What's working for the Flames this year?

[voyageur]

I have only seen one Flames game this year against the Jets, and a couple of preseason stints. What's working for the Flames this year? Does it start in net? Skating of the defense? I would call them one of the early surprises out of the gate, a team that was supposed to be rebuilding, that's staying ahead of the pack.

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[Bjornar Moxnes]

Dustin Wolf. The Flames aren't a good team and should be a bottom feeder.

 

[Rowlet]

Desperation

 

[Lunatik]

I have only seen one Flames game this year against the Jets, and a couple of preseason stints. What's working for the Flames this year? Does it start in net? Skating of the defense? I would call them one of the early surprises out of the gate, a team that was supposed to be rebuilding, that's staying ahead of the pack.

A few things:

• Dustin Wolf is 3rd in the NHL in SV% of any goalie with 7+ starts, .002 behind Stolarz and .001 behind Gustavsson.... .002 ahead of Hellebyuck
• Rasmus Andersson is playing like a legit #1 defenseman. He leads the team in scoring, and is 21st in the league among defense scoring with just 1 PPP (which came tonight), he's t-4th in ESP w/ 12, the 3 tied for first have 13. And he's playing nearly 25 minutes a night.
• Kevin Bahl... he's really stepped up and been excellent with Andersson, I might even argue he's been better than Weeagr this year so far, and that's not a knock on Weegs
• Young forwards are having impacts... while they're not the best nightly, Zary, Coronato and Pospisil have all had positive impacts for this team.
• Dan Vladar to the surprise of most is playing above average right now, maybe that hip surgery was really needed.
• Ryan Huska. He's got the team playing hard and has them believing in themselves, so they never quit.

But it is prudent to acknowledge this team is also a game under .500 since the game their 5-0-1 start, so that start is still skewing our record.

 

[HighLifeManIsHigh]

Desperation

Weird comment

 

[MNRube]

They have 3 2nd lines and a couple top pairing D to go with a hot goalie. Teams have made the playoffs with less.

 

[Turning Mangiapanese]

Based on the ~5 games I've watched in full:
Our vets at F, while not all star level, are still far too solid for a complete tank job.
The D and goaltending was where I thought we'd really struggle but everyone's done a decent to great job there. Huska has been able to get limited skillset guys like Bahl, Bean, Pachal to play sensible low event hockey out there. It's not super entertaining but it's rarely a SJ level circus act either.
Both Wolf and Vladar have done a great job obviously.

We'll finish 9th in the West as is custom.

 

[hangman005]

I think it's Calgary just doing the most Calgary thing can in being too good for a quality pick and not good enough to be a playoff lock, keeping the trapped in that evil middle ground.

 

[Rubi]

Good coaching. What they lack in talent they make up in effort most nights.

 

[Rubi]

Desperation

I would say playing with desperation is more Edmonton's shtick this year.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

I would love to think Calgarys success are due to Justin Kirkland aka Costco.

Although I am kidding, the guy has been an amazing story line. The kind that teams rally around and it helps lift the mood around the club.

I know the guy fairly well as he is cousins with my best friend. I have seen him play from junior with Kelowna all the way up to where he is now. He suffered through a major car accident a few years ago, right when he finally was given the chance to play in the NHL with Anaheim. Paid his dues in full a few times over playing in the AHL and has done it all with a smile on his face. To see him get a chance with the Flames, and to make the most if it is such an amazing feat for me to see. I guarantee his teammates feel the same

 

[PullHard]

I think it's Calgary just doing the most Calgary thing can in being too good for a quality pick and not good enough to be a playoff lock, keeping the trapped in that evil middle ground.

Play nice or I’ll be forced to take action (tag coffee)

 

[Rowlet]

I would say playing with desperation is more Edmonton's shtick this year.

I have not seen the Oilers play with any sort of urgency this year.

They're just a lazy team who has the skill to win games.

Weird comment

Desperation isn't bad, they were a cup contender for a few years, lost their two star players, got one back who massively under performed, and then sold 2.5 star defensemen, their 1st line C, and goalie and miss the playoffs, and are now in a position to make the playoffs again so clearly something intangible is working.

The players want to get back to the playoffs obviously, and they've taken on more of a rag-tag group of misfits vibe, which isn't bad, it worked really well for Vegas. It's pretty clear that Calgary is at a fork in the road, either they make the playoffs and add, becoming a team who can regularly make the playoffs, or they fail to make the playoffs and continue the sell-off and are forced to rebuild, the roster, coaches, ownership, and management are probably pretty desperate to hang on to any chance at the playoffs they have, instead of being forced to rebuild and everyone getting traded.

Ultimately what happens next is in the players hands, but the players playing desperate is a good thing. Better than being content with missing the playoffs.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I didn't really buy the conclusion a lot of pundits were making that Calgary was a for sure bottom 10 roster before the season started. The Flames still have a pretty solid and proud veteran group, and the distractions and uncertainty from last season have all been bounced. The offseason additions, although minor, have all fit fairly well so far. Too bad about Mantha. They have some decent young skaters that are out to prove something. Having watched a lot of his AHL career I knew Dustin Wolf was going to be really really good, although I didn't expect this good this fast. Huska has got them playing a brand of hockey that has them in most games, he's done a great job.

Don't get me wrong, this is still not a strong NHL team. I don't think we have a single forward that is or at least has been playing at a top line quality. Three second or third lines depending on the night. The special teams have been poor. Huberdeau, Kadri, Kuzmenko, Sharangovich have all been bad. Weegar and Andersson have been carrying our blueline hard, and those minutes are going to wear on them as the season goes on. I fully expect at some point they will have a real bad 20-25 game stretch that moves them back in the pack. Very hard to grit grapple grind and goalie other teams for the full 82.

Still.. the West isn't looking so great this year. Would be surprised if they made the playoffs but not, y'know, shocked or anything. If the goaltending holds they're going to pickup a lot of OT points.

 

[DJJones]

Defense isn't nearly as bad as people thought. Pachal and Bean are a solid third pairing.

Bahl looks like a perfect #4. Miromanov is also looking like a viable top 4 guy and keeps getting better.

Definitely still can tell we are lacking a true top line and our PP is trash but so far the depth scoring is holding up. Zary and Coronato are better than people projected as well.

More so, people calling them to be bottom 3 didn't seem to know anything about the team. This team was going to be bottom 8-15.

 

[Yepthatsme]

Goaltending won’t stay where it is, Wolf was the best goaltending prospect in the world and is proving it but he won’t maintain his .925 save percentage for a full season. The big ‘but’ here though is, our forwards likely won’t continue to be the most snake bit group in the league either. Since that 5-0-1 start, Calgary owns the league worst shooting percentage at 6.67%, and their powerplay has a hilarious 6.82%. On the season, key forwards have terrible on ice shooting percentages like Kadri (3.62%), Sharangovich (3.57%), Coleman (6.07%), and Backlund (5.97%). That’s two of our forward lines snakebite to extreme extents. I think goaltending will take a step back as the season progresses, but our forwards will take a step forward.

For what’s worked? Our teams effort night in, night out is much better than in previous seasons, and our revamped blue line actually still looks passably good. Bahl has been the revelation, he has played 21 minutes a night on the season and has looked fantastic doing it. He will be a big part of our defense core for the next decade.

 

[thebestnic]

I think it's Calgary just doing the most Calgary thing can in being too good for a quality pick and not good enough to be a playoff lock, keeping the trapped in that evil middle ground.

You mean giving the Canadiens their pick

 

[madmike77]

Goaltending and the top-4 D have been much better than expected. I still think they ultimately slide into the bottom 10. They have absolutely no scoring. But they do play hard and have a decent defensive system.

 

[Anglesmith]

They are working hard and limiting quality chances against. This is leading to games being kept close for the most part, and if they have the puck go in at the right time they win.

Of the 18 games they've played, I think 7+ have gone to OT.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

they still have decent players in Andersson, Weegar, Coleman, Backlund, even Huberdeau and Kadri that always prevented them from bottoming out
in other words, mid as always

 

[JPeeper]

Dustin Wolf emerging as an elite talent is carrying this team to a WC spot.

Flames haven't scored more than 3 goals in 16 straight games (basically this entire year) which is the worst in the league by 6 games, there were two teams at 10 games without more than 3 goals.

The offense is still trash, but the defense is no where near as bad as it was the last half of last year.

 

[NVious]

I would love to think Calgarys success are due to Justin Kirkland aka Costco.

Although I am kidding, the guy has been an amazing story line. The kind that teams rally around and it helps lift the mood around the club.

I know the guy fairly well as he is cousins with my best friend. I have seen him play from junior with Kelowna all the way up to where he is now. He suffered through a major car accident a few years ago, right when he finally was given the chance to play in the NHL with Anaheim. Paid his dues in full a few times over playing in the AHL and has done it all with a smile on his face. To see him get a chance with the Flames, and to make the most if it is such an amazing feat for me to see. I guarantee his teammates feel the same

He also has a great brand for an affordable price, just an all around beaut.

 

[Yepthatsme]

Dustin Wolf emerging as an elite talent is carrying this team to a WC spot.

Flames haven't scored more than 3 goals in 16 straight games (basically this entire year) which is the worst in the league by 6 games, there were two teams at 10 games without more than 3 goals.

The offense is still trash, but the defense is no where near as bad as it was the last half of last year.

Could only do 15 games for ease of collecting stats, but here’s how are top 9 forwards have fared over that stretch:
Coleman •8 points, 15 games
Coronato •7 points, 14 games
Backlund •7 points, 15 games
Kadri •6 points, 15 games
Huberdeau •4 points, 15 games
Kuzmenko •4 points, 15 games
Zary •3 points, 15 games
Sharangovich •2 points, 12 games
Pospisil •1 point, 15 games

Unless you believe Calgary has one forward on our roster capable of being above .5 P/G, I’m going to say our offense will do very alright after some positive regression. And if you do look at that and think it looks about right, I don’t know what to tell you.

Calgary likely won’t get the best goaltending in the league this year, but they’re certainly not going to keep getting this.

 

[Lunatik]

They are working hard and limiting quality chances against. This is leading to games being kept close for the most part, and if they have the puck go in at the right time they win.

Of the 18 games they've played, I think 7+ have gone to OT.

Excluding EN goals, every game but 2 (Utah and Vegas) were within 2 goals.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I think it's Calgary just doing the most Calgary thing can in being too good for a quality pick and not good enough to be a playoff lock, keeping the trapped in that evil middle ground.

Truer words have never been spoken

Also, Husks is a really good coach and they have a realty good defensive system