Western Canada

[Cloned]

I know it’s still early, but they have a combined record of 33-20-3, have 10 players in the Top 50 of NHL scoring, and are all playing extremely well.

Click to read more...

 

[Snakepit]

Western Canada is the new California

.... I mean it's snowing out right now, but you get my point

 

[2023FriendshipTour]

It's the cycle of life in the salary cap era. Even Edmonton couldn't suck forever and it's time for us Western Can teams to get revenge on Cali.

 

[BM14]

Nobody cares about Western Canada. We like TSN.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Nobody cares about Western Canada. We like TSN.

‘How does this thread, entirely unrelated to the Toronto Maple Leafs, affect the Toronto Maple Leafs?’

 

[BM14]

‘How does this thread, entirely unrelated to the Toronto Maple Leafs, affect the Toronto Maple Leafs?’

FINALLY!

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Western Canada is the new California

.... I mean it's snowing out right now, but you get my point

West Canada Loove
Calgary knows how to party
in the cittyyy
the city of surray
we keep it rockinn
i like to welcome errybody to the wild northwest..

 

[Three On Zero]

Vancouver will come crashing down
Calgary is a wild card
Edmonton is a McDavid injury away from dropping

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Edmonton and Calgary look like playoff teams. Vancouver looks like they're still a bit off

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Haven’t seen much of Van or Edmonton this year but the Flames have looked good for the most part. Gotta get some improved goaltending at some point from Smith.

 

[Drewcifer]

The Northwest would be pretty competitive this year.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Haven’t seen much of Van or Edmonton this year but the Flames have looked good for the most part. Gotta get some improved goaltending at some point from Smith.

Oilers were terrible - TERRIBLE - the first two games of the season (Sweden and first game back)

We’re 8-2-1 since. Far from perfect but so far when one aspect of the team has faltered someone else has stepped up to pick up the slack.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

Oilers were terrible - TERRIBLE - the first two games of the season (Sweden and first game back)

We’re 8-2-1 since. Far from perfect but so far when one aspect of the team has faltered someone else has stepped up to pick up the slack.

Honestly would bet a limb that McDavid bellowed at the team following those two games. I saw both and a few since, night and day difference. Lord knows McLellan isn't doing anything.

 

[Cloned]

Honestly would bet a limb that McDavid bellowed at the team following those two games. I saw both and a few since, night and day difference. Lord knows McLellan isn't doing anything.

Doubt it, that's not McDavid's personality at all. Just took the team a bit to get used to the new forecheck and defensive zone pressure systems that the coaches implemented this year. Now the forecheck is as good as I've ever seen an Oilers team forecheck since the 2006 Cup run.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

Doubt it, that's not McDavid's personality at all. Just took the team a bit to get used to the new forecheck and defensive zone pressure systems that the coaches implemented this year. Now the forecheck is as good as I've ever seen an Oilers team forecheck since the 2006 Cup run.

That's fair I suppose, I just know McD seemed to be the only one who gave a f*** on that team in those games. You know you've seen other stars with those expressions.

 

[JPeeper]

Flames alone have 4 guys in the top 10 for league scoring (Gaudreau 19 points, Monahan and Tkachuk 18 points, Lindholm 17 points). Top line + Tkachuk are dominating right now.

Gio also has 15 points.

A lot has been brought up about how good the MacKinnon line is, the Bergeron line, when low-key the Flames top line is also an offensive juggernaut. Lindholm is the long awaited answer to our top line RW question. Plus him and Mony taking their strong side face-offs also really helps.

 

[MessierII]

Flames alone have 4 guys in the top 10 for league scoring (Gaudreau 19 points, Monahan and Tkachuk 18 points, Lindholm 17 points). Top line + Tkachuk are dominating right now.

Gio also has 15 points.

A lot has been brought up about how good the MacKinnon line is, the Bergeron line, when low-key the Flames top line is also an offensive juggernaut. Lindholm is the long awaited answer to our top line RW question. Plus him and Mony taking their strong side face-offs also really helps.

Flames have also given up 50 goals and keep going into the 3rd down and miraculously winning games. I’m not sure it’s a recipe for long term success.

Canucks are bleeding goals against like crazy also. They’re not going to stay up there for long.

Oilers are actually good defensively and don’t give up much but they also don’t score a ton.

All these teams still have question marks.

 

[JPeeper]

Flames have also given up 50 goals and keep going into the 3rd down and miraculously winning games. I’m not sure it’s a recipe for long term success.

Canucks are bleeding goals against like crazy also. They’re not going to stay up there for long.

Oilers are actually good defensively and don’t give up much but they also don’t score a ton.

All these teams still have question marks.

A) 9 of those 50 goals against were in 1 game. The other half are because Smith sucks. Defensively the Flames are actually very good right now. But the goals against is obviously issue, 98% because of goaltending though.

B) Flames are not miraculously winning games, in every comeback game this year the Flames have dominated the entire game but have been unlucky with not scoring any goals or Smith spotting teams multiple goals. Only game Flames won they didn't "deserve" to win was against the Rags.

 

[crazyfisherman]

Flames have also given up 50 goals and keep going into the 3rd down and miraculously winning games. I’m not sure it’s a recipe for long term success.

Canucks are bleeding goals against like crazy also. They’re not going to stay up there for long.

Oilers are actually good defensively and don’t give up much but they also don’t score a ton.

All these teams still have question marks.

im a flames fan so take it for what its worth but i really dont see those combacks as that miraculous, they were consistently outplaying teams and being stoned by goalies until the 3rd basically. those 3rd period goals will probably normalize eventually, but i also expect the team to start getting more results in the 1st 2 periods. As for the GA, that 9-1 drubbing will do a serious dent to that early season, but we are limiting shots and chances and our goalies are letting us down a little, i still think they will be fine tho,

 

[Belieber]

Imagine if the Canucks took Tkachuk, I couldn’t believe they didn’t but everyone is lucky they didn’t. Canucks have two of my favourite young players, very fun to watch right now.

 

[Tkachuky]

Imagine if the Canucks took Tkachuk, I couldn’t believe they didn’t but everyone is lucky they didn’t. Canucks have two of my favourite young players, very fun to watch right now.

It’s ok cause they took Elias. Things worked out for them just fine. Sure it would have been better with both on the team...

 

[Kamiccolo]

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

 

[Volica]

Flames have also given up 50 goals and keep going into the 3rd down and miraculously winning games. I’m not sure it’s a recipe for long term success.

I mentioned on the Flames board, that this narrative would start soon with uneducated posters on this forum.

Flames also have two games that had a combined 16 goals against. Flames also have more games than the majority of the NHL, even with those two absolute stinkers, they're outside the bottom 10 GA.

There's also nothing miraculous about their third period comebacks. Essentially they're only 'comebacks' because their goaltending has been miserable (again). Here's some stats for the uneducated:

Since the Pittsburgh game (in which this team got absolutely pumped); they've played: Washington, Toronto, Sabres, Avs, Hawks. 3 playoff teams, 1 rising team and 1 bubble team.

There are their stats 5v5:
CF%: 60%
Scoring Chance %: 60%
High Danger Scoring Chances %: 59%
Shooting percentage: 7.12
Save Percentage: .918
PDO: 0.989
PP%: 21.1
PK: 71.4

Essentially, there's no number that pops out of that list as 'well, that's unsustainable'. They're simply the better team almost every night. This Flames team is ugly to deal with. They can barn burn like they did against Colorado and Chicago. They can play a tight affair like they did with Washington (probably our most 'even' game of the year). They can make life miserable on the forecheck/defence like they did against Toronto (who had a hard time getting anything through the Neutral zone, and essentially only scored that entire game when they were gifted an 'interference' 5v3 PP late in game. Or they can simply outplay teams from the start to finish like they did against Buffalo.

 

[Volica]

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

They played 3 stinkers this season (not including the season opener, because that happens). NY, MTL and Pittsburgh; in which they actually won one. Outside of those three games, they've been a top team in the league to be honest. If you take out those three games, the Flames are:
8-3-1
49 goals forward, 36 GA.

I knew the narrative of them being these huge comeback stars, or that this is just a hotstreak would definitely be started on board.

 

[Saltcreek]

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

Right now it is the secondary scoring that is carrying the Oilers and not McDavid. I kind of think he was run downed a bit after playing 27+ minutes a game while the team figured itself out. Do not get me wrong, McDavid is still helping with the play making but people are seriously under estimating how much better the entire team is playing. Even with this improvement I am still highly critical of Todd as I personally believe he only made some changes after he was 1 loss away from being fired. Being stubborn as a mule is not a quality I want in a head coach.