'A HUGE ADDITION'

DALLAS - When you're out guarding a lead in the game's critical moments, you tend to get some quality looks on the empty net.
That is, if you're willing to get there.
Eight of Trevor Lewis' 94 career goals - including the Stanley Cup clincher in 2012 - have been scored into a gaping cage. None bigger, in his tenure as a Flame, than in Game 5, with the C of Red drowning his bellow in that moment of elation.
But it has nothing to do with good fortune.

Lewis is one of the most versatile, dependable forwards on the circuit, and has been a real asset for Darryl Sutter and the Flames this year, both as a veteran presence and a workmanlike, Swiss-Army knife on the ice.
His goal into the barren 6x4 Wednesday sealed a 3-1 Flames victory, and pushed the Dallas Stars to the brink of elimination tonight.
"I think everyone wants to be put in that situation and it's a great feeling when you're given that responsibility in such a big game," said Lewis, who won a foot race with Stars defenceman John Klingberg and bulged the twine with a tricky, sharp-angle shot. "It was a big goal for us there to make it a two-goal game, and we really fed off the energy of crowd close out it."

Lewis, who now has a pair of goals in the series, is a veteran of 92 career playoff games, including two Cups in three deep runs.
He's been there, done that, and knows what it takes when the stakes get high.
In more than 10 minutes of 5-on-6 time in the regular season, the Flames had two empty netters and never surrendered a goal themselves with Lewis on the ice.
Situations like that - and like this, here in the sweltering Texas heat - are Exhibit A of why the Flames went out and signed him in the first place. They're not only reaping the benefits of what this plug-and-play forward can offer, but they're leaning on his experience in a series chalk-full of tight-checking hockey.
"In-game and throughout the season, whether we're winning games or losing games, we try to stay the same and not get too complacent," Noah Hanifin said of the difference of this year's team. "I think that's the leadership in our group.
"Having those older guys to bring that calming presence, whether we're down or up, it's like, 'Hey, we're good. Just keep playing our game' and I think that's been a huge addition for us this year.
"Having those veteran guys in the room ... They've been there. That voice in the locker-room definitely helps us out."
Hanifin is one of the players that has yet to experience a first-round win. Sure, they dispatched the Winnipeg Jets in the Qualifiers in 2020, but that hardly counts in the grand scheme.
A victory tonight would be the full-meal deal. A statement that the team, as a whole, is ready for that next step.
Lewis can sense the group is ready for it.
"We obviously have those younger guys that haven't had a deep run, but we also have a lot of guys that played a ton of playoff games. The leadership in the room helps. We have guys - myself included - that have been there before and to have that to lean on can be a good thing.
"Some guys like to speak before and some guys like to lead by example. We've got both. I think our leadership has been good and we've got to make sure we're good tonight."
By now, we know that Sutter is not overly charitable when it comes to the praise of individuals and their impressive, personal metrics.
It's about all the team, he reminds.
Wins and losses.
Cups.
Lewis not only has that, but is the prototypical team guy in that he brings everyone together and plays with an air of selflessness. Whatever the role, he'll do it.
And at this time of year, that matters.

"You make the playoffs because you have some (leadership)," Sutter explained Thursday. "It's not like there's some brilliant moment that falls out of the sky that's going to make the difference in the game."
Tonight, they'll need that experience more than ever.
With their season on life support, the Stars are sure to come hard in front of their home crowd at the ruckus American Airlines Center.
"The fourth game is always the hardest one to win," Lewis said. "We know we've got to expect a push and we know that we've got to play a complete game to get it done tonight.
"There's definitely going to be adversity in a series - and in games, even. But we know we have guys that are learning how to deal with it and I thought the last two games, we've handled it pretty well and have made sure we've stuck with the game plan.
"It didn't matter how long it took, we were going to stick with what's made us successful.
"That's the approach we have to take into this one."