The losing streak - optimist vs. pessimist: which side are you on

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

I have taken steps to rectify this whole situation. I finally set up the ole Flames Shrine. As such we are about to witness an epic win streak.


Spoilered for size

Spoiler!

Gimli: "And they call it a shrine. A shrine!”

[442scotty]

Meh to this season. Not expecting too much from this season with Gaudreau and Tkachuk leaving so I suppose I’m pessimistic. Just be entertaining that’s all I’ve ever asked

[MegaErtz]

I can't believe we brought on so many guys on the wrong side of thirty and gave them such long term contracts. Everyone seemed happy about the off season additions and now we're getting the sinking feeling that we're in for a long seven or eight year stretch as production continues to drop off as players age, and the Flames continue to slide down the standings.

[Teroy]

Pessimist - Can't see Markstrom getting any better. Trade him while we can and bring up Wolf. Huberdeau will never live up to his 10 mil contract. Trade him for a winger, even if we have to retain. This b.s. that he'll get going is just that, b.s. We hugely over paid based on one season.
Those are the two players we should be blaming, not the supporting cast. It's not up to Lindholm & Toffoli to make Huberdeau look good. It's the other way around.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

I can't believe we brought on so many guys on the wrong side of thirty and gave them such long term contracts. Everyone seemed happy about the off season additions and now we're getting the sinking feeling that we're in for a long seven or eight year stretch as production continues to drop off as players age, and the Flames continue to slide down the standings.

?? Kadri 32, Huberdeau 29, Weegar 28

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

?? Kadri 32, Huberdeau 29, Weegar 28

The wrong side of 30 is 28.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

a lot of fictlonal storylines being made here

can't beat high end teams - beat several of them actually

lots of guys in the wrong side of 30 brought in - only one guy was on the wrong side of 30 and has been our best player

what next

[codynw]

See signature.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Between Vegas, Seattle, LA, and Edmonton, it's wishful thinking to say that more than 2 of the 4 will fall short of reaching 100 points. Realistically, the #1 and #2 seeds are probably out of reach for the Flames. That leaves them competing with 2 other teams for the #3 seed. Winning that battle is a very attainable goal if the team gets its full roster back relatively quickly, develops some chemistry, and goaltending holds up its end of the bargain.

That said, if the team's offensive woes continue for much longer, a callup is probably warranted.

LOL. User name does not check out in this case.

Let's put it in baseball terms - this is how much they trail the #2, 3 and 4 seeds by:

LAK: 2 games
SEA: 1 1/2 games
EDM: 1 game

and they have 69 games remaining, with games against each of those teams.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Locke

I think pessimism is absolutely warranted.

You're not wrong, at all, there is a lot of runway left.

But the way the NHL operates these days, you cant go on a skid like this and expect to make the playoffs without anticipating a winning streak equal to or greater than your losing streak.

And I dont think any rational person looking at this team and the way they're playing is seeing that as anything other than a really tall ask.

This isn't true. Every team goes on a skid, every year.

The difference for the Flames right now, optically, is that it has happened at the beginning of the year.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

or you just focus on wining 2 of 3 and you don't even have to quite hit that either

point percentage required after this losing streak is .616

and if we win 2 games, it drops to .589

last year, the Flames played at a .677 pace FOR THE SEASON (which included a nasty losing streak)

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

You need to be able to win without Tanev in your lineup. Up until joining the Flames he has missed big chunks of time.

He is a nice player but not irreplaceable.

Definitely. The problem however, is that it hasn't been just Tanev. In the playoffs, Kylington, Hanifin and Gudranson were also playing hurt. And this year, we are missing Kylington and Stone.

Losing one defenseman sucks, but should never be a problem. The moment you lose 2 or more, it changes the entire dynamic of the D, because you have (at least) 2 non-regulars in, and it changes up all the pairings, ice time allotments, and assignments. When you get 3, it's a gong show - for any team.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ah so this is your fault.

Given the dominant Stamps teams were choking in the playoffs at the same time, clearly yes

[Enoch Root]

Too many variables to simply say optimistic or pessimistic. I have no doubts whatsoever that they will make the playoffs (so, optimistic), but I also think that it is going to be one of those years where there are constantly headwinds holding them back, so I expect they will have to fight all year in order to get that playoff spot (so, pessimistic compared to when the season started).

Concerns for me, starting with the biggest:

Markstrom: I expect he'll be better than he's been, but I think it might be a struggle all year
Kylington: I am concerned we don't see him all year, and even if/when he comes back, it will take months for him to catch up
Mangiapane: I thought last year was an aberration, but he is better than he has shown so far
Offense: it just feels like it will be a grind all year, more or less
Injuries: we were due to have a bad year on that front

For the team overall however, I have no doubt that they'll be fine. But I think it will take a while. US Thanksgiving is irrelevant, because our division is pretty soft. For me, we'll know by Christmas - if they haven't climbed out of this and gotten themselves into a playoff spot by Xmas, then all bets are off. (But they will have)

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Given the dominant Stamps teams were choking in the playoffs at the same time, clearly yes

If you combine the disappointments with both the Stampeders (stretching back to the 1960's) and the Flames, whenever they had dominant teams, you can see why pessimism reigns supreme.

[Ashasx]

I have been pessimistic over the off-season but I will say optimistic given that the team has been playing better than their record suggests. The team hasn't been able to hold onto any sort of leads which I think also plays into the idea that they are getting some bad luck which I don't think will continue deeper into the season.

But I figured they would finish anywhere from 95-102 points this season and their bad start suggests that it's more likely to be anywhere where 85-95 points, which is truly the worst place for a team to be in and should have been exactly what I expected from the Flames. Short of winning the lottery this off-season, I don't think this team has any chance of winning what matters for the next decade. The team lacks true gamebreakers (and you could have said this with Gaudreau and Tkachuk in the lineup, too) and is completely devoid of skill right now.

[agulati]

The streak ends today (I hope)

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

and if we win 2 games, it drops to .589

last year, the Flames played at a .677 pace FOR THE SEASON (which included a nasty losing streak)

What nasty losing streak? They lost 4 in a row twice and that was during and after the covid outbreak.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I have been pessimistic over the off-season but I will say optimistic given that the team has been playing better than their record suggests. The team hasn't been able to hold onto any sort of leads which I think also plays into the idea that they are getting some bad luck which I don't think will continue deeper into the season.

But I figured they would finish anywhere from 95-102 points this season and their bad start suggests that it's more likely to be anywhere where 85-95 points, which is truly the worst place for a team to be in and should have been exactly what I expected from the Flames. Short of winning the lottery this off-season, I don't think this team has any chance of winning what matters for the next decade. The team lacks true gamebreakers (and you could have said this with Gaudreau and Tkachuk in the lineup, too) and is completely devoid of skill right now.

We have some skilled players but not enough game breakers. Minus a top line player this team doesn't have enough horses. They really should inject some call-ups and prepare for a stronger next season. Why not give some young guys 3/4 of a season and if they do make the playoffs they will have played well enough to earn it. I worry we won't make the cutoff with the current roster and will wait until next season to patch up the holes.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

What nasty losing streak? They lost 4 in a row twice and that was during and after the covid outbreak.

2-7-1 through Dec and Jan