Are the Flames Stanley Cup Contenders?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Believe in the Power of the Purple Drank!

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

Count me on the bandwagon. We have the best odds to win the cup this year since '04 I think, but there is alot of hockey left to be played.

[Krynn]

Purple Drink Purple Drink Purple Drink

[dammage79]

If this depth keeps coming in and not letting the team skip a beat hell yeah the Flames can go deep. This kind of depth is exactly how great teams push for the holy grail. Passed a big test tonight. Tomorrows Oilers game is the next one. That'll be to see how emtionally consistent they are.

What I have like this season for the most part is that when they're really jiving, they don't go nuts on the Harlem Globetrotting plays. They keep their nose to the grindstone and just keep plugging. Same as when they're down or off kilter a bit, just keep on plugging. If this keeps up things are going to be really interesting in April.

[jemjey]

Boooooooooooooo

[1qqaaz]

The Flames have passed a lot of teams in the past month. Almost everyone.

But passing Tampa Bay would be an entirely different challenge. Tampa is 6 points ahead of anyone else in the league. And this is with Vasilevsky being injured for a long time. Stamkos is just starting to pick it up.

Scary.

2004 rematch? Wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world.

[troutman]

Could Tampa crush our dreams again?

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by troutman

Could Tampa crush our dreams again?

God I hope not. That would be crushing, especially if Point was the difference maker. I spent most of the first 6 months of 2014 hoping that the Flames would draft the local kid and then we passed. Now he is on pace for 103 points.

[Yoho]

Can’t wait to hang one of these bad boys up.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Just to add some predictions.

Hockey reference has the flames at a 6.5% chance at winning the cup after 1000 simulations. Maybe more interestingly they have them at a 93.8% chance at making the playoffs.

Chance at winning the cup after 1000 simulations

Leafs: 13.4%
Lightening: 10.7%
Predators: 9.3%
Avalanche: 9.2%
Jets: 7.3%
Flames: 6.5%
Capitols: 5.6%
Sabers: 5.1%

https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/playoff_prob.cgi

Updating this, the Flames now have the 2nd best odds...

TBL 13.6%
CAL 9.2%
TOR 8.9%
COL 8.5%
NAS 7.7%
WAS 7.5%
WPG 6.9%

Chance of playoffs up to 96.9%

[Phagoof]

Wouldn't it be something if the Cup final was Tampa vs Calgary?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

Screw the stats.

I watched Kansas City win the World Series a few years ago only two years after they were selling tickets for $4.00 plus a free hotdog. Last year when I moved to Houston, the Astros won the World Series with the shortest guy in baseball as the league MVP.

Can you move to Toronto?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Phagoof

Wouldn't it be something if the Cup final was Tampa vs Calgary?

I would be down for the rematch. Hopefully the hockey gods would make thinks right as with a better replay system the Flames would be the 2004 champions.

[djsFlames]

Could see a 2019 path run through Minnesota, San Jose, Avalanche then Lightning.

Which would be favorable to the Flames, at least until Tampa. Strangely enough though we play top eastern teams extremely well.

Honestly starting to feel like the 15 year rule is a thing. 89-->04-->18. Flames must make the Finals.

[Flash Walken]

Still need a middle six centre in my estimation.

If you put Stastny or O'Reilly or Adam Henrique or Carter on this lineup, I'd say they were cup contenders for sure.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Still need a middle six centre in my estimation.

If you put Stastny or O'Reilly or Adam Henrique or Carter on this lineup, I'd say they were cup contenders for sure.

The absence of Backlund sure showed against the Oilers (Ryan is nowhere near being a 2C), although the Flames were also a tired team. If someone were brought in who pushed Backlund down to the third line, that would be ideal.

[Strange Brew]

I don't really like proclaiming teams as contenders as it's rather meaningless I guess.

But I'm convinced that if you win your conference, you have a realistic chance of winning it all.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Still need a middle six centre in my estimation.

If you put Stastny or O'Reilly or Adam Henrique or Carter on this lineup, I'd say they were cup contenders for sure.

Yeah, you look at the teams who are legit contenders and their high end centers are on a higher level than the Flames IMO.

Monahan is fine IMO, and I like Backlund too.
I'd like to see an offensive upgrade on Backlund though, because Janko isn't good enough yet, Ryan is a 4th line C, Lindholm is likely staying a winger, and Bennett is a question mark at C as well.

I'm still pissed we didn't get ROR. That disappointment was softened a tad when we got Neal, but with how he's performed and now with Backlund injured I'm back to being disappointed royally again.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I don't really like proclaiming teams as contenders as it's rather meaningless I guess.

But I'm convinced that if you win your conference, you have a realistic chance of winning it all.

You pretty much are 50/50 to win the Cup at that point.

Flames will need secondary scoring from their forwards I suspect to go all the way. I would agree with Flash that a offensive center would be the addition I would make. Tkachuk really only has offensive scrubs as options right now.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

If you put Stastny or O'Reilly or Adam Henrique or Carter on this lineup, I'd say they were cup contenders for sure.

It is my opinion that Ryan O'Reilly carries with him a terrible hockey curse to whichever team takes him. Even if as an individual player he is excellent.

The other centers, sure.