Why the Flames will win the Western Conference again...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I avoid that because the past doesn't compile for me.

The current management team + the current coaching staff + the current roster is either a group that should have success or it isn't.

Change any of the three of those and you have to reevaluate.

But I'm not all that worried about any other era or past playoff failures; they just don't have a bearing on this season or this year's playoffs to me.

It'll be different this time.



And yet here we are.

I dont begrudge your optimism, not at all, I just cant share it because the pessimistic perspective has just been so much more consistently correct.

Maybe Charlie Brown will finally kick the football this time...maybe he will...

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Locke

It'll be different this time.



And yet here we are.

I dont begrudge your optimism, not at all, I just cant share it because the pessimistic perspective has just been so much more consistently correct.

Maybe Charlie Brown will finally kick the football this time...maybe he will...

You wouldn't be alone, I get that.

I just see each Lucy pull away as a new event, and the past events don't have much bearing on whether the bitch pulls the ball away again or not ... though in this example Charlie has to smarten the hell up, because she will.

And for sure I tend to be optimistic, but in this case it's a mixed bag.

The team didn't win the West (regular season) with mirrors. They were top 5-8 in almost all measures and had bottom half ranks in goaltending, PK and PP. That's a good team.

But when the puck drops in game one this April I'll be nervous as hell that the key players on this team don't have that next level.

[dino7c]

One team of 31 will go home winners...if you want to pat yourself on the back for constantly predicting failure go for it.

This time last year the usual suspects had the Flames as a bubble team and missing the playoffs...not 2nd overall

Tampa was even worse in the playoffs...you guys are also predicting their downfall?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by dammage79

You could argue that those last 3 playoff series losses were due to puck luck or the lack thereof.

Honestly though, last years was gross. Mike Smith was the best player. He gave them a chance.

Didnt like Gaudreau the last two games.

Flames best player in game 5, working his bag off...Neal and Backlund blew game 4

Gaudreau was giving everything in game 5...can't be mad at a guy for missing a break away and having a goal disallowed. He was at least making things happen

Smith was good but they had the lead late in 3 of the 5 games and he didn't make the big save...the other guy did

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Locke

It'll be different this time.







And yet here we are.



I dont begrudge your optimism, not at all, I just cant share it because the pessimistic perspective has just been so much more consistently correct.



Maybe Charlie Brown will finally kick the football this time...maybe he will...

God, that sounds miserable. If I ever get that jaded about hockey I will just quit watching. What’s the point if it frustrates you this much?


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[Locke]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

God, that sounds miserable. If I ever get that jaded about hockey I will just quit watching. What’s the point if it frustrates you this much?


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Life is an endless series of painful disappointments punctuated by occasional brief glimpses of something that vaguely resembles socially defined 'happiness.'

Being a Flames fan has taught me to remain pessimistic until they prove otherwise and, like in '04, last season was an abject lesson that even when they prove otherwise....they'll find a way.

It doesnt frustrate me as I'm usually right, and when I'm wrong I can bask in the glorious success!

Perennial and persistent failure is what makes occasional success all the sweeter. Maybe you're the one doing it wrong...

[bubbsy]

I don't see anything wrong with being a diehard fan, yet having a pessimistic view (flames and dolphins for 30ish years now).

In 30 years, the franchise has only mustered getting thru the first round twice. It's pretty pathetic.

Last year's regular season and conference win was awesome, but the post season felt all too familiar.

I am also quite disappointed to be going into the year woth basically the same team as last year, other than the talbot/smith & neal/lucic swaps.

I realize that the flames tried for at least a few big swings in the attempt to get kadri, as well as the zucker deal at the deadline, striking out in both. Unfortunately, almost deals don't really have any real tangible results.

I am sure we can hope for some organic growth, especially from the younger guys, but it's also fair to assume some guys have down years, or at least a bit of a regression from last year.

I think this is a playoff team for sure, but a division/conference title definitely not to be assumed. What happens come spring is of course more important, and i really feel like the flames roster will look different due a big acquisition between now and the deadline.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dammage79

You could argue that those last 3 playoff series losses were due to puck luck or the lack thereof.

.

You certainly can’t make that argument last year. They were dominated and only Smith gave them a chance early on.



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[Mr.Coffee]

2nd overall doesn’t mean anything. Nobody aims for the President Trophy or the overall standings. They are almost irrelevant in fact.

I almost wish Calgary didn’t finish 2nd because it’s given a lot of ammunition to people’s perception about what is seemingly good enough for a lot of fans based on some of the opinions I read. As if it excuses getting absolutely embarrassed in round 1 and outplayed and outclassed.

If the team enters the season believing their own BS because they finished 2nd overall we are already in for a rough October / November.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

2nd overall doesn’t mean anything. Nobody aims for the President Trophy or the overall standings. They are almost irrelevant in fact.

I almost wish Calgary didn’t finish 2nd because it’s given a lot of ammunition to people’s perception about what is seemingly good enough for a lot of fans based on some of the opinions I read. As if it excuses getting absolutely embarrassed in round 1 and outplayed and outclassed.

If the team enters the season believing their own BS because they finished 2nd overall we are already in for a rough October / November.

Playoffs success is obviously more important and more desirable. However, you should not be so quick to dismiss regular season success. 19,000 people buy tickets 41 nights per winter. Those games matter, and providing a good product matters.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Playoffs success is obviously more important and more desirable. However, you should not be so quick to dismiss regular season success. 19,000 people buy tickets 41 nights per winter. Those games matter, and providing a good product matters.

Historically Flames fans are smart enough to know the difference between a regular season team and a true playoff built team. Sales have fallen off drastically in the 90's, late 2000's and in recent seasons with the former if it prolongs more than a season.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Locke

Life is an endless series of painful disappointments punctuated by occasional brief glimpses of something that vaguely resembles socially defined 'happiness.'

Maybe your life is. Don’t try and speak for the rest of us.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Locke

If you're not inherently a pessimist then you havent been a Flames fan long enough.

While I feel the Flames will make the playoffs there's definitely a side of me that wouldn't be surprised if the bottom falls out and it ends up a bit of a miserable season. This organization simply doesn't have a good track record when it comes to sustained success outside of the 80's.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Maybe your life is. Don’t try and speak for the rest of us.

Lol, you're so serious all the time. It was a clearly a post in jest. Jesus.

[timbit]

TB and Calgary were the top 2 teams over an 82 game schedule.

Two excellent teams were beaten in short order in the first round. However, both teams should still be considered top contenders entering the 19/20 season.

Lessons were learned.

Primarily, your best players have to be your best players in the playoffs. Neither team was even close to accomplishing that, in the first round.

[Scroopy Noopers]

If you believe your favourite sports organization is hopeless you’re just like 95% of sports fans.

I could count the number of teams on my fingers, from all sports, who have been spoiled with winning (during a persons life span). Your sport team winning repeatedly in your life time doesn’t happen often.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Life is an endless series of painful disappointments punctuated by occasional brief glimpses of something that vaguely resembles socially defined 'happiness.'

Being a Flames fan has taught me to remain pessimistic until they prove otherwise and, like in '04, last season was an abject lesson that even when they prove otherwise....they'll find a way.

It doesn't frustrate me as I'm usually right, and when I'm wrong I can bask in the glorious success!

Perennial and persistent failure is what makes occasional success all the sweeter. Maybe you're the one doing it wrong...

This is kind of where I'm at as well.
It's not miserable, because since my expectations are low they are often exceeded.
It's kind of miserable for everyone else though, since they have to deal with the pessimism.

[djsFlames]

You can have your pessimism, it's warranted. But let people have their optimism.

30 of 31 teams' fans would be right every year if they said it's going to end in disappointment. Obviously you're always up against it, the deck stacked against you, regardless of how strong the team is.

But part of fandom is the hope and rallying around that. If everyone was rational and keeping the numbers and odds in mind at all times we would all be in perma-grumpycat mode until the moment the buzzer finally sounds on a stanley cup win. The fun comes from the "could they?" moments you get throughout the year when huge winning goals are scored and the team and players have their highlight moments where promise and potential is shown.

It's too easy to be miserable. Whichever side of the fence you're on though, at some point in time you'll be proven right. And I don't think we'll be stuck at one cup or in this drought of playoff success forever.

I would rather be on the side that had hope when it does happen though. And that doesn't mean you have to be hopeful to a fault either. You can manage your expectations and be cautiously optimistic, meanwhile just enjoying the hockey and the wins as they come. It's a long journey, might as well enjoy it.

[kehatch]

Talbot replacing Smith and Lucic replacing Neal are close to a wash. Tkachuk will cost more, Hathaway is gone, and we are probably going to lose someone else as a cap casualty. So barring a fall deal we are taking a step back (at least on paper) this season.

That is disappointing. The team has real issues in the middle six and we still haven't added any stability in net. We are still a very good team, but we are also in a three year window and coming off a playoff meltdown. I was hoping Treliving was a bit more aggressive in taking a step forward.

That said, let's see if Rittich can take a step forward and how kids like Andersson and Dube factor in. Let's also hope our army of 'career seasons' don't regress too far. Finally, let's hope the team learned something from the late season meltdown. If that can all happen, perhaps we can take a step forward.

[dino7c]

The whole premise of this thread (read the article in the OP) is about standings and regular season success/standings ect.

Playoffs? who the #### knows with how the NHL has gone lately but the Flames should be considered one of the top teams standings wise.

All the usual publications have the Flames somewhere between 1-3 in the Pacific...I suppose they are all homers? Playoffs were disappointing for me last year too but it wasn't long ago (not even a year) when a top 3 finish seemed like a dream season. Now we are not supposed to enjoy being a team that wins most of their games because of what might happen in the Spring? I will worry about the playoffs when the Flames get there...for now I hope this YOUNG Flames team has learned some lessons and will be even better this coming season.