Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
This team just isn't as bad as those mid 90's teams, not even close. I watched both eras and the Young Guns were a substantially worse team.
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That's what I thought as well, but when you look at the 1997-98 team that finished with only 67 points, they had some good players on the team up front.
1996-97 forwards > 2015-16 forwards.
Fleury was still a ppg player, similar to the season Gaudreau is having. You could argue that Stillman, Titov, Cassels and Nylander were better down the middle than the Flames current group of centers. The 96-97 roster also had a young Iginla and a 20 goal scorer in Marty Mcinnis.
Obviously the Flames have a lot of young talent in the forward group right now and if you were building a team, you would pick the current group over the 96-97 group, but they don't have the depth or experience the 96-97 team had.
1996-97 defense < 2015-16 defense
The current Flames are clear cut winner here because of the top 3 of Brodie, Giordano and Hamilton. The 96-97 had some solid veterans in Albelin and Patrick, and an up-and-comer with Morris, but overall a terrible d-corps.
1996-97 goalies = 2015-16 goalies
The Flames in 96-97 were using two below average goalies in Tabaracci and Roloson, very similar to the below average goaltending they have now with Hiller and Ramo.
If these two teams were to play in a best of seven, it wouldn't be surprising to see it go to 7 games.