How big a deal is missing the playoffs?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

The cutoff was low because winning was harder. So it wasn't low. Just different.

I wouldn't mind if someone overlayed the bell curves of the point totals.

The exact same amount of games were played as last season and the exact same amount of points were available to every single team. Winning wasn't harder as the exact same amount of games were won it's just a lot of teams were simply crap including the Flames. Despite what Oilers fans (and Flames fans apparently) believe you don't finish in the bottom 5 in the league by chance or bad luck. It's because your team sucked plain and simple.

[Vinny01]

I think many (myself included) thought the Flames made the right moves over the summer and combine that with internal improvements it would be enough to get them in. When they fell flat on their face and finished bottom 5 I don't think there were too many people (again myself included) that were shocked. We all knew regression was a possibility but still a lot of positives to draw on. Gaudreau, Monahan, Gio, Brodie, Hamilton, Backlund, Colborne all with career years. Bennett fell short of my unrealistic expectations but showed signs that he will be a game breaker.

The key for me going into next year is there is a core group here that is showing the potential to be a group that will lead this team into contention for the next several seasons. Changes need to be made but there is plenty of reason for optimism as a flames fan

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

And if making the playoffs was left to random chance, this would be a valid excuse.

The Flames should have been a >87 point team. They weren't, and that is entirely on that roster.

Given the NHL doesn't play a balanced schedule, and employs a very strange 3 point OT system designed to create false parity (which happened to change in comparison to last season with the onset of 3 on 3), the point totals associated with making the playoffs don't particularly mean anything when it comes to evaluating the teams performance.

You can try to bench mark point totals to predict what might make the playoffs, and even though media will often look at YOY totals to try and point to improvement or lack thereof, all that really matters in a league with the NHLs bizarre point format and lack of balanced schedule is order of positioning versus other teams.

This year the Flames finished 12, last year 8th, that drop in 4 spots is all that matters, points don't mean much.

[Erick Estrada]

I have to give Rhett Warrener credit as he smelled this out in the preseason. He spoke up about the Flames preseason saying he didn't see the effort he saw the season before and they looked out of sorts. I believe the last preseason game against the Jets he was not very complementary at all saying they mailed it in. It seems the team kind of felt they had arrived and didn't have the hunger they had the season before and could just flip the switch and the late game magic would return. Hartley kind of said as much yesterday. It looked like they were a little overconfident and felt that they could just play Flames hockey and win while the rest of the league had made adjustments to the Flames style of play and the team simply looked awful in the first two months as the goaltenders couldn't make a save and the defensemen seemed more interested in trying to join the rush than play defense in their own end.

If anything positive comes out of this season it's that the team will likely be much more businesslike in the preseason and will not be taking anything for granted.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Given the NHL doesn't play a balanced schedule, and employs a very strange 3 point OT system designed to create false parity (which happened to change in comparison to last season with the onset of 3 on 3), the point totals associated with making the playoffs don't particularly mean anything when it comes to evaluating the teams performance.

You can try to bench mark point totals to predict what might make the playoffs, and even though media will often look at YOY totals to try and point to improvement or lack thereof, all that really matters in a league with the NHLs bizarre point format and lack of balanced schedule is order of positioning versus other teams.

This year the Flames finished 12, last year 8th, that drop in 4 spots is all that matters, points don't mean much.

Your last sentence is like saying goals don't mean much because of Corsi. Except that goals lead to wins as points lead to position.

Speaking of unbalanced schedules, we played in the weakest division in hockey. And doing stupid things like going 1-4 against Phoenix is one of the significant reasons why we failed as badly as we did. Doesn't matter how the point system works, and I am not talking about predictions and benchmarks, but what actually happened. This year, a team needed to be only five games above .500 to make the playoffs. That is something this team should have been able to accomplish.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Your last sentence is like saying goals don't mean much because of Corsi. Except that goals lead to wins as points lead to position.

Speaking of unbalanced schedules, we played in the weakest division in hockey. And doing stupid things like going 1-4 against Phoenix is one of the significant reasons why we failed as badly as we did. Doesn't matter how the point system works, and I am not talking about predictions and benchmarks, but what actually happened. This year, a team needed to be only five games above .500 to make the playoffs. That is something this team should have been able to accomplish.

I don't disagree with your thoughts on why we missed or that our record vs Arizona for example was an issue. But what I said otherwise holds up. The notion that 87 points was all that was required this year to make the playoffs means it should have been easier, is completely false. It means nothing, as we were competing against the same number of teams, with very little cross conference play.

There were 50 less points in total handed out in the Western Conference this year vs last. We don't play in a league where we play the east frequently, so it's not like those points up and left for the east (at least not many of them). So all it means is we saw less 3 point games this year in the west. The lower point total to make it means nothing in regards to it being easier to make it. It's completely irrelevant.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Sure, but after last year it would have been nice to at least show the growth, sure, fall back to earth in some areas, but at least be within reach

I agree but to suggest it is some massive failure is false...like I said many of the people suggesting massive failure are the same Debbie downers that figured we were at least 5 years away from playoffs.

This year sucked balls but its not the end of the world, they weren't gonna win the cup anyway so long term it actually helps the Flames.

Top 10 pick plus 3 2nd's (maybe another first) is a decent consolation for dealing with this garbage season

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I have to give Rhett Warrener credit as he smelled this out in the preseason. He spoke up about the Flames preseason saying he didn't see the effort he saw the season before and they looked out of sorts. I believe the last preseason game against the Jets he was not very complementary at all saying they mailed it in. It seems the team kind of felt they had arrived and didn't have the hunger they had the season before and could just flip the switch and the late game magic would return. Hartley kind of said as much yesterday. It looked like they were a little overconfident and felt that they could just play Flames hockey and win while the rest of the league had made adjustments to the Flames style of play and the team simply looked awful in the first two months as the goaltenders couldn't make a save and the defensemen seemed more interested in trying to join the rush than play defense in their own end.

If anything positive comes out of this season it's that the team will likely be much more businesslike in the preseason and will not be taking anything for granted.

Agreed,

I remember that Jets preseason game and the team was awful. Missed passes, lazy plays, blown coverage. It was ugly.

You could tell that transitioned over to the season and the team learned a very hard lesson this year.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Dion

Oiler fans have no clue what it's like to be in the playoffs.

I remember thinking, after they made the playoffs following their very first four year absence (after the final pieces of the dynasty team had been moved out), how easy it was to forget the excitement and drama that comes along with having your team in the playoffs. When (if??) they do make it in again, my wife and daughter will undoubtedly need ear plugs.

[ricardodw]

How big a deal is missing the playoffs?

In the words of Donald Trump" " HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!!"

Made the playoffs last year.... added Hamilton and Frolik and were able to keep Hudler and Jones and Russell and Wideman who were going to be too expensive for 2016-17

This was the year to move into the contender ranks with Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett on cap friendly ELC contracts.

We were closely following the Chicago plan:

Gio-Brodie on board Same as Keith-Seabrook
Monahan-Gaudreau same as Toews-Kane
Hudler same as Sharp

added Hamilton when the Hawks added Campbell

Added Frolik as a Hossa.

Changed from the end of career goalie Khabibulin/ Hiller to your Euro guy from the AHL Niemi /Ortio

Now we are in basically the similar cap problems that the Hawks had after winning the Cup in 2010 (dumping support players) and starting to pay Kane/Toews what they were worth but Flames are not at all established contenders.

[jayswin]

Wait what? We're not dumping support players the same way Chicago did after their first Cup win, not even close. Chicago has always has had to dump talented players due to being right up against the cap, which is fine because they're winning cups.

But in what world is Calgary dumping talented players? We're dumping, and still attempting to dump our excess fat, combined with waiting for contracts to come off the books, which will allow us to start grabbing support cast players as we hopefully head into contenders years.

Haha, only Ricardodw could come to the conclusion that our window was this year and we screwed it up so now it's all over. The 2010 Blackhawks man? Like you could poll every single hockey expert in the entire world and not a single one would agree that team is our comparable for where we're at in our rebuild.

[heep223]

In my view the Flames were a playoff team with average goaltending.

So it's unfortunate but not a huge deal. All our young guys continued to progress and D look fantastic.

Tre will get a ####ing goalie, he learned his lesson. If they don't make the playoffs next season I'll be both surprised and concerned.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Wait what? We're not dumping support players the same way Chicago did after their first Cup win, not even close. Chicago has always has had to dump talented players due to being right up against the cap, which is fine because they're winning cups.

But in what world is Calgary dumping talented players? We're dumping, and still attempting to dump our excess fat, combined with waiting for contracts to come off the books, which will allow us to start grabbing support cast players as we hopefully head into contenders years.

Haha, only Ricardodw could come to the conclusion that our window was this year and we screwed it up so now it's all over. The 2010 Blackhawks man? Like you could poll every single hockey expert in the entire world and not a single one would agree that team is our comparable for where we're at in our rebuild.

Russell and Hudler were at least in the top 10 players in the Flames playoffs run last season . ... dumped. How can you see that as not dumping due to cap restrictions? Would Hulder and Russell be top-6 /top-4 on the Flames next season if there was no cap? easily on this roster.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Russell and Hudler were at least in the top 10 players in the Flames playoffs run last season . ... dumped. How can you see that as not dumping due to cap restrictions? Would Hulder and Russell be top-6 /top-4 on the Flames next season if there was no cap? easily on this roster.

You never heard of expiring contracts and free agency, did you?

[Hackey]

The Vancouver Canucks made the playoffs last year. Dallas, LA, San Jose did not. Was a strange year.