QOTD: Midway Point - Can the Flames play .600 hockey?

[Bingo]

The Flames hit the halfway point with a 21-17-3 record which I think we would all admit is a massive surprise.

That's a .545 win% and good for 9th in the West, 2 points back.

However they need to go 22-14-5 to have a solid chance of a playoff spot, potentially a little less.

Either way that's a .600 record.

They're healthy.

But can they win at that clip?

[bubbsy]

think the flames are close to a 0.500 team when viewed against the full 82 game schedule, which is still great considering the expectations coming into the season.

[codynw]

Close enough to make it interesting. More than I ever expected out of this roster so I'll take it.

[BigFlameDog]

I don't think they have the horses....but it will be fun to watch.

[Tron_fdc]

I'm predicting a playoff spot, or 2-4 points out of one at the end of the year.

Big progress, and sets up an interesting team in the next few years.

[Poe969]

I think they were playing like a team to make in interesting but it really looks like that ship has sailed. I don't see them as being able to compete with teams making a push for the playoffs.

Still better than the oilers!

[Scoutski]

Optimism definitely isn't too high right now. Love the way the future is looking, but have come back down to Earth after the excitement of the early season. The late game comebacks don't seem reliable enough to pull them into the show. I expect them to hang around .500, either way it's been a successful season in my eyes.

Excited for Bennett next year!

[Igster]

Voted the second option. Flames have surprised this year, but teams are figuring out how to clog up the neutral zone and really shut down their transition game. Also, without any moves (which I think is the right idea - other than maybe trading Hudler and Glencross for prospects and picks), Flames don't have the horses to keep up with teams as they play more invested, heading toward the playoffs.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Depends on a few things.

1) Can the abysmal PK be fixed or at least made to be average? 80-85% from here on out would go a long, long way.

2) Can the PP get back on track?

3) Will Johnny slow down a bit in the second half as he continues to adjust to the NHL grind? Can Hudler maintain PPG pace like he has so far?

4) I don't think we have another nine 3rd period come from behind wins to bank on for the second half, one or two is more likely. So we will need to find ways to make that up, mainly scoring first, leading more.

5) Who will score? I know to date this hasn't been as much of a problem but I don't think Jooris, Gaudreau, Hudler and a few others are necessarily going to keep up their unexpected paces. We will need some others to step up ands in a big way. I'm looking at you Raymond, Backlund, Colborne and even Glencross (who has been good this year but getting him closer to a 30 goal pace would be huge)

6) Can Hiller and Ramo step it up in the second half? Not that they've been bad but as the contenders start finding their playoff form, our goalies will need to steal us a few more games in the second half than they did in the first.

In short, I doubt it. I think they end up with about 40 wins which is a huge success if you ask me, but will likely miss the playoffs by 4 or 5 points. Nothing to be ashamed about, the team just isn't ready yet. Personally I think 2016-17 will be the year this team starts to take off in a big, big way. We just got a small taste of what is to come.

[Toonage]

Last year 91 pts was good enough to get in I think. So yeah, around 21-15-5 to get us to 92. Basically replicate the first half of the season and we're right there. Just no 8 game losing streaks please.

[Kidder]

It's incredible during these home stretches, playoff teams just manage to find a way every night to get it to overtime.

You can win 5 straight, have teams ahead of you playing only eachother and still make up just a handful of points.

Then when you drop one, they get two.

So in my mind, they don't have the horses to run with the proven teams the rest of the way.

[Roof-Daddy]

Can't see it happening, this team has heart but it just isn't good enough to get to the playoffs yet.

The main thing is that they have some key pieces in place for the future.

[troutman]

It could be a two team race for 8th , between WIN and CGY:

http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Western.html

[Hemi-Cuda]

First two months were quite an anomaly, so many players hot at the same time and the shooting % was at the top of the league. Now that the players have settled down into their normal roles and the unrealistic stats have dropped back to Earth we can see the Flames for what they really are. I think they're good enough to make most games interesting, but teams like Dallas and Minnesota seem primed to pass them in the coming weeks. I think they end up in the 11th or 12th spot in the conference

[Joborule]

I just don't think the Flames are good enough yet to win games against playoff teams at a consistent enough rate to play better than .500 for the rest of the season. If the Flames weren't so prone to giving up the first goal in games so often, forcing them into many late game comebacks, and the power play was functioning better, I would say they would have a fair chance at playing about .580 to be right up there to the end.

The ability though to remain in games until the final minute, and ability to actually tie games to complete the comeback though, is a great trait that will hopefully stay embedded with the group of players in future seasons. Need that belief that the game is never over till it's over for both yourself, as well as the opposition.

I think Flames finish around 10th-12th in the west at the end of the season.

[Iniggywetrust]

As much as I want the playoffs, this is a team that has gone 4-9-1 in their last 15 games. That's oilers bad. Had that been out record to start the season, we would be drooling over Mcdavid. The high save and shooting % are a thing of a the past, and we're not getting the copious amount of scoring from our D. With team playing their games in hand, we're dropping out of the playoff picture fast.

No playoffs but a step forward in our rebuild. I just hope we don't end up in 9th like all those years with Iggy.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Iniggywetrust

With team playing their games in hand, we're dropping out of the playoff picture fast.

We actually haven't yet, which is the weird thing considering the recent record. But we are certainly eating away at the buffer created from the good start. I still think its possible, a strong second half that replicates the W/L of the first. Given our strong finish a year ago I don't think its out of the question.

[Coach]

I Boblieve.

They will get in.

[killer_carlson]

we are an entertaining team to watch, but not there yet. We'll slowly fall back.

[Caged Great]

I think once the season is done that the Flames will be drafting in the 7-10 zone.