Hartley on overusing Flames D-men: 'I’m not coaching a nursing home'

Bob Hartley is a Jack Adams candidate for a reason.

His Calgary Flames - who prior to the season were considered a young team in the midst of a rebuild - are on the brink of defeating the Vancouver Canucks in their first-round playoff series and a lot of it has to do with their defense.

Is the coach wearing out his D-men though?

"We’re coaching elite athletes - I'm not coaching a nursing home," the Flames coach said. "Those guys are well-conditioned athletes. Our total team game and our conditioning allow us to play those guys. I really believe those minutes are blown way out of proportion."

The Flames blue line has logged monster minutes for the club against Vancouver, with Dennis Wideman, Kris Russell and T.J Brodie all playing nearly 30 minutes per game, while Deryk Engelland is averaging more than 20 minutes.

"You know, we’re getting so many stats right now," continued Hartley. "Pretty soon the manager of the arena is going to come and tell me how many cases of beer were sold after the first, second, third periods. It has to stop."

The Flames defenders aren't taking a leisure skate either. 

They're putting their bodies on the line blocking every shot they have a chance to. They've combined to block 68 shots in four postseason games thus far and that number is sure to rise.

"We’re in the business to win games," Hartley said. "My mindset, my philosophy? If I have to play five guys the full 60 minutes to win the game, I will do it. Excuses, facts, all this, all that. It is what it is. If I need to play a guy 40 minutes in a game, we will do it."