Are the Flames actually a playoff team?

[GullFoss]

The flames are comfortably in a playoff spot with 25% of the season in the books. The young guns are impressing: Wolfy, Zary, Scoranato. Really good first pairing. Conroy has seemingly done a lot of addition by subtraction and guys like Lomberg seem to be contributing to a great dressing room. The bottom two pairings are looking stronger every game.

A team committed to team defense can go the long way when they're getting vezina caliber goaltending.

What do you think:

Do you believe - Are you on the 24-25 bandwagon?

Or are you a skeptic, waiting patiently for the team to fall down to earth?

[kyuss275]

If wolf can play like he has for rest of year they will make the playoffs.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Yes. And only because the western conference is mid af.

[Iniggywetrust]

Literally… not yet.

Do they have a chance of getting there. Yes.

[MrMike]

[PugnaciousIntern]

Eh they’re still only about 60/40 random chance, and there are plenty of limitations with this group that might be more pronounced with tighter defence in the later months. And a top pairing injury could be disproportionately devastating.

But I will always cheer for the team and sure hope they do it!

[Party Elephant]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Yes. And only because the western conference is mid af.

Pacific division is straight junk.

Vegas - good/great team that is underperforming

Flames - confirmed good

Kings - Are they any better than the first round fodder they were for the last 3 seasons?

Canucks - injuries/absences to key players has them regressing from last year

Seattle - mid

Ducks - junk

Sharks - junk

Oilers - NO GOOD!

[Kipper_3434]

Only if someone can step up offensively. Huberdeu leading the forwards, with a 45 point pace, won't cut it.

[dino7c]

US thanksgiving says they have a good chance...use the cap space to improve and leave the futures

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Party Elephant

Pacific division is straight junk.

Vegas - good/great team that is underperforming

Flames - confirmed good

Kings - Are they any better than the first round fodder they were for the last 3 seasons?

Canucks - injuries/absences to key players has them regressing from last year

Seattle - mid

Ducks - junk

Sharks - junk

Oilers - NO GOOD!

I don't exactly disagree with those takes, and I whole-heartedly support the part at the end, but the pacific is far from junk so far this year. The main difference is that the accumulated points are more evenly spread between all the teams in the division than the other divisions that are all more top heavy, but the pacific division is certainly competitive this season.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by crapshoot

I don't exactly disagree with those takes, and I whole-heartedly support the part at the end, but the pacific is far from junk so far this year. The main difference is that the accumulated points are more evenly spread between all the teams in the division than the other divisions that are all more top heavy, but the pacific division is certainly competitive this season.

No one’s great or garbage anymore.

Look at Colorado or how Winnipeg and Minnesota are coming out of the gate.

This is fully the leveling out of no nose diving contracts. Every team has holes.

Rangers have as many losses as Carolina

Minnesota and Winnipeg are no different than Carolina and the Rangers

[GreenLantern2814]

People need to understand, making the playoffs this year means nothing, other than “wolf is a franchise goalie”

If it happens, it’ll be on the backs of guys who are already under contract long term anyway, and guys in their late 20s with 1-2 years left.

If they make it, good for them - they’re the lowest payroll in the league, if they make the post season, it’s on merit.

All those guys being one year older could get off to a slow start the following year quite easily, and the team could sell the UFAs like they did a year ago.

And like they did after 2015. They drafted Top-6 twice more after that, and could’ve added Noah Dobson to the blue line. Instead they got Travis Hamonic.

Don’t do that again.

[Locke]

Goddammit Flames...we can't even suck properly!

[dino7c]

dublavay

[dino7c]

All I heard about was how terrible the Pacific division was last year and then those idiot Oilers beat the Stars and took the Panthers to game 7

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by dino7c

All I heard about was how terrible the Pacific division was last year and then those idiot Oilers beat the Stars and took the Panthers to game 7

Right now, if I had to choose one player in a game 7 of the playoffs, I would take Wolf over Mcdavid without a question.

[Jason14h]

I think the lack of top end talent catches up to them over the full season and we barely miss, giving our 1st pick to Florida and watch them repeat as cup champions and get the last pick in the 1st round.

All while watching Monahan win comeback player of the year at a PPG pace while Kadri gets 40 pts.

This is the way for the Flames

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I think the lack of top end talent catches up to them over the full season and we barely miss, giving our 1st pick to Florida and watch them repeat as cup champions and get the last pick in the 1st round.

All while watching Monahan win comeback player of the year at a PPG pace while Kadri gets 40 pts.

This is the way for the Flames

Well aren't you a basket of sunshine.

[1qqaaz]

On one hand, no one on the Flames is even on pace for 50 points.
But on the other, Wolf has 92.6%...

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I think the lack of top end talent catches up to them over the full season and we barely miss, giving our 1st pick to Florida and watch them repeat as cup champions and get the last pick in the 1st round.

All while watching Monahan win comeback player of the year at a PPG pace while Kadri gets 40 pts.

This is the way for the Flames

Montreal will get the pick... If they barely miss the pick is the 15th or 16th. It would suck but it won't be franchise altering. If they slide hard then they can get still get into top ten pick territory. They go an a 3-4 game slide and they are there.