Are We More Than A Bubble Team Or Less Than One? How Scared/Excited Are You For The Season?

[Tofveve]

I think we challenge for a wild-card spot, just on the positive side of the bubble in the 8th spot.

I look forward to reading your prognostications.

Click to read more...

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Guys, we are winning the division.

 

[Tofveve]

Guys, we are winning the division.

I need to learn from you. This is the way of the win.

 

[Corpus X]

The Flames will win the Prime Minister's Trophy... The most coveted trophy of them alls.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Stanley’s mug or bust as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

The Flames will win the Prime Minister's Trophy... The most coveted trophy of them alls.

That sounds like something that should be spelt a Canadian way, like Prime Ministre's Trouphy

 

[Bounces R Way]

On paper I think this is the 2nd best team in the division behind only the Sharks. IMO this is the best Flames' roster in over 25 years. As long as Smith is playing well and healthy I expect them to grab one of the divisional spots and to be comfortably in.

That being said this is the Calgary Flames and most years they insist on having their eyes on the Wildcard and on the Wildcard only.

 

[super6646]

On paper I think this is the 2nd best team in the division behind only the Sharks. IMO this is the best Flames' roster in over 25 years. As long as Smith is playing well and healthy I expect them to grab one of the divisional spots and to be comfortably in.

That being said this is the Calgary Flames and most years they insist on having their eyes on the Wildcard and on the Wildcard only.

That's pretty sad tbh. Also, the 08-09 team was probably better.

 

[Bounces R Way]

That's pretty sad tbh. Also, the 08-09 team was probably better.

That team had two players break 50pts. The Flames last year had two players break 50pts. If that happens this year something will have gone terribly wrong.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

You have many questions, and although the process has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably Ergo, some of my answers you will understand, and some of them you will not. Concordantly, while your first question may be the most pertinent, you may or may not realize it is also irrelevant. Why am I here? Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the **. You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision. While it remains a burden to sedulously avoid it, it is not unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control. Which has led you, inexorably, here. You haven't answered my question. Quite right. Interesting. That was quicker than the others. Others? What others? How many? Answer me. The ** is older than you know. I prefer counting from the emergence of one integralanomaly to the emergence of the next, in which case this is the sixth version. Five versions? Three? I've been lied too. This is bull****. There are only two possible explanations: either no one told me, or no one knows. Precisely. As you are undoubtedly gathering, the anomaly's systemic, creating fluctuations in even the most simplistic equations. Choice. The problem is choice. The first ** I designed was quite naturally perfect, it was a work of art, flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure. The inevitability of its doom is as apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being, thus I redesigned it based on your history to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature. However, I was again frustrated by failure. I have since come to understand that the answer eluded me because it required a lesser mind, or perhaps a mind less bound by the parameters of perfection. Thus, the answer was stumbled upon by another, an intuitive program, initially created to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche. If I am the father of the **, she would undoubtedly be its mother. The Oracle. Please. As I was saying, she stumbled upon a solution whereby nearly 99.9% of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice, even if they were only aware of the choice at a near unconscious level. While this answer functioned, it was obviously fundamentally flawed, thus creating the otherwise contradictory systemic anomaly, that if left unchecked might threaten the system itself. Ergo, those that refused the program, while a minority, if unchecked, would constitute an escalating probability of disaster. This is about Zion. You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed. Its every living inhabitant terminated, its entire existence eradicated. Bull****. Denial is the most predictable of all human responses. But, rest assured, this will be the sixth time we have destroyed it, and we have become exceedingly efficient at it. The function of the One is now to return to the source, allowing a temporary dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program. After which you will be required to select from the matrix 23 individuals, 16 female, 7 male, to rebuild Zion. Failure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash killing everyone connected to the matrix, which coupled with the extermination of Zion will ultimately result in the extinction of the entire human race. You won't let it happen, you can't. You need human beings to survive. There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept. However, the relevant issue is whether or not you are ready to accept the responsibility for the death of every human being in this world. It is interesting reading your reactions. Your five predecessors were by design based on a similar predication, a contingentaffirmation that was meant to create a profound attachment to the rest of your species, facilitating the function of the one. While the others experienced this in a very general way, your experience is far more specific. Vis-a-vis, love. Trinity. Apropos, she entered the matrix to save your life at the cost of her own. No! Which brings us at last to the moment of truth, wherein the fundamental flaw is ultimately expressed, and the anomaly revealed as both beginning, and end. There are two doors. The door to your right leads to the source, and the salvation of Zion. The door to the left leads back to the matrix, to her, and to the end of your species. As you adequately put, the problem is choice. But we already know what you're going to do, don't we? Already I can see the chain reaction, the chemical precursors that signal the onset of emotion, designed specifically to overwhelm logic, and reason. An emotion that is already blinding you from the simple, and obvious truth: she is going to die, and there is nothing that you can do to stop it. Humph. Hope, it is the quintessentialhuman delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness. If I were you, I would hope that we don't meet again. We won't.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[super6646]

That team had two players break 50pts. The Flames last year had two players break 50pts. If that happens this year something will have gone terribly wrong.

It also had 2 PPG players, 8 40+ point players, and scored 254 goals. That has been our most offensively stacked team in the past decade, and I really don't think this year's team is capable of breaking 250 goals.

 

[SKRusty]

Calgary will challenge for the Pacific division. No bubble (that is left for LA, Arizona, and Anaheim). Vancouver and Edmonton will be vying for the basement. Despite a career year from McDavid the Oilers do not have depth in their forwards or a credible defense. They are already in cap hell and they don't even have close to what it takes to compete as a team.

Provided Smith, Gio, Brody, Hanifin, Monahan, Johnny, Chucky, and Lindholm are healthy come the playoffs Calgary should make it to the conference final. Vegas is the only team with the depth Calgary has and San Jose has the character and star power to be competitive.

Anaheim blows up their roster a bit at the end of this year, Arizona builds on a good year, Chiarelli and McLelland are fired in Edmonton (State of the Oilers address comes on Dec 28th), Vancouver continues the rebuild, LA meanders wondering what to do next and Jumbo Joe retires having not won a cup.

 

[Bounces R Way]

It also had 2 PPG players, 8 40+ point players, and scored 254 goals. That has been our most offensively stacked team in the past decade, and I really don't think this year's team is capable of breaking 250 goals.

251 actually. Guess we'll just have to disagree there then, I think they are capable of that. Especially if the PP finds any kind of early success. I think we're stronger down the middle and have a better blueline than that group did.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I'm gonna be a downer here and say we miss. 86 points, fourth place in the division and Treliving's head probably rolls this coming summer.

 

[FlamerForLife]

Cautiously optimistic.

 

[Body Checker]

1 - Ferland
2 - Versteeg
3 - Jagr
4- Stajan

1 - Neal
2 - Lindholm
3 - Ryan
4 - Czarnik

Massive upgrades throughout 4 lines, Hanifin will emerge, Got Hamilton out of room, Frolik will bounce back moderately, call up depth in Kylington/Prout/Andersson/Valimaki/Foo/Mangiapane/Dube...……...big change from last year...…………….as long as Peters doesn't outcoach himself and the back ups don't stink when inevitably Smith gets hurt.....we will be in the top 3 in Pacific and out of the wildcard fight...…….

 

[Volica]

This will be one of the two best Canadian teams in league wide. Flames should contend for 1st in the pacific.

 

[DFF]

Is Smith healthy?

 

[Mobiandi]

I think that in contrast to our previous two years, we're going to see a lot more 4-3 and 5-4 games rather than the 2-1s we sat through with GG.

If this team can get out to a flying start, then I'll believe we're for real. For now, I think us and the Yotes fight for 3rd/4th

 

[Lunatik]

I'll tell you in April

 

[Tkachuky]

Not to sound homerish, but I’m having a hard time not seeing us making the playoffs. Outside injuries, if we stay relatively healthy, we should make the Ploffs. Liking the depth across the team. That term has been tossed around this whole offseason but I really believe we will make the ploffs because we have 3 solid lines and a very good supportive 4th line.

 

[Volica]

Not to sound homerish, but I’m having a hard time not seeing us making the playoffs. Outside injuries, if we stay relatively healthy, we should make the Ploffs. Liking the depth across the team. That term has been tossed around this whole offseason but I really believe we will make the ploffs because we have 3 solid lines and a very good supportive 4th line.

We’ve been a bubble team the past 4 years. This roster is significantly deeper than any of those teams. Like inequitably better and deeper.

A bit of PDO Gods favour, and this team should be big and bad. There are 7 forwards who should be over 40 points, potentially 8. Four of those guys have over 50-60 in their repertoire too. Like, if we fail to be a Pacific power there is something fundamentally wrong with this group.

 

[Rubi]

I'm very optimistic. I think the Knights and Sharks will be tough to beat but I think the Flames can finish ahead of the Ducks and Kings. The Oilers, Canucks, and Coyotes will definitely finish out of the playoffs.

 

[JPeeper]

I can't believe Flower will have another season like he had and forgetting Flower, Vegas goalies up until their 5th string was still standing on his head. Like there is no way that happens again. Willy Karlsson isn't shooting 25% again. That horrid defence will inevitably collapse. I don't see Vegas being nearly as dominant as they were last year. Edmonton is Edmonton and added pretty much no depth and will be without Sekera the full year, who knows when Nurse gets signed. Vancouver will be horrid. LA is a three trick pony (albeit elite tricks).

Flames looked fairly good against Boston in the pre-season game (albeit without Selke Bergeron and Krejci) and that was with Tkachuk and Backs being our two worst players and Neal having a throw away game. So our entire 2nd line which should be able to put up pretty big numbers. I know it's pre-season and only 1 game at that, but we looked pretty solid out of the gate which is encouraging considering we usually look like complete ass for the first 6 weeks of the season.

All comes down to goaltending for me. If Smith stays relatively healthy and Rittich can be solid in a back up role like he was last year before Smith got injured we make the post season.

Johnny (24g, 71a)
Mony (43g, 40a)
Bae (30g, 35a)
Lindy (21g, 43a)
Neal (26g, 22a)
Backs (21g, 32a)
Bennett (22g, 26a)
Janko (19g, 25a)
Czarnik (17g, 26a)
Ryan (14g, 22a)
Fro (14g, 16a)
Dube (12g, 12a)
Gio (14g, 31a)
Brodie (4g, 33a)
Hanifin (12g, 32a)
not offensive at all rest of the d-core (4g, 10a)

Puts us at 290+ goals. Offensive powerhouse here we come. (inb4 we only score 210 goals for the year)

 

[Tofveve]

This will be one of the two best Canadian teams in league wide. Flames should contend for 1st in the pacific.

I think we'll be the 3rd best Canadian team, but 4th best team in the Pacific unfortunately. I think we finish behind Vegas, San Jose and LA. Not sure if Anaheim's 2nd half last year was an anomaly. I think NSH, COL, DAL, and WPG round out the top 8 in the West. I guess LA and Dallas are the teams in my mind we'll be fighing with. Heck, Anaheim and Chicago will be still in the mix. Edmonton will be better than last year but not good enough.

Damn it's going to be a dog-fight this year.