[Game Takes] Predators 4 Flames 2

[Bingo]

Predators 4 Flames 2

- Wolf pulled after giving up three in the first period
- Flames battle back to make it interesting in the third
- Flames 0-2-1 in three games on the four game trip.

[Itse]

On pace to be 16 points behind second to last place. Points% .231

We're gonna make Flames history. The current Flames record for worst season record is from 97-98, when they finished with a .409 and 67 points.

They ended up drafting Rico Fata 6th overall.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Itse

On pace to be 16 points behind second to last place. Points% .231

We're gonna make Flames history. The current Flames record for worst season record is from 97-98, when they finished with a .409 and 67 points.

They ended up drafting Rico Fata 6th overall.

We're also gonna make NHL history. First team to finish dead last and draft 3rd because two other teams in the top 4 win the lottery instead of us.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

We're also gonna make NHL history. First team to finish dead last and draft 3rd because two other teams in the top 4 win the lottery instead of us.

You’re a cheery lot.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

You’re a cheery lot.

Every fan base thinks the media (national telecast hate them)
Every fan base thinks officials have it in for them
Every fan base thinks their franchise has no luck

All of them are wrong.

Maybe don't manifest this junk!

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Every fan base thinks their franchise has no luck

Well... thing is... no top 3 picks?

EVER?

In more than half a century?

And the telecast does love McDavid.
And the refs literally were out to get us after Wideman tried to kill that guy.

[The Cobra]

Wolf had battled back from a bad start start claiming up the goals saved above average list.

He’s back to 68/70 with the -2 tonight.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Itse

On pace to be 16 points behind second to last place. Points% .231

We're gonna make Flames history. The current Flames record for worst season record is from 97-98, when they finished with a .409 and 67 points.

They ended up drafting Rico Fata 6th overall.

They also have an easier schedule coming up. Past opponent Pts% was .599 and the next five opponents Pts% is .505 average with seven of the next ten opponents currently sub-500 Win %.

The next ten games will be interesting. If they go just 5-5 that still brings their pace up to just under 60 points. If they bomb it over the next ten games we could see history.

[Bingo]

The Flames won't break all time records without gutting their lineup.

They're underlying stats point to a team playing pretty well but not getting their share of finish nor saves to convert the effort into wins.

Top 5 in shot metrics, which erodes when you look at quality. But solid in goal prevention by team metrics.

The lack of skill certainly plays a role in it.

They've seen a correction from last season where things went better than they probably should have. Soon we should see a correction from everything going wrong early this year.

Not a playoff team.

But also not a 32nd overall team.

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The Flames won't break all time records without gutting their lineup.

They're underlying stats point to a team playing pretty well but not getting their share of finish nor saves to convert the effort into wins.

Top 5 in shot metrics, which erodes when you look at quality. But solid in goal prevention by team metrics.

The lack of skill certainly plays a role in it.

They've seen a correction from last season where things went better than they probably should have. Soon we should see a correction from everything going wrong early this year.

Not a playoff team.

But also not a 32nd overall team.

What if we trade our 3 vets though (as a result of this brutal start). Without Kadri, Coleman, and Andersson, does that still hold?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

What if we trade our 3 vets though (as a result of this brutal start). Without Kadri, Coleman, and Andersson, does that still hold?

Absolutely not!

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Absolutely not!

Cool.

Lets DO it!

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The Flames won't break all time records without gutting their lineup.

They're underlying stats point to a team playing pretty well but not getting their share of finish nor saves to convert the effort into wins.

Top 5 in shot metrics, which erodes when you look at quality. But solid in goal prevention by team metrics.

The lack of skill certainly plays a role in it.

They've seen a correction from last season where things went better than they probably should have. Soon we should see a correction from everything going wrong early this year.

Not a playoff team.

But also not a 32nd overall team.

Flames last in the league in shooting percentage on all shot attempts in all situations. They were last the previous season also.

This stat is not everything for sure but suggests to me the finishing is not going to necessarily get better unless personnel changes. But maybe they can give up less or the goaltending can improve.

Just a cursory review but it does generally seem that teams that are last in this metric are often at the very bottom of the standings. Sharks, Chicago…

Last season was quite an anomaly.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The Flames won't break all time records without gutting their lineup.

They're underlying stats point to a team playing pretty well but not getting their share of finish nor saves to convert the effort into wins.

Top 5 in shot metrics, which erodes when you look at quality. But solid in goal prevention by team metrics.

The lack of skill certainly plays a role in it.

They've seen a correction from last season where things went better than they probably should have. Soon we should see a correction from everything going wrong early this year.

Not a playoff team.

But also not a 32nd overall team.

I am actually starting to get a little horrified.


While I do believe the right thing to do is rebuild - and I have been saying this for a long time - I am starting to get worried. I agree with everything you have stated, and I also think that the difficult start can be attributed to the even worse start than I was predicting. However, while I do believe trading Andersson - as well as Kadri and even Coleman if the market is there - is the right long-term thing to do.. damn, this team may end up as an all-time terrible team.


I already think that this roster is very close to a 'burn it to the ground' rebuild - if not there already! I am starting to develop an opinion that trading out those three vets above will result in an egregious Sabres' style tank.


Horrible analogy, I know, but it feels like the plane is stuck on a nosedive, and instead of pulling up a bit and allowing for a rough landing (bottoming-out), that the Flames are practically parachuting the Pilot, Co-Pilot and Navigator, and removing the possibility of a softer landing.


I 100% agree that the Flames visibly and statistically seem like they are better than they are, but I do think once that plug is pulled, it will stay this bad all season long. However, maybe it won't. Maybe once the pressure of trying to compete is lifted, they will simply start producing a little more.


What a juxtaposition we are seeing from last season's star to this one! Definitely a fascinating season so far, and although I entered this season thinking that the Flames finish in the bottom 3, it will be interesting to see how they look finishing there.

[Itse]

I don't think they're significantly better than the standings, because that's relative to the league. The league has much more parity than back in 97-98, there are more good teams, and this season seems to have relatively very few genuinely bad teams.

Remains to be seen if this is a record-breaking season, but I would bet some money that it is.