Season Predictions thread

[BigFlameDog]

Clearly this will be the season the Flames finish an improbable run as the Stanley Cup Champions.

Then TSN will make sure to forever show the largest asterisk they possible can every time they show the list of past winners.

Also Canuck and Oiler fans will be able to discount it every time it is brought up....

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by _Q_

The idea that Edmonton can make the playoffs is comical. I don't understand how any of you can make that prediction. Edmonton will most definitely miss, but may do better than last season based on the fact that their players have had some time to develop. That lineup, however, is horrible.

Anything can happen in a 48 game regular season. Just look every year at the stantings at the 50 game mark and see how different they are at the 82 game mark. I don't think you can discount any team save maybe Columbus making the playoffs. Any team that comes out on fire in the first 20 games likely has punched a ticket into the playoffs as long as they maintain a .500 pace over the last 28 which isn't hard in today's NHL with all the loser points.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Anything can happen in a 48 game regular season. Just look every year at the stantings at the 50 game mark and see how different they are at the 82 game mark. I don't think you can discount any team save maybe Columbus making the playoffs. Any team that comes out on fire in the first 20 games likely has punched a ticket into the playoffs as long as they maintain a .500 pace over the last 28 which isn't hard in today's NHL with all the loser points.

The order changed somewhat, but at the 48 game mark last year, 15 of the 16 eventual playoff teams were already in place. The only change was Minnesota slipping out in favour of Dallas (who were 3 pts out with a game in hand at the time).

[troutman]

Maher says in 1995, 9 out of 10 teams that were under .500 after 10 games, did not make the playoffs. NJ was the exception, and won the Stanley Cup.

[AR_Six]

It's not comical. Last year the Oil started strong and fizzled after about 20 games, IIRC. In a shortened season anything can happen, and it will typically favour younger teams not used to the NHL travel schedule and length of season, as those players tend to hit a wall at 50 games. Not to mention a lot of the Oil lineup has been playing all year. They could make it in.

The short season is a good thing for the perennial front-runners (Van, Chi, Pit, Phi, Bos) and the younger teams. It is bad for the older teams and the teams that have had a lot of turnover and may need a bit of time to get comfortable. Hence I am somewhat skeptical about Minnesota.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

It's not comical. Last year they started strong and fizzled after about 20 games, IIRC. In a shortened season anything can happen, and it will typically favour younger teams not used to the NHL travel schedule and length of season, as those players tend to hit a wall at 50 games. Not to mention a lot of the Oil lineup has been playing all year. They could make it in.

The short season is a good thing for the perennial front-runners (Van, Chi, Pit, Phi, Bos) and the younger teams. It is bad for the older teams and the teams that have had a lot of turnover and may need a bit of time to get comfortable. Hence I am somewhat skeptical about Minnesota.

Vancouver doesn't know when Kesler is coming back and usually come out of the gates pretty slow. Personally I see it as a slight disadvantage for front runners as over 82 games the cream usually rises to the top but over 48 means that they have to get their act together quickly. I also think it favours older teams chances of winning a cup as they no longer have to worry about being worn down by the grind of the long 82 game season. In a lot of ways this season would have been perfect for the Wings had Lidstrom decided to come back for one more year. Young teams are a wildcard as sometimes young teams come out blazing and sometimes they take a while to gel. I like the chances of the Oilers coming out fast as most of their top players have been playing in the AHL.

[_Q_]

Here are the standings last year at approximately the 50 game mark:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm...12012&type=CON

And Edmonton is in, surprise surprise, 14th in the West.

I think with each game being worth more this season, other teams will take each game more seriously. Edmonton might come out of the gates "flying", but will quickly settle down to their usual suckage within 5 to 8 games. Other teams will know not to take games off and starting goalies will play a larger percentage of games. There is no way Edmonton makes the playoffs.

[AR_Six]

^Fun thing about that is all the teams in the playoffs are the ones who ended up in the playoffs except the Coyotes.

My impression on Kesler was that he was milking the injury so he'd keep getting paid during the lockout. I would expect he would start the season or miss maybe a week. Unless there is news I've not seen.

I can see your point about the teams on the wane - that arguably includes Vancouver too, but you could see the Sharks re-emerging after disappointing last year.

[the_only_turek_fan]

^ That was a year ago....things change. They have Schultz and Yakupov now too. The Flames are different, as are the Wild. I think Hartley among all the changes is the biggest one for Calgary. Dallas is radically different as well.

Personally, I think the biggest story for me is Detroit and how they will go on without Lidstrom. We are about to see just how valuable this guy has been for Detroit for 2 decades now.

San Jose is another team that I think might miss.

Can Mike Smith repeat his 2011-12 performance?

[the_only_turek_fan]

The losses of Brad Stuart and Jiri Hudler are not to be forgotten either. Plus, I am not sold on Jimmy Howard.

BUT, they still have Datsyuk, Zetterburg, and Mike Babcock.

[SuperMatt18]

L.A. and Boston in the finals.

Those two teams styles will dominate in a shortened season.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

^Fun thing about that is all the teams in the playoffs are the ones who ended up in the playoffs except the Coyotes.

My impression on Kesler was that he was milking the injury so he'd keep getting paid during the lockout. I would expect he would start the season or miss maybe a week. Unless there is news I've not seen.

I can see your point about the teams on the wane - that arguably includes Vancouver too, but you could see the Sharks re-emerging after disappointing last year.

His re-hab has not gone well. His agent said there is no time table for his return. In another article i read that he was 4-8 weeks away.

[Tinordi]

Why I'm predicting an Edmonton improvement is if you go back and look at their team trends in gf/ga ratio, total offense, and even defensive stats you seem steady improvement over the past 3 seasons. Conversely, the Flames show the mirror opposite, we're getting worse in almost all key statistical indicators. Very little actually separated the Flames and Oilers stats wise last season and I predict that the trend of Oiler growth and Calgary decline will continue.

[The Fonz]

To expand on my 14th in the West prediction:


Correct me if I'm wrong, but of the Flames players, these are the guys who haven't been playing games:

- Iginla
- Cammalleri
- Hudler (injured)
- Cervenka (injured)
- Tanguay
- Glencross
- Baertschi (injured)
- Kiprusoff
- Bouwmeester
- Wideman
- Giordano
- Sarich
- Jackman
- Stempniak
- Babchuk
- Stajan


...who has been playing?

- Horak
- Brodie
- Butler
- Backlund


I'm not liking our odds this season. A slow start can't be afforded in a 48-game season, and too many of our top players (all of them?) are not in game shape.

This has all the makings of an extremely ugly season for the Calgary Flames.

[Enoch Root]

^ I have made the same point.

However, the flip side is that, with the gruelling pace of the next three months, the Flames players may end up less burnt-out, having not played for 3 months already.

So many variables, it's impossible to predict. If they gel, they could be much improved offensively. If they get off to a bad start, things could really snowball.

[polak]

I'm sort of expecting this season and next season to be absolutely terrible years for the Flames anyways as we make last ditch efforts to "retool" this team before we finally bite the bullet and start making some wholesale changes. Because of this, I look at it as a good thing that this season happens to be a shorter one. Less pain to endure.

As long as the Canucks and Oilers don't win the cup, I'll be happy.

[HELPNEEDED]

Originally Posted by polak

I'm sort of expecting this season and next season to be absolutely terrible years for the Flames anyways as we make last ditch efforts to "retool" this team before we finally bite the bullet and start making some wholesale changes. Because of this, I look at it as a good thing that this season happens to be a shorter one. Less pain to endure.

As long as the Canucks and Oilers don't win the cup, I'll be happy.

Whole sale changes? Compared to 2-3 seasons ago we only have Iggy and Kipper left.

[WilderPegasus]

The last shortened season how well did the teams fare that didn't have many players playing elsewhere during that lockout?

[polak]

Originally Posted by HELPNEEDED

Whole sale changes? Compared to 2-3 seasons ago we only have Iggy and Kipper left.

I guess you're right, I never really looked into it too much before saying that, but we have a few other players too that have been around the Flames longer then that. But I think the shift will happen when Iggy is no longer our offensive focus. Maybe thats already happening.

Either way, barring a suprise I'm not getting my hopes up to much. Just happy hockey is back.

[HELPNEEDED]

Originally Posted by polak

I guess you're right, I never really looked into it too much before saying that, but we have a few other players too that have been around the Flames longer then that. But I think the shift will happen when Iggy is no longer our offensive focus. Maybe thats already happening.

Either way, barring a suprise I'm not getting my hopes up to much. Just happy hockey is back.

While I agree, there is no point in iggy leaving the flames if he keeps producing.