Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I think 98-points gets the Flames in on the basis of my own evaluation of the strength of schedule for the teams bunched in outside the division lead and in the wildcard race. It might take as many as 98-points to land a wildcard slot this year, but I also think it is probable that several teams will miss the playoffs or be re-seeded on the basis of tie breakers.
This raises an interesting question when evaluating the success of the season as a whole:
· If the Flames end up tied for points in the #2–3 division spots, is this a good season?
· If the Flames end up tied for #3 in the division but are slotted in the wildcard, is this a successful season?
· If the Flames end up outside of the playoffs on the basis of a tie-breaker is this an unsuccessful season?
The competition between eight or nine very good teams in the Western Conference is so tight and so fierce that I think it complicates how we will end up evaluating the regular season. The Flames realistically could miss the playoffs and simultaneously be a single point—but with more ROWs—than the #2 division team.
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Fair point and you could even see a scenario where it takes 100 points to get in.
But I think setting the bar for success at being one of the top 8 out of 15 teams is not an unrealistic expectation. And totally fair given where this team is. Now if they would be one of the top 8 if not for the gimmick rounds of 3 on 3 and shootout... Yeah that would stink.