Feels like the late 90s, looks like the late 90s.
One star, a couple other good players, a couple others with some potential, and way too many bottom pairing/4th line guys. And of course, utterly putrid goaltending.
I'm beginning to wrap my head around this, I think. The Flames are looking like an 82 point team that overachieved by 15 points last year. This year, I predict they will underachieve by 15 points and tie the franchise record for fewest points in a season. As lucky as we were last year, we are clearly just as unlucky this year. We're not as bad as it seems, but we're not as good as last season suggested either.
The season's over, it's done... hopefully we can all mostly see that now. There will be mass hysteria and firings to sate the masses. Players will be traded. Both the Canucks and Oilers will miss the playoffs as well.
I think I've come to grips with all this, it's like I'm in the 7th stage of grief or something. One poster put it best. It was a tragedy, it's now a comedy. So let's laugh. Or is there nothing left but the crying?
Growth and regression, the tale of two seasons. There is no linear path to excellence, the best is yet to come. We flew too close to the sun, our wings have melted. We'll grow new ones. Eventually.
No need to lose our shiat over this.
For the record, I think this, right now, is rock bottom. Rather, tomorrow might be. They will get better, but this just isn't their year. They'll pick up some W's at some point but it is far too late to save the season. At this point I'm just hoping all the players make it through the season alive, someone has clearly put some kind of hex on them.
So drink up, and enjoy the dark ride of despondency. We'll laugh about it in a few years when the Flames are winning the cup. Or we'll cry about it when we get bumped from the #1 pick by the Oilers.
Pro sports is a cruel mistress.
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