[News] New York Times shows some love to the 2018-19 Calgary Flames

[DeluxeMoustache]

I don’t care about bandwagon fans.

This team is awesome. Last year’s roster underachieved largely due to coaching. This year’s roster is significantly improved and the coach seems to be spot on.

No changes required, the ‘underachievers’ are contributing (some st least) and the rest can right the ship.

Nice that others are taking note, I guess, but like the guys in the room, I’ll take wins over external validation.

[theslymonkey]

Originally Posted by Buff

In the article it quotes Duhatshek as saying that Monahan, Gaudreau and Lindholm could be the top line the Flames ever had. He did qualify it by saying he meant no slight to the Flames top two lines back in 1988/89.

It got me to thinking. How does our current #1 line compare to previous # 1 lines?

2018/19 Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
1988/89 Roberts - Nieuwendyk - Loob
1988/89 Patterson - Gilmour - Mullen
1989/90 Roberts - Nieuwendyk - Makarov
1989/90 Ranheim - Gilmour - Mullen (or was it MacLellan on the left side and Ranheim was with Otto)
2001/02 McAmmond - Conroy - Iginla (meh. Iginla was great the others were good but not in the same hemisphere as a lot of these other players)
2006/07 Tanguay - Langkow - Iginla
2008/09 Cammalleri - Jokinen - Iginla --should have been so much better
2010/11 Tanguay - Jokinen - Iginla -- same as above

There aren't a lot of other lines over the years that can truly compare. Prior to 1988/89 I don't remember much about who played with who. This year's top line truly could be the top offensive juggernaut that Calgary has ever put together.

You are forgetting a very important line:

2003/04: Eliminator - Conny - Iggy

[Brodie66]

What about Roberts - Nieuwendyk - Fleury?

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by heep223

This is a bit dumb. The flames are 12th in "goals by other forwards", that's pretty decent. I guess if you're nitpicking for an area to improve....


Pretty tough to find any holes in this team. Can't wait for April.

Where do they rank in "goals by defensemen"?

The flames are #2 in goals scored. Nitpicking indeed.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

Never understood why fans worry about this kind of stuff. We know how good they are, who cares what the rest of the world thinks.

CP "Toronto and the East never pays attention to the Flames"
Also CP "Who cares what Toronto and the East thinks."

Meh, I'm just happy the guys get some recognition for their season, why be a downer about that.

[icarus]

I also want to add, I think it's awesome that McNugget was asked a question by a NYT reporter at the All-Star game about the Flames' success. In light of last week's events in Edmonton, he must have loved that!

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Brodie66

What about Roberts - Nieuwendyk - Fleury?

Years of playing NHL '93 on Sega Genesis cemented that line in my brain as the best of all time. The only line that was better at the time was Andreychuk-LaFontaine-Mogilny on Buffalo.

Yup, I'm old.

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Itse

I jumped on the 2004 bandwagon. I'm guessing tons of fans start as bandwagoners. You have to start somewhere, and years when a team is good and interesting are a lot more likely to get your attention than years when they're bad and uninteresting.

I was in Grade 6 at the time. Boy, were those great memories. There's more than enough room on the bandwagon, I say!

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

Never understood why fans worry about this kind of stuff. We know how good they are, who cares what the rest of the world thinks.

Why? Because I am sick and tired of being made fun of for liking the flames by fans of other teams. Coworkers, and friends, and even randoms. Articles like this appeal to my ego, and I enjoy it. It allows me to tell all those people to suck it. I truly do hope we gain more fans from a season like the one we are having.

[Gaskal]

I started following the Flames early on in that magical season, after watching a thrilling 4-4 tie against Vancouver. Donovan had a goal and Noodles was in net.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

Why? Because I am sick and tired of being made fun of for liking the flames by fans of other teams. Coworkers, and friends, and even randoms. Articles like this appeal to my ego, and I enjoy it. It allows me to tell all those people to suck it. I truly do hope we gain more fans from a season like the one we are having.

Other than my buddies who all cheer for other teams that I could equally or more often smacktalk (Oilers/Leafs/Canucks/Jets), I have never been made fun of by fans of other teams.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

My real start as a Flames fan was 1994, and my first experience as a Flames fan was watching the Flames choke a 3-1 series lead to the Canucks and Bure torching us in OT lol. Since then, I've been a sucker for punishment cheering on the Flames, as that was really the beginning of the Young Gun days.

Haha yeah man, terrible. My first true year of being a fan was 1991, and that classic Flames/Oilers series with Fleury's famous sliding around on his butt after his OT goal forced a game 7, then the Flames blew a 3-0 1st period lead at home, and lost in game 7 OT. Yeah then 94 as you mentioned, followed by yet another game 7 OT loss the following year, to the Sharks.

3 game 7 OT losses in 5 years - and 0 series wins - all in series you are the favourite; a particularly gut punch style start to my Flames fandom..ugh. Pair that with those dominant Stamps teams' epic playoff chokes happening at the same time, those were rough playoff years for Calgary sports fans.

I personally see the pluses of bandwagon fans growing your team's brand, but I also totally get why longtime fans don't like them. You go through all the pain and heartbreak of a team, then when it finally gets good, some new fan gets to experience the fun. To the long tortured fan it seems unfair, like they didn't "earn" it to enjoy the good times. Very true we all start somewhere, and if these bandwagoners stay on when the wheels fall off and stay true fans, then that's great. But I get why they get chirped at the beginning. You are seen as a fan* until you prove you're on board for the long haul.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Thor

CP "Toronto and the East never pays attention to the Flames"
Also CP "Who cares what Toronto and the East thinks."

Meh, I'm just happy the guys get some recognition for their season, why be a downer about that.

I think the complaint might be more challenging the insipid "Nooo, don't talk about us, I'd rather nobody realized we are good" arguments that seem to think what other fans know or believe has any impact on the ice.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Itse

I jumped on the 2004 bandwagon. I'm guessing tons of fans start as bandwagoners. You have to start somewhere, and years when a team is good and interesting are a lot more likely to get your attention than years when they're bad and uninteresting.

I guess it depends on your definition of band wagon fan. For me that is a person who jumps on cheering for the hot team for the duration of their run but then jumps off once things go south or something more trendy comes along. Fans who stay are not band wagon fans imo.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I guess it depends on your definition of band wagon fan. For me that is a person who jumps on cheering for the hot team for the duration of their run but then jumps off once things go south or something more trendy comes along. Fans who stay are not band wagon fans imo.

My formative years as a fan were from 1995 to 2003 so when 2004 rolled around, I was essentially out of good will and was waiting for the collapse during the entire run.



The 2005 lockout didn't help with good will either, but we thankfully had a good team. Unfortunately they were perrenial under-achievers.



The drafting and development of Sean Monahan sparked a genuine hope in me and everything that has happened since his awesome rookie season has me a believer in this year. We're going for it boys.



I feel like I been through my purification and I deserve a Cup run.

[The Yen Man]

I guess one silver lining to becoming a fan during that 94 season was seeing Nuck fans lose their minds when they lost to the Rangers, andt them tearing down their own city. And then they repeat it gloriously again in 2011 lol.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I guess one silver lining to becoming a fan during that 94 season was seeing Nuck fans lose their minds when they lost to the Rangers, andt them tearing down their own city. And then they repeat it gloriously again in 2011 lol.

I didn't hate the Canucks so much back then. The Canucks hatred grew on me though. Oh did it grow. 2011 was a very stressful Stanley Cup final for a bit. I like the Bruins now.

[GioforPM]

I jumped on the bandwagon after Atlanta.

That was a pretty great first season to tell the truth.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

My formative years as a fan were from 1995 to 2003 so when 2004 rolled around, I was essentially out of good will and was waiting for the collapse during the entire run.



The 2005 lockout didn't help with good will either, but we thankfully had a good team. Unfortunately they were perrenial under-achievers.



The drafting and development of Sean Monahan sparked a genuine hope in me and everything that has happened since his awesome rookie season has me a believer in this year. We're going for it boys.



I feel like I been through my purification and I deserve a Cup run.

Almost the same story as me, except mine goes back to '91. Didnt' live in Calgary during the Cup win, so the closest I've been to tasting glory is 2004. I remember going to elementary school in my Flames' sweatpants. Flames drawings all over my books. Was always a hardcore fan, but never got to experience true playoff fever until '04. The years prior were either 1st round collapses, or the big drought. Sucks I never got to see playoff hockey with buddies during Jr. High or High school. But I always stuck with the team all those years.

This truly is a special season in my eyes. I'm not worried about a collapse down the stretch like so many times before. It's a strange feeling...to have full confidence in the Flames. If there ever was a year during my life to witness a cup from beginning to end, surely this is the year