How Do You Think the Flames Will Do This Year?

[Zamboniman]

Ice plant breaks down long term, league makes special exemption that all Flames home games will be floor hockey, and the Flames don't lose a home game all year.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by blender

I honestly think they win the Cup this season.

Backlund in his rightful place as captain.
Team galvanized by the Chris Snow news.
Huberdeau and Weegar playing to their potential.
Goaltending good again.
A couple of savvy moves at the deadline and it all comes together.

So I assume you are betting a lot on that happening lol.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Zamboniman

Ice plant breaks down long term, league makes special exemption that all Flames home games will be floor hockey, and the Flames don't lose a home game all year.

Except to the Tigers. They lose that game every friggin year!

[Poe969]

Drafting 16th

[the-rasta-masta]

I was out planning the parade route this afternoon. I think we start on 17th Ave then swing down Macleod towards Olympic Plaza. I'm not against bringing 9th Ave into the mix though.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I think Flames probably make the playoffs but it could go either way.
More likely to miss the playoffs than win the division IMO.

In the Flames favour, I think you can safely count out SJ,ANA, CHI, NSH, and ARI before the season begins.

COL,DAL,EDM, and VGK are probably the top four in the West.

So in Central you have MIN,STL,WPG and in Pacific you have LAK, SEA, CGY, and VAN fighting for the last four spots.

I think Minny and LA are most likely to make it out of the remaining teams.

All of STL,WPG, SEA,CGY, and VAN are wildcards to me. They all have decent rosters and could go from missed playoffs to strong season based on how lady luck plays out.

The fact that the Jets and Flames both have key UFAs that they will be tempted to deal at the deadline if they are not a playoff lock by then further complicates things.

I'll take STL and CGY out of the last group, but wouldn't be surprised to see any combination of the last five in vs out.

Flames finish ahead of the Oilers this year

[Gaskal]

We're in the peak of "1st in the division" in this cycle of us winning the division then missing playoffs next year so gotta go with Cup

[Strange Brew]

I’m hoping for a pretty good regular season. Some players will be better than last year, some will disappoint. Some will likely miss more time due to injury. And some of the young players will prove they are not yet NHLers while some are going to exceed expectations.

The OT record will be better and Flames solidly make the PO’s. Once in, I don’t have a good feeling about this team’s ability to handle adversity but we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

The Lindholm and Hanifin situations are major wild cards.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I’m hoping for a pretty good regular season. Some players will be better than last year, some will disappoint. Some will likely miss more time due to injury. And some of the young players will prove they are not yet NHLers while some are going to exceed expectations.

The OT record will be better and Flames solidly make the PO’s. Once in, I don’t have a good feeling about this team’s ability to handle adversity but we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

The Lindholm and Hanifin situations are major wild cards.

That’s how I feel as well. They seem like a playoff team. If they don’t make the playoffs then it will be a huge disappointment and I suspect lots of changes to the team.

Tough to tell how a team will do in the playoffs prior to the season. Lindholm situation is a big wild card. They could make the playoffs without him but the odds decrease a lot if he leaves.

[bluejays]

Flames are a wildcard but I know they’re not a bottom 10 team. Defence I think they have holes not having a healthy #1 and I’m not sure they have that true impact player up front who they can rely on to score. However, they have a solid set who can carry a load so I have no doubt they’ll make the playoffs. Are they built for the playoffs is the question. I don’t believe so. So far I haven’t seen enough speed throughout the lineup to think they can compete with the heavy hitters who can roll lines and kill with more speed consistency. So I think a first round exit but we’ll see.

[blender]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

So I assume you are betting a lot on that happening lol.

Long-term bets are extremely inefficient, so no.
It is much more effective to bet game-by-game, plus your stake isn't tied up all season.

That said, at the current odds, it might not be a bad bet.
I do think they have a legitimate shot this season.

[kukkudo]

See them missing but barely.

[Goriders]

I think they will be better than last year. Make the playoffs and lose in the second round.

[stamps]

Win the Cup

[Looch City]

We’ll start by winning 23 in a row. Set a franchise record, hopes will be high. This is a dream season, it has to be, we’ve won 23 in a row!

Then we bust and end up playing sub 500 hockey and we barely squeak into the playoffs.

Who are we facing first round? Oilers.

McJesus lights us up for 3 games straight, gets hat tricks in all 3 games. We’re down 0-3, it’s elimination game 4.

But wait who’s that on the horizon? You can see his cowboy hat just cresting over the saddle of the dome. It’s LOOCH! And he’s dressed to play??

Conroy surprises everyone, he had secretly signed Looch as a rental!

Looch skates onto the ice, clobbers McJesus and scores a goal on his first shift. The Flames are invigorated! They win the next 4 games and eliminate the Oilers.

The team is riding high, no one can stop them. They sweep all other teams on their way to the cup finals.

And in the end?

The Saddledome explodes. The roof collapses and people are screaming…but not in fear. It’s excitement as Jarome Iginla steps onto the ice and Looch hands him the Stanley Cup.

And that’s the moment I wake up with soaked underwear.

[Barnet Flame]

With better goaltending, we will be solid bets to make the play-offs. The most likely scenario is a 2nd round exit. But with a deep defence and a better performance in net, who knows?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

*sigh* Mods, couldn't you have edited that one extra o out of loose so I wouldn't have OCD for the next month? You're killing me.

Fixed ... sorry didn't catch it when I did the copy / paste

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

We're in the peak of "1st in the division" in this cycle of us winning the division then missing playoffs next year so gotta go with Cup

That seems to be the cycle with this team and it's one of the few streaks of the Flames that I hope continues at least for this season.

[Red_Baron]

I'm going to try optimism this year, I'm picking the cup.


I agree with the others who have said that this team is difficult to predict and there isn't a place in the standings that I'd be surprised they ended up in.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

no frickin' idea. none. total wild card.

This. Exactly. This.

I. Have. No. Idea. What. To. Expect.