The Hockey Gods can go #### themselves.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I get that. I'm just saying they didn't get screwed out of being there. They're just not a great team.

That's fair.

They're an average team, one of three that were fighting for the last two playoff spots. It took a whole series of butterfly effects to keep them out. Somewhere in Brazil, some guy coughed at the wrong moment when his hair was parted on the wrong side, and it snowballed into all this.

(Actually, that makes up for the fantastic luck the Flames have had out of Brazil in the past. Out of millions of sperm in the chase, the winner was the one that made Robyn Regehr. A different sperm wins, we get no Tunnel of Death.)

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I get that. I'm just saying they didn't get screwed out of being there. They're just not a great team.

If they get to 96 they will be the best Western Conference team to ever miss and they are a top 8 team in regulation.

Nobody got screwed its just a bad beat, to use a poker term. Blues won 12 straight and barely passed them.

[Sec214]

Only one team gets to lift Lord Stanley.

Sadly this year isn’t our year.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by icarus

Watching the last couple minutes of the ANA-MIN game was a real torture. Gudas with a botched clear, a couple opportunities with an EN where the Ducks did not shoot, a couple turnovers by Anaheim. 21 seconds. **** me.

A Flames fan cannot but help think back to some blown 3rd period leads of our own in the past few months (eg SEA, EDM).

And of course the antediluvian goal line technology of the NHL; at least one of those pucks had to be in.

In an 82-game season, the Flames missed the playoffs by seconds and inches. FML.

If Minny loses that game, they're cursing us for barely beating a Vegas team that's resting Eichel, Stone, and Pietrangelo. The Flames put themselves here by not scoring enough goals to win more games.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Eh. It is what it is. I'm mostly curious about the direction Conroy is going to go in the summer. Does this playoff push convince him and ownership that they're closer than they actually are or do they continue on the rebuild/retooling path

[Domoic]

Ideally, a bit of both, like Conroy did expertly this past season.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Flames are the 7th-best NHL team of all-time by win %. It hasn't been all that bad.

This absolutely tracks. Flames have never been that bad and have had several great regular seasons at or near the top of the league.

Looks like they are 26th in playoff win percentage.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Eh. It is what it is. I'm mostly curious about the direction Conroy is going to go in the summer. Does this playoff push convince him and ownership that they're closer than they actually are or do they continue on the rebuild/retooling path

They should continue. I think about Buffalo a couple years ago that missed by a point, or the Flyers last year and then each took a step back.

[flambers]

They definitely should continue with the retooling path,

While it was a fun year, this team is not a playoff contender...

Lack of offense, would have been a issue in the playoffs,

Overall, great season, just don't rush it.

[SemicolonD]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

This mindset needs to die.

There is a vast difference between finishing middle of the pack as a capped out team with a bunch of old players on bad contracts, and finishing middle of the pack with the smallest payroll in the league.

I’m not saying I wasn’t cheering for them to make it. Nor am I saying I’m not proud of the effort they put in. But tell me where I was wrong and I’ll stand corrected. Where is the path to perpetual success for the Flames without the traditional means of acquiring the elite players we need to do so?

We need some miracle trades or late 1sts that turn into franchise players, and that can definitely happen. It’s just tough not to get sour knowing we don’t help our odds in years where we should, and we fumble in years where the pressure is on and we’ve spent to the cap.

If anything I said was wrong let me know, but after such a soul crushing way to end the season I don’t think I’m out of line to get a little doom and gloom for a bit lol.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Team had a -21 goal differential. They don't belong in the playoffs.

Way to draw a sweeping conclusion from a single stat (that matters not at all).

They have a better record than 2 playoff teams, it could end up being 3, and they could finish tied in points with a 4th.

There are several stats that say they absolutely do deserve to be a playoff team, but way to find one that says they don't.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

We'll they can kiss my ass!!!!!!!

Both cheeks!

Muah muah muah muah

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by dino7c

If they get to 96 they will be the best Western Conference team to ever miss and they are a top 8 team in regulation.

8th fewest regulation losses but 17th most regulation wins. Not a top 8 team in regulation.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Team had a -21 goal differential. They don't belong in the playoffs.

Montreal is -22 and will probably get in. Of course.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by getbak

If you thought the hockey gods were on our side, you haven't been paying attention.

Maybe it's the punishment for winning the Cup in the Forum because they've been feeding us nothing but #### sandwiches since 1990.

I've always been saying this as a joke. And no, the forum ghosts didn't go away after they built the new arena for the Habs - their curse and haunting will end forever once the Saddledome is no more and the doors to the new arena open. The loop needs to be closed!

[Groot]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Team had a -21 goal differential. They don't belong in the playoffs.

People keep trotting this out without any attempt at looking into it. I've posted it a few times now, but feel free to go back and do your own calculations. The team had a positive goal differential for 75 out of 81 games this season. The other 6 games were losses by 5 goals (twice for -10) and 4 goals (4 times for -16) which create a -26 shortfall, leading to the negative goal differential. So yes, -21 on the season but -26 in 6 games and +5 in the other 75 games.

*Edit - I see -17 as the goal differential. So that would be +9 goal differential over 75 games this season

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Groot

People keep trotting this out without any attempt at looking into it. I've posted it a few times now, but feel free to go back and do your own calculations. The team had a positive goal differential for 75 out of 81 games this season. The other 6 games were losses by 5 goals (twice for -10) and 4 goals (4 times for -16) which create a -26 shortfall, leading to the negative goal differential. So yes, -21 on the season but -26 in 6 games and +5 in the other 75 games.

*Edit - I see -17 as the goal differential. So that would be +9 goal differential over 75 games this season

Now, do the same comparison for all other 31 teams and then see where the Flames land. You don't think any other teams had some blowout losses over the course of the year?

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Minnesota ties the game with 21 seconds left. Hockey God love screwing Flames fans over. We'll they can kiss my ass!!!!!!!

Question not the ways of the Gods. It was pretty cool to see MAF get that last win and grow his OT win record, too. Seek the beauty in all things. Pray for the Jackets. In Johnny's Name, blessed be your day.

[PepsiFree]

Every team in the playoffs deserves to be there, and I think you can almost always make a case for why the teams who were one or two wins away would have deserved it as well.

Did the Flames deserve it two months ago when they were in a spot, but deserved it less after going 10-2-3? I don’t think so.

Fun season regardless of the end result. And exciting times ahead.

[CroFlames]

The Flames have 14 OTLs meaning that they are good at hockey, but they are not good at shinny (3 on 3) or all-star gimmicks (shootout).

I really wish our sport was like other sports where you had W-T-L, win is three points, T is one point, L is zero. The regular season is not a knockout tournament, ties should be allowed. The current system just rewards teams who are good at the gimmicky stuff (like the Oilers). But I guess that's the point.