What if Calgarypuck existed in...

[tvp2003]

What if Calgarypuck existed in...

1980/81: "Hi, I just registered here. Came over from Atlantapuck. What's up?"

1981/82: "Lanny McDonald traded to the Flames? Awesome... who's in for a group jersey buy?!?

1982/83: "Lanny McDonald countdown to 50 55 60 65 goals"

1983/84: "New Arena Megathread -- it's a #$@&* saddle?"

1984/85: "I like Hakan Loob"

1985/86: "Ha ha, stupid Oilers!"

1986/87: "Flames release 'Red Hot', goes viral instantly [link]"

1987/88: "Flames win Presidents Trophy, swept by Oilers:


1988/89: [PGT] Yeaaaaaaaaaaah Baby!

1989/90: "Sergei 'Frickin' Makarov"

1990/91: Flames lose in first round again:


1991/92: "I think we can get Leeman for Gilmour... but it would have to happen now for it to make sense"

1992/93: "#FireRisebrough"

1993/94: "I'm becoming a fair weather Flames fan. Am I alone?"

1994/95: "Jersey ideas - Ken King please read"

1995/96: "Nieuwendyk for Iginla? Man, I wish we got Todd Harvey instead..."

...

Feel free to add your own

[IgiTang]

If I could thank this for every year, I would! Well done! Cheers!

[Johnny Makarov]

1980-2017 Edmonton is no good.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

1998/1999: "Blow it up! Rebuild with youth!"

or

1998/1999: "Jersey Idea - Al Coates please read"

[killer_carlson]

back in the day we had the CHQR post game show with John Henderson.

If you think that CP has whipping boys, Kari Eloranta may as well have his jersey retired as the original and most savage whipping boy. A soft, lazy floating european defenceman, who would routinely shy away from the most rough and tumble hockey.

[sempuki]

I love it. What an antidote. Missing something about Turek tho.

[Hockey]

1989- Man we got lucky against the Canucks...Otto totally kicked it in.

1994- Hate to say it but Bure was onside.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

1994/95: "Jersey ideas - Ken King please read"

"Bill Hay please read" would be historically accurate.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Hockey

1989- Man we got lucky against the Canucks...Otto totally kicked it in.

1994- Hate to say it but Bure was onside.

You're right, there would likely have been delusional Canucks fans around back then too.

[timbit]

85-86

Anybody remember the Flames setting a still existing record 11 game losing streak Dec 14-Jan 7..ending with an 11-1 defeat to the Hartford Whalers?

The only move GM Cliff Fletcher made during that stretch was to call up Mike Vernon.

Bob Johnson stayed on as coach through the horrendous stretch and led the team to the Stanley Cup final

[Timbo]

1980... Sureloss scoops all media announcing Flames move to Calgary

[redforever]

Originally Posted by timbit

85-86

Anybody remember the Flames setting a still existing record 11 game losing streak Dec 14-Jan 7..ending with an 11-1 defeat to the Hartford Whalers?

The only move GM Cliff Fletcher made during that stretch was to call up Mike Vernon.

Bob Johnson stayed on as coach through the horrendous stretch and led the team to the Stanley Cup final

I remember that vividly.

But GG is no Bob Johnson and the Flames now do not have the horses the Flames did back then either.

EDIT: I also believe the score was 9-1

[Winsor_Pilates]

2018/19: Should the Flames Fire Gulutzan?

[timbit]

Originally Posted by redforever

I remember that vividly.

But GG is no Bob Johnson and the Flames now do not have the horses the Flames did back then either.

Actually, after 2 1/2 years with the Flames, when the record losing streak ended, Johnson had a worse winning percentage than GG.

Sometimes patience is a good thing.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by timbit

Actually, after 2 1/2 years with the Flames, when the record losing streak ended, Johnson had a worse winning percentage than GG.

Sometimes patience is a good thing.

Yeah, but you could at least see a process building...especially special teams. I don't think I have ever seen a much better power play then when Johnson coached the Flames.

[DT77]

Originally Posted by timbit

85-86

Anybody remember the Flames setting a still existing record 11 game losing streak Dec 14-Jan 7..ending with an 11-1 defeat to the Hartford Whalers?

The only move GM Cliff Fletcher made during that stretch was to call up Mike Vernon.

Bob Johnson stayed on as coach through the horrendous stretch and led the team to the Stanley Cup final

Simply because I think this is interesting... I know this isn't the point of the comment!

It was such a different division back then. The Flames were always fighting for that 2nd place spot. A playoff spot was essentially assured in those days with the top 4 getting in. Oddly enough, an 11-game losing streak didn't make any difference in the standings at all! They could have lost 20 in a row and got in comfortably.

Standings as of Dec. 12, 1985 (last Flames win before 11-game slide):

01 - 21-05-04 - 46 PTS - Edmonton Oilers
02 - 17-08-03 - 37 PTS - Calgary Flames
03 - 10-17-03 - 23 PTS - Winnipeg Jets
04 - 09-18-03 - 21 PTS - Vancouver Canucks
05 - 07-18-04 - 18 PTS - Los Angeles Kings

Standings as of Jan. 09, 1986 (first Flames win after 11-game slide):

01 - 29-08-04 - 62 PTS - Edmonton Oilers
02 - 18-19-03 - 39 PTS - Calgary Flames
03 - 13-24-05 - 31 PTS - Vancouver Canucks
04 - 13-25-05 - 31 PTS - Winnipeg Jets
05 - 12-23-04 - 28 PTS - Los Angeles Kings

No change (tie-breaker for 3rd/4th). The key for the Flames throughout that slide was they only lost three games in the division; twice to Edmonton and once to Vancouver to start it. That, and the other teams in the Smythe were AWFUL.

Final standings:

01 - 56-17-07 - 119 PTS - Edmonton Oilers
02 - 40-31-09 - 89 PTS - Calgary Flames
03 - 26-47-07 - 59 PTS - Winnipeg Jets - Swept by Flames
04 - 23-44-13 - 59 PTS - Vancouver Canucks - Swept by Oilers
05 - 23-49-08 - 54 PTS - Los Angeles Kings

Only in the 80s could a team afford to have a stretch of futility like that, and still make the playoffs with ease! Crazy!

Anyway, obligatory:

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by sempuki

I love it. What an antidote. Missing something about Turek tho.

I'm doing this because I care. *anecdote.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Reaper

I'm doing this because I care. *anecdote.

Or an antidote to the doom and gloom...

[Dion]

Originally Posted by timbit

Actually, after 2 1/2 years with the Flames, when the record losing streak ended, Johnson had a worse winning percentage than GG.

Sometimes patience is a good thing.

Badger Bob had a 7 point plan for beating the Oilers that worked and we have zero, nada, zip from Gulutzan. Just sayin

[JD]

I'm pretty sure if Bob Johnson was coaching in today's environment there would be lots of "he's in over his head" and "this isn't college hockey anymore" type things getting thrown around. He was a legend in his circles but the Flames took a bit of a risk hiring him. He had no pro experience.

As for the power play in those days, I'm pretty sure if I had MacInnis and Suter trading shots from the point, Nieuwendyk tipping em in, Otto automatic on faceoffs, and Mullen slapping home rebounds, then sending out "scrubs" like Loob, Bullard and Hull to spell the number 1 unit, I could draw up a winning power play too! Not that Badger should take any fault for having great players, but he had great players.

Crisp had a pretty lethal pp too.

DT77 has it right. Your team could mail it in and get drunk for the whole season and still make the playoffs in those days. In 1989 the Wings won the Norris with 80 points! There were three teams BEHIND them that made the playoffs.