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.