced to sit, stymied by a torn biceps tendon.
Prior to that, the Flames hadn't claimed a postseason berth since 2009. Giordano missed that stretch as well, watching from the press box while recovering from shoulder surgery.
And one year prior, when the Flames headed into the playoffs with then-captain Jarome Iginla in peak form - a career-best 98 points in the bag - Giordano was half the world away, playing out a one-year deal in the KHL.
The last time Giordano actually did suit up for NHL postseason action was way back in 2007 - and it wasn't the most spectacular of runs.
Calgary was ousted in six games by the Detroit Red Wings. Giordano played in only four of those tilts, registering one goal and seeing just over 12 minutes of ice per night.
In the decade that has followed, he's emerged as one of the most dynamic rearguards in the game, anchoring one of the league's most offensively potent blue lines. However, that dominance has unfortunately been confined to the regular season, as team-wide mediocrity and untimely injuries have sunk Giordano's playoff hopes time and time again.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
But after 10 long years, the captain will finally get to prove the full weight of his worth during the grind of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's safe to say he's ready for the chance.
"In Calgary, it’s just such a great atmosphere," Giordano told the Calgary Herald earlier this month. "I’ve been around a few times hurt, and the atmosphere is the same, if not better now. I just remember being on the ice (in 2007) and you almost get the jitters at the start of games because of the atmosphere."
With his lengthy wait nearing an end, Giordano said he and the rest of the club's veterans aren't taking the opportunity for granted.
"As you get older, you realize how hard it is to get in, and you only have so many cracks left,” he said. "Guys like me and (Matt Stajan), I think we get it more. As a young guy, you’re coming in and just trying to prove yourself. But you play now to get into the playoffs and win.
"That’s the goal. That’s where our mindset is as a team and me as an individual."
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