STAYING FOCUSED

No medicine exists, either over-the-counter or prescription, for what currently ails 'em.
No travelling salesman is apt to miraculously appear at the dressing room door either, peddling a cure-all magic elixir for gout, rheumatism, indigestion and spotty defensive-zone coverage.
They must heal themselves.
"That's the beauty of this game,'' said Flames' goaltender Mike Smith, tucking gear into his equipment bag for a later-than-anticipated Monday morning departure. "There's another game tomorrow.
"We haven't played up to our potential and we need to get it going. (Adversity) can only make you stronger. It depends on how you look at things.
"You can feel sorry for yourself and keep bumping along or you can grab onto it, learn from, push forward and improve because of it.

"We feel we still have a lot to prove.
"There's been some inconsistencies in our game. We want to clean that. We've talked about it enough. We've got to go do it.
"It starts on the ice."
In the wake of Monday's 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 'Dome a scheduled 11 a.m. charter flight bound for Toronto had been changed to noon to accommodate a 10 a.m. practice.
There was, as usual under the circumstances, a lot of talk about mirrors and reflections.

"D-zone coverage was the focus,'' said coach Glen Gulutzan. "Battles and seal-outs. Also our gap, net presence.
"Stuff we want to go over. I thought it was a good day. Real applicable drills to our game.
"Every team goes through some funks and we're certainly in one. I don't think we squeeze as much on the road, that's why our road record is better than our home record.
"I thought the pulse of the team was very focused. I met with five guys this morning, some of our top guys. Not a lot of happy people in there, not a happy coach or coaching staff. I don't think a lot of happy people in general.
"But …
"When things get that way with a team you can go one of two ways. The way our guys worked today, the way they responded, shows you the people we have there.
"We're just going to stick with it.
"It's a long season."

The last stretch has been a real game of Snakes and Ladders for these Flames, a series of ups and downs worthy of Otis Elevators - a shutout of Arizona followed by being dinged for seven-spot by the Oilers and then the loss to the Flyers on Monday.
"We're a confident team,'' said centre Sean Monahan, among the group Gulutzan mentioned that was called in for a heart-to-heart. "We're not showing that right now.
"We've got a lot of skill. We know we can get goals. We've just got to be better without the puck, keep it out of our net.
"We get frustrated at times but that's hockey. You've just got to stick with it and get the job done."
This mini-road-swing features an Original Six back-to-back in the Canadian cradles of the game, Toronto on Wednesday followed by Montreal.
The Leafs are currently wrangling with Tampa for top rung in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. The Habs, meanwhile, have righted their wayward ship and were riding a five-game win streak prior to Tuesday's night's date against the St. Louis Blues.
So the challenges directly ahead are daunting.
"It's everyone,'' emphasized Smith. "I don't think you can point a finger at one player and say: 'It's his fault.' You win and lose as a team. The Xs and Os are part of it. But it's the will. You've got to want to go out and do it.
"Like I said, you talk about it all you want in here but on the ice is where you have to perform.
"I don't think we're down by any means. It sucks to lose. And it sucks to lose the way we're losing. But there's a lot of games left.
"There's no panic here.
"We know we're a good team. We just have to start doing it."