Is this a playoff team?

[FlameZilla]

If we keep Wideman as a power play weapon but shelter his minutes & replace him on the 2nd pairing with a bigger, meaner & better player then I think there might be the ingredients here for a playoff team.

[PeteMoss]

The advanced stats make it look flukey, but its also tremendously small sample size there (i.e. the Chicago game still crushes the team in a lot of these metrics and the last Montreal game makes them look good).

Also in regards to the PDO, they are high now but regression to the mean doesn't mean they are going to be lower than average going forward, they'll more likely just be average like everyone else and end up with a higher than normal PDO over the season.

[Regular_John]

Possibly... but likely no.

This early season run is starting to feel like some of their late season runs in the past few years in which they stole a few wins from competitors whom last some steam in the stretch of an 82 game season.

In my opinion it's a welcome early season surge, but not sustainable throughout the full season, and other teams are going to hit their stride soon and start rolling over the lowly Flames again.

However if they keep up this work ethic (which I don't know why they wouldn't) and continue to improve?... maybe next year.

[Resolute 14]

We have only played two games within the division, and one of those was against an Oilers team that is only NHL calibre due to the fact that North America (wisely) eschews relegation.

The Flames have had it easy so far - but good teams win the easy games. We won't truly know this team's potential for this season until we start playing divisional contests.

[Dime_On_Flames]

I totally understand the comparison between this team and last years version of the Leafs. IMO the work ethic, shot blocking and never say die attitude set this team apart. I think those factors put the Flames in the 7-8 conversation, even with all statistical data falling to the mean.

Put me in the "it's still too early, but they're starting to convince me" group

[codynw]

Yea, I'm gonna need to see a California road trip before I start truly believing. It's looking good so far though.

[SofaProfessor]

I'm starting to be swayed into believing they are a playoff team. If I set aside my homer glasses for a moment, I have to point out that there are still plenty of games to play against Anaheim, LA, Chicago, San Jose, St. Louis... That will be the true test. If they pull some wins out of those teams throughout the season and keep this current level of play up then, yes, the Flames are definitely a playoff team.

If the Flames were an Eastern Conference team it would be much easier to call them a playoff team at this point.

[MyFlamesFirst]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Which explains why they play with the confidence that they do. The Flames are more skilled than most observers and fans are willing to recognise. They are not just grinding games out, they are legitimately proving to be quite good at moving moving the puck and creating opportunities in the offensive zone.

I'm so tired of the narrative that has developed about the Flames as some rag-tag collection of ham-fisted troglodytes with hands of stone. They are better than that. Much better.

Absolutely. My point was more along the lines that the flames know they have to play as a team and score as a committee. Which is exactly what has been happening lately. I think I have even heard it mentioned through players in interviews about how they don't have that one guy that's gonna provide all their offense, and it's a team responsibility. I guess by skillwise I was referring to how the flames have no superstars and are aware of this. Not that the team sucks and cant score any nice and skillful goals.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by codynw

Yea, I'm gonna need to see a California road trip before I start truly believing. It's looking good so far though.

In hindsight this is really the only reasonable answer. If the Flames can finally grind out a win in Anaheim then maybe it's the real deal. But a California road trip is really the true test of this team.

[united]

Last year at this time Toronto was in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference but 29th in score-adjusted possession and 4th in PDO. Also, Phoenix was tied for 2nd place in the West but 21st in score-adjusted possession and 9th in PDO.

This year the Flames are 27th in score-adjusted possession and 3rd in PDO. Enjoy the ride while it lasts because the fall is more than likely coming. To be clear, I would love for the Flames to prove all these metrics wrong and keep up their production!

[terminator]

Originally Posted by united

Last year at this time Toronto was in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference but 29th in score-adjusted possession and 4th in PDO. Also, Phoenix was tied for 2nd place in the West but 21st in score-adjusted possession and 9th in PDO.

This year the Flames are 27th in score-adjusted possession and 3rd in PDO. Enjoy the ride while it lasts because the fall is more than likely coming.

What his score-adjusted possession?

[_Q_]

What the hell is score adjusted possession and PDO? And why does it seem like a new advanced stat is invented every season?

[Cali Panthers Fan]

The California teams are pretty solid, no doubt, but I would argue that the Sharks aren't as good as people think and probably on par with a team like Calgary. L.A. is always good in the playoffs, but as a regular season team goes they are not that scary. Anaheim is the team that's really going to kill us this year. Just too much up and down the lineup to overcome and Perry-Getzlaf is killing it so far. Their goaltending injury situation is a problem however.

Last year's records against the Pacific:

L.A.: 3-2
SJS: 2-2-1
ANA: 1-3
VAN: 0-3-2
EDM: 3-2
ARI/PHX: 2-3

Forget the California teams, we need to start beating Vancouver dammit! Also, I think a 3-2 record against Edmonton last year is deplorable. That should have been 5-0. Arizona is going to be pretty terrible this year, so I think a couple more wins against them are in order.

I'm not going to hope for much better this year against the California teams, but I think they can reproduce that record against them and win more games against Edmonton, Vancouver, and Arizona. That alone should put them higher in the standings.

There's too much parity in the league now to assume that a team like Calgary can't make the playoffs. They have some great pieces in place and some more on the way. What is for sure is that this team is nowhere near peaking.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by _Q_

What the hell is score adjusted possession and PDO? And why does it seem like a new advanced stat is invented every season?

I'll take goal differential, 5 on 5 ratio, PP%, and PK% every day over score adjusted possession and PDO.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

I'll take goal differential, 5 on 5 ratio, PP%, and PK% every day over score adjusted possession and PDO.

The most accurate predictor of future success is goal differential, not corsi.

Having said that, they're all weak with a sample size of 14 games

[Fire]

What needs to happen for the Flames to make the playoffs:

- Hiller is a top 5 goalie at the end of the season.
- Brodie and Giordano miss no significant time.
- They keep listening to Hartley and work hard.

[Bingo]

I just love the fact that this is an argument. You guys aren't dummies or a group of fan boys, there has always been a high degree of logic, and the Flames right now are making a lot of assumptions tough to assume.

I guess what I want from the Flames is what I was hoping and almost got from the Blue Jays this year.

Make it interesting.

Ask an Edmontonian and I think he'd tell you they'd love some interesting in place of an escalator that isn't going up.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Fire

What needs to happen for the Flames to make the playoffs:

- Hiller is a top 5 goalie at the end of the season.
- Brodie and Giordano miss no significant time.
- They keep listening to Hartley and work hard.

Ramo? I'm still convinced 1A/1B is a factor. Hiller isn't super hero durability like Kipprusoff.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

If we keep Wideman as a power play weapon but shelter his minutes & replace him on the 2nd pairing with a bigger, meaner & better player then I think there might be the ingredients here for a playoff team.

I agree completely. Wideman is producing some points which is helping his cause but he is a big defensive liability. I'm sure Treliving is trying to find someone to upgrade the D-core. Hopefully someone that can reduce Wideman's minutes on the ice.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by codynw

Yea, I'm gonna need to see a California road trip before I start truly believing. It's looking good so far though.

Originally Posted by jaydorn

In hindsight this is really the only reasonable answer. If the Flames can finally grind out a win in Anaheim then maybe it's the real deal. But a California road trip is really the true test of this team.

The schedule will get tougher towards the end of November. Ducks twice, Blackhawks, and Sharks - that'll give an idea of how well the Flames fare.

The true test - the road trip through California - doesn't happen until late January, where we play all three teams in 5 days.