Do the Calgary Flames make the playoffs in the 2018-19 season?

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I'll say no just because the wild card race in the West will be absolutely bonkers.

While that's true, Flames were in the thick of things last season despite having a below average PDO level and horrible special teams. Flames had unsustainably bad luck 5on5 last season, and they improved their forward depth tremendously.

 

[DCDM]

Greatest group of defensemen ever assembled, just like the last 6 years in a row!

No one can stop these guys.

Must suck to have nothing original to say. Keep living in the past, champ.

I might be biased but yes, I think the Flames find a way to make the playoffs. The WC race will be nuts but there's no reason to think they can't be one of the two left standing when it's all said and done. I think they could even challenge for one of the Pacific spots personally.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

They finished at 83 and 84pts. They were 37-36 and 36-35.
I think Aho, TT and Skinner are pretty good players. Slavin and Pesce are very solid Dmen.
So you're saying Neal and Smith are going to single handedly change the team.
They won't go through a Guluztan slide, but it doesn't seem to be much difference.

Aho is good, but Gaudreau is still in a different league. TT had a career year and while it's sustainable, you get my pont. Skinner is so one dimensional it's not even funny. Slavin and Pesce are excellent, but Faulk had an off year, and Slavin and Pesce weren't as good as 2016-2017. Goaltenders suck, no need to explain that. Their bottom 6 was arguably worse than the Flames, and their 2nd line is definitely worse than the 3M line (Who featured an injury to Frolik and a decline from him).

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

So out west, my locks are:

Nashville
Winnipeg
Vegas
San Jose
Los Angeles
Colorado

I have a lot of faith those 6 teams are playoff teams. Colorado is some bad luck away from falling out, and LA needs Quick to be good, the other 4 should make it even without help or good luck.

That leaves...

Calgary
St. Louis
Edmonton
Dallas

as the next likely teams to push for a spot. I am not sold on St. Louis, and Edmonton would need a lot of improvement...Dallas should be a playoff team, and they've improved their secondary scoring, so I would say Calgary and Dallas also have a good shot. A team like Anaheim or Arizona might surprise me, especially Anaheim who I am expecting to regress but Gibson might offset that.

I said NO, but to me they are the definition of a bubble team. Some puck luck and an injection of youth might push them above those others.

How do you have LA as a lock? Too many players had career years last season on the Kings. Colorado is improving but they;re still young and could make mistakes, plus they were the most unsustainably lucky team in the league last season AINEC. You're talking about puck luck not realizing LA, Anaheim, and Colorado got historical good puck luck last season, while Flames had poor puck luck.

 

[Critical13]

How do you have LA as a lock? Too many players had career years last season on the Kings. Colorado is improving but they;re still young and could make mistakes, plus they were the most unsustainably lucky team in the league last season AINEC. You're talking about puck luck not realizing LA, Anaheim, and Colorado got historical good puck luck last season, while Flames had poor puck luck.

How do I have LA as a lock?

A core of Doughty, Kopitar, Kovalchuk, Quick, Muzzin, Carter, Kempe, Brown and potentially LaDue and Vilardi inspires a lot of confidence in me, personally.

A lot more than #1C Monahan/Lindholm/Backlund and goaltender Smith. That's just my opinion.

 

[DCDM]

How do I have LA as a lock?

A core of Doughty, Kopitar, Kovalchuk, Quick, Muzzin, Carter, Kempe, Brown and potentially LaDue and Vilardi inspires a lot of confidence in me, personally.

A lot more than #1C Lindholm/Backlund and goaltender Smith. That's just my opinion.

If you're going to compare two teams, at least try to hide your bias. You can't list off 10 Kings players and then only 2 Flames. Come on now.

 

[Critical13]

If you're going to compare two teams, at least try to hide your bias. You can't list off 10 Kings players and then only 2 Flames. Come on now.

Hide my bias? I hate the LA Kings, seeing them fall into obscurity would make me very happy. Reality is, I think they have better players.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

How do I have LA as a lock?

A core of Doughty, Kopitar, Kovalchuk, Quick, Muzzin, Carter, Kempe, Brown and potentially LaDue and Vilardi inspires a lot of confidence in me, personally.

A lot more than #1C Monahan/Lindholm/Backlund and goaltender Smith. That's just my opinion.

Brown was considered cannon fodder until last season. Kempe isn't anything special, neither is LaDue. Is Vilardi even ready? Kovalchuk hasn't played in the NHL in a long time, who knows just how effective he'll be even though he's still a good player. Muzzin? Lol.

 

[Critical13]

Brown was considered cannon fodder until last season. Kempe isn't anything special, neither is LaDue. Is Vilardi even ready? Kovalchuk hasn't played in the NHL in a long time, who knows just how effective he'll be even though he's still a good player. Muzzin? Lol.

That last part tells me all I need to know about your ability to judge talent.

 

[Pyrophorus]

I picked the Kings to be 4th, in the weakest division in the league.
The Flames 5th

 

[flamesforcup]

Glass houses? You’re the one that makes stuff up when replying to oilers fans and then proceed to ignore rebuttals

He wasnt wrong with what he said

 

[flamesforcup]

I picked the Kings to be 4th, in the weakest division in the league.
The Flames 5th

Id say its more competitive than the atlantic

 

[Pyrophorus]

Id say its more competitive than the atlantic

Not the top of the ATL.

 

[flamesforcup]

Not the top of the ATL.

Atlantic has 2 elite teams 1 bubble team and rest are bad teams. The Pacific i would say is much more competative

 

[Pyrophorus]

Atlantic has 2 elite teams 1 bubble team and rest are bad teams. The Pacific i would say is much more competative

1 of 3 teams which had over 100 pts is a bubble team??
Two of them finished above your division leader, and all 3 finished above the rest.
Bubble teams indeed

 

[flamesforcup]

1 of 3 teams which had over 100 pts is a bubble team??
Two of them finished above your division leader, and all 3 finished above the rest.
Bubble teams indeed

I said one was a bubble team not all 3. I do not consider a team that the lat 2 years had 1st round exits and years before that missed the playoffs to be anything other than a bubble team. Hell even the Flames have had more success in the lat 3 years. But this is going off track now. The pacific playoff race will be much more interesting than the atlantic.

 

[Wayne Primeau]

Wait, did somebody say that the Flames' #1C is gonna be either Lindholm or Backlund?

My god, people, Sean Monahan.

 

[Canes]

If he can put up 35 points on our third line, I'll cry tears of joy.

He's not going to be putting up 35 points if he's playing 3rd line ES minutes without a talented winger and with limited to no PP time. But if he plays with top 6 guys and gets some PP time, I'm sure he'll get at least 35 points.

 

[Bounces R Way]

He's not going to be putting up 35 points if he's playing 3rd line ES minutes without a talented winger and with limited to no PP time. But if he plays with top 6 guys and gets some PP time, I'm sure he'll get at least 35 points.

Tkachuk - Backlund - Lindholm is what I'm hoping to see matches up with the opponent's top line. All three play amazing defense and think the game well.

 

[HugginThePost]

Glass houses? You’re the one that makes stuff up when replying to oilers fans and then proceed to ignore rebuttals

What are you on about?

OhheyHemsky made a frequently used, old as dirt, comment about the Flames defense.

I retorted with a similarly used, old as dirt, comment about the Oilers offense.

I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to understand where I was going with that.

But you White Knight away brother......you do you.

As for making stuff up? What the hell are you on about?

Do I call out ridiculous fanboy statements that you guys make? Sure, last time I checked I was allowed to have an opinion. And for the record I'm pretty polite about it as well. I'm not some over the top hater like you are suggesting.

But whatever....stick to your guns. I'm the bad guy here. I started it.....or whatever you want to believe.

 

[HugginThePost]

He wasnt wrong with what he said

Meh.....I figured there was enough intelligence around here to get the point of the post.

I'll be more specific going forward for those that don't.

I replied with an equally over used, unoriginal, stupid post.

Because you know......both fan bases have heard them for the last 6 years and never, ever, get old.

What was most surprising was that it was an Oiler fan that posted it......you'd think they would understand the bigger picture.

But no....gotta get those pot shot drive by's in!!

 

[Pyrophorus]

I said one was a bubble team not all 3. I do not consider a team that the lat 2 years had 1st round exits and years before that missed the playoffs to be anything other than a bubble team. Hell even the Flames have had more success in the last 3 years. But this is going off track now. The pacific playoff race will be much more interesting than the atlantic.

5 playoffs wins vs. 4.

 

[flamesforcup]

Meh.....I figured there was enough intelligence around here to get the point of the post.

I'll be more specific going forward for those that don't.

I replied with an equally over used, unoriginal, stupid post.

Because you know......both fan bases have heard them for the last 6 years and never, ever, get old.

What was most surprising was that it was an Oiler fan that posted it......you'd think they would understand the bigger picture.

But no....gotta get those pot shot drive by's in!!

Agreed

 

[Dack]

5 playoffs wins vs. 4.

5 to 5. 1 series win for us being the tie breaker, kind of silly to argue over who has been less unsuccessful. But that should actually be 4 years.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I think they will, maybe even advance to the second round for once. I think the only thing that needs improvement if anything is their goaltending.