How are you feeling about the flames so far?

[activeStick]

Fun!

https://twitter.com/user/status/1453218176481824776

[the_only_turek_fan]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Need to see how they deal with adversity. One of the issues, with the team, as I see it has been mental toughness. Need to see how they rebound after a loss. And how they perform in big games. That's been a big issue for a few seasons and I don't think that's been tested yet.

But you can't ask for a better start.

Difference is they have Sutter. They will be fine.

[TheSquatch]

I'm astonished they beat the Rangers, Devils goaltending was a bit suspect but you take those.

Obviously Sutter is getting more out of more guys and I think a whole pile of us are happy to see Kylington and Valimaki both taking steps. If Kylington pans out where it was hoped he would, what a bonus.

I still see the team as suffering from a lack of true 1C but if Lindholm keeps this up, that's gotta change. 1D is also up for grabs.

Goaltending isn't a problem.

So I see this team as a continuation of the "so deep it can't fail" school of GMing (where Edmonton would be the opposite approach - a few expensive great players and a bunch of totally replaceable/AHL typs). The Flames have a lot of "nice" players, but even Johnny's "superstar" tag is a little rusty right now. I think that neither strategy really wins it all, but playing the way they are playing the Flames look like they could do some damage in the playoffs.

I guess we'll see.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not surprising ...

- Team plays with more pace and is pretty solid defensively.
- They generate more shot volume than opponents
- They don't dominate when it comes to scoring chance splits
- Markstrom bounce back

Surprising ...

- Team finishing despite not getting lion's share of chances
- Defense much better at transitioning the puck than I expected
- Depth on the blueline looks deeper than anyone thought

Honestly happy as hell, and when they are playing tight gaps they dominate against teams as the opposition can't get up the ice.

But do feel a correction is likely in order towards the 93-35 point team that they should be.

Their chance splits might not look dominant overall right now, but broken down they're really dominant. It's when they're up by 2+ and the opposing team is chasing that their numbers get pulled down a ton.

5v5 score & venue adjusted:

CF%: 57.85% (2nd)
FF%: 55.68% (6th)
SF%: 57.79% (3rd)
SCF%: 60.77% (1st)
HDCF%: 51.67% (13th)
xGF%: 53.69% (9th)

5v5 score & venue adjusted when the score is within 1:

CF%: 62.45% (1st)
FF%: 61.57% (1st)
SF%: 64.71% (1st)
SCF%: 70.46% (1st)
HDCF%: 59.72% (4th)
xGF%: 62.72% (2nd)

They're also allowing next to nothing defensively. Their PK is hilariously good right now.

[Badgers Nose]

Fun to watch! That’s all I expect from my sports teams so I am happy.

[jaikorven]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

This board was unbearable after the 0-1-1 start people claiming they knew this team would be brutal. I say let the optimistic poster have his moment considering the pessimist group have run roughshod on this forum since early 21

Out of thanks, but 100% with dino on this one.

[kukkudo]

Nice start but way to early and this is the Flames. Hope they can stay 1-2 in the division for the rest of the way.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Finest team in all of ice hockey.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Smoke and mirrors. My faith in this team won't be restored until they can get past the 1st round of the playoffs

[jaikorven]

I am absolutely loving this team so far...I get annoyed at times like anyone, but so far they are doing great and wicked fun to watch.

[gvitaly]

There's a lot to like, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

- The backup goalie gamble seems to have paid off.
- The coach seems to have the team bought in.
- The PK is amazing.
- The team starts on time
- We got internal growth from Mangiapane, Hanifin, Andersson, and Kylington
- Most of the off-season acquisitions have performed above my expectations - Coleman, Gudbranson, Lewis, Vladar.
- We seem to have a good first line, and a decent second line(Backlund).
- Now I just have Monahan and Tkachuk in the 18-19 Neal territory, as in the team is so good but if Monahan and Tkachuk return to career averages then watch out!

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Smoke and mirrors. My faith in this team won't be restored until they can get past the 1st round of the playoffs

Must be fun to be a fan like this

8 of 32 team get past the first round... plenty of good/great teams will lose in round one

[Backstop]

Dube is falling down far less this year, off season training maybe. Just seemed to constantly be falling over last year and now not so much.

[Enoch Root]

I was one of the most optimistic before the season started, but never could have expected they would start the season playing this well.

Obviously things are going well right now, and this pace isn't sustainable, however, I fully expect that the effort and compete level will continue, because that is Sutter hockey. I also expect the team defense and the goaltending to continue to be solid.

They are not likely to keep this offensive production up, but I can see them in the 10-12th overall for offense (but probably more like 12-15).

Obviously Lindholm and Mangiapane aren't going to score 82 goals each, but at the same time, I doubt Gaudreau, Monahan, Dube, and Pitlick score zero.

It's early, but I think we are going to see a team like the first year for VGS, like the Islanders a couple years ago, and (dare to dream) the 04 Flames - a team that just outworks the other team every night, and surprises everybody.

However, as others have said, until there is playoff success, it don't mean squat.

Actually, that isn't true - it does mean something, because it is entertaining, it is fun, and it is just a pleasure to watch!

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Must be fun to be a fan like this

8 of 32 team get past the first round... plenty of good/great teams will lose in round one

Well to be fair I'm not really a fan anymore. The decades of ineptitude by the Flames coupled with the NHL being a toxic frat boy organization has turned me off of hockey completely. The only reason I clicked on the FOI forum today was because of the Kyle Beach bombshells

[robertsfan]

Jumping back in the relationship after getting heartbroken so many times- once again hoping things will be different.

[Samonadreau]

Its interesting how at the beginning of the season most (including me) were saying Monahan was the x factor on whether or not this team could score at a rate to win enough games.

Then Eatbread steps up and says hold my beer and scores at over a g/gm, albeit only 6 games in

A little nervous what hes gonna make next season though now......

Shout out to Lindy too.

[FBI]

This team is blowing me away. I honestly am shocked at the night and day difference. The structure of this team play is epic. The buy in is epic. The goaltending is epic. It feels amazing to be a hard core flames fan again. Watched every single second, read every game take etc etc. Go flames Go and Sutter is my hero!

[Gaskal]

Really says something when the team looks at each other after a 4-0 shutout win in Pittsburgh and says "Yeah ok, but we should have and could have played a lot better"

[browna]

The gameplan, and trust Sutter has put into all pairings and lines, and picking up guys that he trusts in the bottom 6, means the Flames can play 4 legit lines and wear down opponents who run 3 lines by the end.
It means guys like JG play less minutes or less hard minutes, because there are 3 lines usually playing after his stints on the ice. By the 3rd period of games, that extra cardio and energy makes a big difference to skill guys

Previous coaches,.outside of Peters, didn't give thust or then build off that trust, and the Flames got worn down.

A rock solid Markstrom helps too, but he's got confidence in what's going on in front of him.

But this is all Sutter. Which makes last year so frustrating that BT listened to the players after the Dallas Choke job, and kept Ward, effectively wasting last year.

No matter how well they look, if they would've had this record to start last year's they would've made the playoffs ahead of MTL.


This is the best Flames start in over 20 years, but it's been just solid, well rounded play where they outwork the opponent shift in and shift out, by players who have been told their roles and players have bought in.