'NO HESITATION'

For the connoisseurs of hard-nosed hockey, it was the fleur de sel of a mouth-watering main course.
Think meat and potatoes - but elevated.
With Anaheim forward Derek Grant galloping down the wing and leaning into a 91-mph slapshot, MacKenzie Weegar didn't waver, immediately dropping to one knee and painfully absorbing all five-and-a-half ounces of that frosty projectile.

"Nope, no hesitation," Weegar laughed. "You want to do that. For guys like Tanny (Chris Tanev), Lewy (Trevor Lewis), myself - depth guys that maybe don't put up the big numbers - that's how we 'score' and help out the team."
Except in this case, it actually did lead to a goal.
With Weegar down in a heap, Blake Coleman gathered up the remnants and sprung Milan Lucic, who sniped home the tying goal on Sunday, leading to a massive 5-4 victory over the Ducks.
Weegar was in all sorts of pain as he made his way back to the bench, where the cameras panned and showed the wince of a man fending off agony. But then, with most of the group off celebrating the big man's timely tally, Nikita Zadorov entered the frame and embraced his fearless teammate.
"I told him to stop being soft," Zadorov laughed at Tuesday's morning skate. "It's only a shot-block. He's lying on the ice and ... Nah, I'm joking. It was a big play for us. It started the attack and then Looch finished it. He got a deserved apple on that goal. From the shin-pads. He can't get a normal one. Only shin-pads."

That's the impact that Weegar has had on this team all season as one of the most well-respected members of the Flames locker-room. And it's that type of effort the group needs at a time when every game - every shift - feels like your last.
"Whether it's taking a hit or blocking a shot, everybody's going to do that," Weegar said. "That's just where we're at as a team right now.
"It can't just be one, two, even three guys pulling the weight for our group right now. This time of year, it's got to be everybody. Not everyone's going to be scoring a goal or two a game, so you've got to find your own way to be a difference-maker.
"Right now, everybody has a piece of it and we're feeling good about it."
While it has been a total team effort, Weegar's game is highly deserving of praise. He remains one of the best and most underappreciated defenders in the entire league. He sits at or near the top of almost every advanced metric and is undeniably one of the game's best at limiting shots and suppressing high-quality chances.
But what he's done lately is particularly noteworthy, stepping up in the absence of Chris Tanev and being a key contributor on a season-high, four-game winning streak. During this stretch, the 29-year-old is averaging 23:29 in ice time, which is second only to workhorse Rasmus Andersson. His four points (1G, 3A) put him second to leading point-getter Tyler Toffoli, while his 17 shots top the charts are three clear of second-place Walker Duehr.
The Grant block was one of the team-leading 10 he's had in these four games, too.
But when it comes to the offence, Weegar is quick to credit Chris Sutter, who offhandedly suggested he trim the length of his stick. Weegar obliged, incrementally lopping about an inch-and-a-half off over the course of a few weeks before settling on his new scope.
"Everywhere," Weegar said of where he's noticed the biggest difference. "Mostly, when I'm handling the puck in the corners. I'm not getting handcuffed and I'm finding that if I'm taking the puck on my backhand, I'm able to move it to my forehand a lot quicker."

Sometimes, it's the little things that have the biggest impact.
And we're seeing it play out in real time with the team.
While it's impossible to know if anything material has changed with the team's 'intensity' level, the results say more than stats ever could. And with players like Weegar - the heart-on-the-sleeve type who have risen to the occasion - it's clear the Flames are leaving it all out there.
With five games left and some ground still to make up, they have nothing to save it for.
"You've got to keep the good feeling going," Weegar said of tonight's clash with the Blackhawks. "These are the exciting games that you live for. Lately we've coming back in games, we're pulling out wins ... It shows that we're not quitting.
"Everybody's going at the same time and it's the best time of year to do that.
"Doesn't matter who's on the other side - it's the NHL. You can win or you can lose on any given night, so you can't take your foot off the pedal. We've got to respect our opponent tonight and we need to get a big win to set ourselves up for another big one tomorrow in Winnipeg."