Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
I think many of us just need to reset expectations of this team. They are not a top end team in this division. They are not really much better, as a whole, when compared to the Canucks/Oilers. These will be close/competitive games, given that.
|
It is is probably right that the Flames will jostle in the middle of the Division for the whole season, but let's not get carried away: Edmonton is no good, and the Canucks might be one of the four or five worst teams in the entire League. The Flames are actually MUCH better than them.
Quote:
I think many of us were expecting this group to be in the upper echelon of the division, right up there with the leafs and the Habs. They are not.
We should just enjoy the ride, and as usual, watch a team that will be fighting tooth and nail for a bottom seeding playoff spot.
|
It is still really early to be drawing conclusions like that, and there are a few factors playing in to why the Flames are positioned where they are, and not higher. The current standings are not reflective of reality in large part because of how out-of-balance the schedule is. Consider the following...
· Calgary has played only played 15 games: Ottawa and Edmonton have already played 17, and Vancouver has played 19.
· Calgary has played 6 games on home ice. Winnipeg has played 10; Vancouver, Toronto, and Edmonton have all played 9; Ottawa and Montreal have played 7.
· Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal have all feasted on teams in the bottom-half of the Division, while Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa have played 2/3 of their games against the top-three teams.