If the Flames lose tonight they'll have to make history to make playoffs

[T@T]

History is short with the new playoff alignment, we are currently 5 points out of 3rd and that team is San Jose who I doubt makes the playoffs.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I do actually appreciate the positivity on this topic, but I think the gist of the post (win or lose tonight) is very appropriate.

You can look at it this way, Flames needed 97 points to make the playoffs last year in last place in the west. There is no way to know for sure what the magic number will be this year, but likely safe to presume it will be pretty close to 97 again.

So, the Flames already 7 points in the bag of that 97. If they lose tonight, they will have 69 games remaining to get those 90pts. In order to do that, they will need to post a 65% winning percentage in the remaining 69 games.

The New York Rangers won the presidents trophy last year with just under a 65% winning percentage. Essentially we are already in the spot where the Flames need to be the best team in the NHL from here on in just to make the playoffs.

Not impossible, and I will do cartwheels if they pull it off, but that really just paints how bad a spot we are in.

[driveway]

San Jose has Pete DeBoer as a coach, DeBoer always gets great results out of his team in his first year as coach. I think San Jose is making the playoffs.

[Locke]

Sooo....this history you speak of....how easy would it be to make?

I dont bring it up for any real reason....just for interest's sake...yes...that.

[GranteedEV]

Well...

Got History Right Where We Want It!

[old-fart]

This team is a joke. Without AHL quality goaltending and a give a crap meter that goes about 4 they have no hope at playoffs.

[Northendzone]

We gotta stop talking 'bout playoffs and focus on practice, yeah that right practice......

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by Locke

Sooo....this history you speak of....how easy would it be to make?

I dont bring it up for any real reason....just for interest's sake...yes...that.

History is the easiest thing in the world to make...wait 24 hours.

[Huntingwhale]

Can't wait to watch the Ducks make history as they come from the bottom of the conference to snag a playoff spot. Might even win the division.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

We gotta stop talking 'bout playoffs and focus on practice, yeah that right practice......

Pretty difficult for a fan to focus on that. Do you do reps of buying beer and nachos? Changing-channel drills?

Seriously, though, I agree: if the problems on this team are fixable, they'll have to be fixed in practice. The Flames picked the absolute worst time to fall apart – just when they had 5 games in 7 nights. You can't do any meaningful practice in those circumstances.

I still maintain that the problem is neither goaltending, nor defence, nor coaching, so much as the players blowing their composure and playing as individuals. I keep seeing forwards go 1-on-4 or 1-on-5, defencemen trying outlet passes to teammates who aren't in the same time zone… They play OK up to a certain point in the game, and then give up the go-ahead goal and the wheels fall off.

Practice won't get them to Carnegie Hall, and it may not get them to the playoffs either. But they're sure not going anywhere without it.