2020 Potential Playoff Lineup vs 2019 Lineup

[ForeverFlameFan]

The Flames just need to win a playoff round to gain momentum. We have two goaltenders that we can switch off from if one does not play well in the postseason. And before anyone says that isn't a recipe for success, see Pittsburgh. Goalies can win you games.

I know that our top 6 isn't producing as well as they did in the previous year, but to my eye test it looks like most of them have been playing some great two way play, namely Gaudreau. If we get the post-AS break Gaudreau who is playing on both sides of the ice, then we are going to have a legitimate shot. I do agree with the poster above stating that our top 6 does need to produce points in the playoffs if we want to have any kind of success. Can't be relying on Sam Bennett to be our leading scorer.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by AT77

Lol, come on guys. These are our beloved flames we’re talking about...bounced first round.

oh I see by the big board we got a negative Nellie in sector two!

i'm afraid i'm gonna have to ask the whole forum to kinda freeze and prepare for re-Neducation!

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

They key will be to avoid that 2nd Wild Card spot. If they finish there and have to play St. Louis in round 1 I don’t like their chances.

I think the Flames could beat any of Vegas, Vancouver, or Edmonton and I think they could lose to any of them too. The Pacific is a crap shoot this year. Just avoid playing a central team and I think the 3rd round is easily attainable for any of the Pacific teams.

This. Any team in the pacific has a shot IMO unless that team ends up the second wild card. And while anything can happen i'll likely be betting on St Louis or Dallas.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by edslunch

That's not necessarily a bad thing. One factor in last year's playoff loss might have been the the Avs were in playoff form having fought to get in while the Flames were coasting from ASG on.

I think this is drastically overblown and was more of a microcosm of the bigger fact: The Flames simply didn't compete hard enough and were unable to raise their level of play when another team did.

It will be no different this year, if they do get in, unless of course the same players that faltered are now able to step up.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by R0taryRocket

Or he is someone who believes past performances predict future results. They've only made it out of the first round twice in the last 30 years. As much as I hate to admit it, I like their chances if stacked up against Vancouver.

But that's kinda silly. What the team did in past decades has little relevance.
The performance last year does - as little of the team has changed.
But beyond that - not relevant.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

But that's kinda silly. What the team did in past decades has little relevance.
The performance last year does - as little of the team has changed.
But beyond that - not relevant.

Was going to say this - there's no one associated with the 1990 Flames around.

At best you could try to make arguments around the changeover in who was running ownership (I don't even know the date - I know Hotchkiss was still Chairman of the NHL BOG as of 2007).

[djsFlames]

I saw a team that lost momentum and confidence late last year. Because of that they couldn't adjust to a Colorado push from game 2 onward.

I see a team that looks on the verge of doing the reverse of what it did in 2019 this year, with Gaudreau, Backlund and Mangiapane finding traction at the right time.

This bodes well if they line up a Pacific opponent in april.

The issue that needs to be sorted before then is their game at home. They need to find a way to bring the same poise they have found on the road.

Starts with the goaltending i think. They've given up untimely goals early in home games.

[R0taryRocket]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

But that's kinda silly. What the team did in past decades has little relevance.
The performance last year does - as little of the team has changed.
But beyond that - not relevant.

I disagree. I think history, stories, symbols (organizational culture) transcends the current dressing room and has an impact on success. Not to say the Flames and their current core can't redefine this moving forward.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I think this is drastically overblown and was more of a microcosm of the bigger fact: The Flames simply didn't compete hard enough and were unable to raise their level of play when another team did.

It will be no different this year, if they do get in, unless of course the same players that faltered are now able to step up.

Two months of meaningful games will help that.

[Enoch Root]

12 months ago, the Blues were the most inept team in the NHL, with 52 cupless years as their historical burden.

Didn't seem to cause them much grief during last year's cup run, though.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

12 months ago, the Blues were the most inept team in the NHL, with 52 cupless years as their historical burden.

Didn't seem to cause them much grief during last year's cup run, though.

Exactly. The Blues were a habitually underachieving franchise. Then they put it all together and crossed that thin line between playoff losers and Stanley Cup champions.

The line between winners and losers in the NHL is very thin. Anything can happen once the Flames are in the playoffs. I'd rather see them come in hot after facing adversity than coast in, like last year.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by blankall

Exactly. The Blues were a habitually underachieving franchise. Then they put it all together and crossed that thin line between playoff losers and Stanley Cup champions.

The line between winners and losers in the NHL is very thin. Anything can happen once the Flames are in the playoffs. I'd rather see them come in hot after facing adversity than coast in, like last year.

That's what happened to the Blues, weren't they last in the league at all star break? Their goalie got extremely hot and just went all the way.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

The Flames just need to win a playoff round to gain momentum. We have two goaltenders that we can switch off from if one does not play well in the postseason. And before anyone says that isn't a recipe for success, see Pittsburgh. Goalies can win you games.

I know that our top 6 isn't producing as well as they did in the previous year, but to my eye test it looks like most of them have been playing some great two way play, namely Gaudreau. If we get the post-AS break Gaudreau who is playing on both sides of the ice, then we are going to have a legitimate shot. I do agree with the poster above stating that our top 6 does need to produce points in the playoffs if we want to have any kind of success. Can't be relying on Sam Bennett to be our leading scorer.

You might be on to something. It might be by design but he (Gaudreau) may have been asked to step back and be more a part of the team this season. We don't see him trying to do too much but come playoff time I bet they will start to ramp it up. Also the team doesn't seem as interested in finishing first over all, it might be part of the plan that they are in the thick of things as the season winds down. That doesn't mean they won't challenge for first but they want to be peaking and firing on all cylinders come playoff time.

[Crown Royal]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I saw a team that lost momentum and confidence late last year. Because of that they couldn't adjust to a Colorado push from game 2 onward.

I see a team that looks on the verge of doing the reverse of what it did in 2019 this year, with Gaudreau, Backlund and Mangiapane finding traction at the right time.

This bodes well if they line up a Pacific opponent in april.

The issue that needs to be sorted before then is their game at home. They need to find a way to bring the same poise they have found on the road.

Starts with the goaltending i think. They've given up untimely goals early in home games.

I agree with this. To be honest I am more concerned about our goaltending and defense than our offense, being 18th in goals against per game (20th since Ward took over behind the bench) is simply not going to be good enough. I'm also more concerned with our PK than PP as our PP has been top 5 since Ward took over but the PK is 16th and under 80%.