Quote:
Originally Posted by Meers
I'd say the Flames are most reminiscent of the 2012/13 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 2013/14 Avalanche - the two teams from recent seasons to experience surprising regular season success despite horrible underlying statistics in 5v5 Corsi For (CF)% and Fenwick For (FF)%. (And let's not kid ourselves, the Flames are bottom three in the league when it comes to possession.)
Those two statistical anomalies went up against strong possession teams in the first round, and both lost in seven games.
Now, fortunately, the Canucks aren't world beaters in the possession department, but they're still stronger than the Flames - ranked 20th in CF% at 5v5.
So, I'd guess the Nucks have an ever so slight advantage - but it's going to be close, with most games being decided by one goal (just like the regular season series) and it'll probably go to 7 games. So, it's a coin flip one way or the otherand will likely be decided by a flukey bounce.
But, no matter what team wins this series, you can rest assured they will get killed in the next round.
And neither of these teams makes the post-season next year.
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This is a popular position from the haters. Throw out some possession percentages and say the Flames are lucky. The big difference with the Flames and those 2 teams the Flames are not being held together by incredible goaltending. The Flameshave middle of the pack save %.
I just think the Flames are an extremely well coached team and that is why they are successful. This team works extremely hard, and block a ton of shots. It limits the opponents scoring chances but results in the other team holding the puck longer. The Flames lack size up front and are not built to cycle the puck for shifts on end. They attack the zone with numbers due to their highly mobile defense and speed. This team scores off the rush and get high quality chances.