cccsberg Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 On top of being one of the best shut down pairings in the NHL they also are one / two for the Flames in scoring. Plus Giordano is a huge part of the leadership of this team and our work ethic is our number one asset. I am not suggesting you are overestimating Hiller. But I think you are underestimating the impact of losing those guys. We actually say it last season when Giordano was injured. The end result wasn't pretty. Agree completely. Both Hiller & Ramo have been outstanding and helped us win a couple of games on their own. But Brodie & Giordano have led the team both offensively and defensively and by setting the example. Losing both of them would mean Wideman/Russell at 1-2, Smid/Engelland at 3-4 and 5-6-Spares? Last year the whole team cratered once Giordano got injured, losing both this year would be catastrophic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cross16 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I disagree. I believe we can afford to lose Giordano and/or Brodie. The MVP so far is Jonas Hiller. If he is lost for the season, then i feel a top 5 draft pick is possible. With him in net, it's just not possible to be so bad. He's on fire and is playing remarkably. I agree Hiller would be the biggest loss buf I think Gil and Brodie are huge too. Losing on of those two guys means the minutes likely go to Smid and engleland and that would be tough. I agree though that unless you get sk injury there the flames are not going to be a bottom 5 team. I don't think they are a playoff team either but you have to like the culture they've built but I just don't believe this is sustainable over the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khrox Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I'm in the "Too early to tell" boat right now. Realistically? No, not quite yet (we have the work ethic, just not sure if we can maintain the amazing goaltending and combination of good defence and offence that we've been getting for a full 82 games).Now do I want us in the playoffs? Yes. Absolutely. And if we can play this work-ethic in the playoffs I can't name a team that would enjoy going up against us in a best of seven series. There are players who make a name for themselves in big games and I have a feeling a couple of our guys could be big playoff performers. Johnny Hockey obviously, but I think Monahan is going to be one of those guys who is steady and solid but completely ignored in the playoffs (He'll put up the numbers, be great but little focus is on him because of guys like Gaudreau or Brodie or Hiller who will just draw the attention to them). Someone I think would see a lot more responsibility in the playoffs is Bouma as well. With how many shots he blocks and how physical he is I can see him being a guy put out there almost every faceoff in our zone in a 1 goal or tie game. And I want to see if he can handle that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix66 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 If you'd asked me this a month ago id say absolutely not. While 8-4- doesnt have me booking playoff seats it does have me more than pleadantly surprised. A look south to Colorada does say anything is possible. A look at the standings shows us ahead of a number of teams I dont see us keeping there (San Jose, LA) which means we're hopng for wilcard, ..at that point anything can happen...Colorada is slumping, dallas still hasnt woken up..who knows what vancouver is doing and they do have the Miller factor..edmonton seems to be starting to gel... So.. Can they? I think absolutely.! Which is a huge upgrade from preseason predictions Will they? I dont see it, not if our depth keeps getting tested like it slready is, but as much as it sucks doing this in the year of mcdavid, I see us us doing our old trick of just missing...except this time it will be cause for celebration instesd of misery because it means playoffs next year are now a huge expectation...pretty darn good for year 3 I will say this tho..if we do keep it up and do sneak in....look out, could be 2004 all over again Realistically, ask me again in january, it will look much clearer who is what by then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreckening Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I am taking this good start for what its worth. We really lack depth to make a push into the playoffs. We are getting there but we're not quite there yet. Does that mean we can't make it? No, but I think its highly unlikely. I will however enjoy watching this run we're on now and just how far we can take it as a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertaBoy12 Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I'm not really that surprised our win percentage, after the all star break last year I think it was above Dallas and other teams. I agree that this isent the time to sell the farm and buy Stanley cup finals tickets, but the emergence of Johnny hockey and Tj Brodie, as well as mony being that much better can lead us in a positive direction. Don't anyone forget we are playing without 2 of our top options down the middle right now, so who knows what could happen if backlund is clicking when he gets back. Also I'm enjoying watching jorris and bouma play together, I'd almost like to see stajan centre a 4th line with them two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozenwanderer Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I agree with everyones opinion except the part that playoffs will be damaging for our team. If we have 5 games left and in a playoff spot, should we tank and miss the playoffs so we wont get damaged? For the possible injuries, i think we can potentially lose one of our goalies and multiple forwards and we will still be good. We lose someone from our top pairing D and the hole left will be the biggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wreckening Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I agree with everyones opinion except the part that playoffs will be damaging for our team. If we have 5 games left and in a playoff spot, should we tank and miss the playoffs so we wont get damaged? For the possible injuries, i think we can potentially lose one of our goalies and multiple forwards and we will still be good. We lose someone from our top pairing D and the hole left will be the biggest. Damaged? How could making the playoffs be damaging? And as far as tanking that just goes against everything the coaching staff is trying to instill in this team. This team is not so fragile that losing in the playoffs would be crushing. If anything it would give them more drive to succeed. I still think the Flames would be over-achieving to make the playoffs but to surmise that this would be somehow bad for this team to do so is ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_jones Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 All in all, making the playoffs is a pipe dream but I am loving every minute of it! The stretch passes to our success isn't gonna hold up. Entering the zone is going to be that much tougher. And while Hiller is pretty spectacular, he isn't a phenom and isn't going to hold up either. If he goes a few games sour, then Ramo doesn't step up, the whole team's confidence slides, and starts thinking too much. But they are sure fun to watch right now! Losing Giordano, last season, we went from (4-4-2) to (10-13-4), REAL QUICK. While Hiller has been a game changer, if we were to lose either Gio or Brodie, it could be a pretty fast slide. The good news is, we all already 4 points ahead of last season and Giordano is still healthy! But that, by no means doesn't mean the playoffs are out of the question. The road woo's are gone to start the season. (6-2) to start to season, puts us tied for the best road record in the NHL!! And THAT part of the schedule gets easier as the season goes on. The only thing I wanna freaking see is TSN give the Flames a little freaking respect!!!! Every game we win, they talk how about how awful the other team was. Every game, we were so lucky. Every week, we sit in the top 10 in standings in the NHL, and we sit 27th in their TSN Weekly Rankings because in their minds, we SUCK, because we are winning and playing with our hearts. We might not "deserve" to be in the standings where we are, but when the sportscasters are telling the world a team should tank it, is just baffling. But yea, end of rant, injuries are key moving forward. Saw someone bring up the 2001-02 season. That was painful to remember. The Flames were 1 of 3 teams in the playoffs on American Thanksgiving only to choke and miss out. Would love a Cinderella story! Stay healthy boys! #GoFlamesGo! #JohnnyHockey4Calder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjgallow Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 No. Somebody had to say it. Oh, and I know how popular I'll be. The Flames, like many new young teams, are off to a good start. But we lack the defense, goaltending, scoring, depth, and size to sustain it. A more realistic question would be "Can we do better than last year"? At the start of the season, I would have predicted that we'd do worse, actually. And I still do. But their start has been Soo strong, that yes, it is now possible for the Flames to do slightly better than they did last year. Is it likely? No. More likely, at some point this season they will go on a stretch of getting pummelled, and we will be talking about draft position again. As some others on here have mentioned, the playoffs become a serious conversation next year, and I agree with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDeeds Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 So with this strong start and playing only .500 hockey the remaining games.. will give us approximately .. 96 points. This is enough to make the playoffs and I think we have the horses to play .500 hockey the remaining 68 games. There is one caveat.. injuries.. with too many lost games to core players we may not be able to reach it.. but should be in the mix any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC923 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 It's totally plausible to make the playoffs this year! Problem is, we could come crashing back down next year, just look at Colorado. So if we somehow maintain our play and squeak into the playoffs, we have to remember this is still a rebuilding team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zirakzigil Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 The Flames are where they are because of Gio/Brodie and goaltending. I dont see both of those staying at such a high level for the entire length of the season. At some point the Flames will falter and other teams will start to gel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheersMan Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 No not a chance! But............in the spring of 2015, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertaBoy12 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Gio/ Brodie and hiller are playing great! But it's important to keep in mind we are running with a lot of young guns right now, when we get healthy, things should be different with the likes of backs and colborne back in the lineup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheriforPM Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Not even worried about playoffs. Remember Oiler fans talking playoffs and cup runs when they started strong? Me too. Having said that, I am happy and excited to watch every game. Even Hrudey is starting to like our guys just a little more than the opposition. Playoffs? It would honestly be awesome to get in. Realistically? I have no clue. Who would have thought the Avs would do what they did last year? All I know is I love this team, their work ethic and drive. I love watching them and I am thankful that I don't get mad anymore when watching games, win or lose because they are giving their all. Go Flames Go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tri1ickshot Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 With the way our Top 2 D, Hiller, Gaudreau-Mony-Seto-Jooris are playing, we should be able to maintain a playoff spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toppolzer Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 I would love to see Cowtown in the dance again, we need to see the Red Mile again, but I don't think this is the year. If I was betting money, I would bet that Calgary returns to the post-season in 2016 and become legit cup contenders in 2018. Then we'll hopefully have some of our younguns with the club (Klimchuck, Poirer, Bennett etc) with the club and have players like Monahan and Brodie about to enter some of the best years of their careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tri1ickshot Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 I would love to see Cowtown in the dance again, we need to see the Red Mile again, but I don't think this is the year. If I was betting money, I would bet that Calgary returns to the post-season in 2016 and become legit cup contenders in 2018. Then we'll hopefully have some of our younguns with the club (Klimchuck, Poirer, Bennett etc) with the club and have players like Monahan and Brodie about to enter some of the best years of their careers. I think we can have a good idea whether they'll make it or not after they do a California road trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kehatch Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 Tomorrow will be a great measuring stick. They weren't goo against Tampa. Now they get to play against a beat able team in Florida. The response should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKim Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 I can't believe how great we are doing this year, I was expecting bottom 10, not top ten. It's starting to smell like the 2009-2010 Avalanche, who were expected to finish bottom 5 but somehow managed to squeak into the playoffs. We have similarities with that team as they also had a lacklustre roster and were outshot most games, but they had great goaltending from Anderson and had scoring by committee. If we are still in the hunt at 25 games, then I'm going to start getting really excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_jones Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 So with this strong start and playing only .500 hockey the remaining games.. will give us approximately .. 96 points. This is enough to make the playoffs and I think we have the horses to play .500 hockey the remaining 68 games. There is one caveat.. injuries.. with too many lost games to core players we may not be able to reach it.. but should be in the mix any way. Closer to 0.600 hockey actually. Your maths adds to 86 pts, not 96. (68 + 18) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kehatch Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Hartley wants them winning 4 in 7. Like in the playoffs. If you translate that to points that is 8 of a possible 14 points every 7 games. That would be good for 94 points on the season. So far: (4-3-0) (8 pts) (+0) (4-2-1) (9 pts) (+1) 1-1-0 so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_jones Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 Hartley wants them winning 4 in 7. Like in the playoffs. If you translate that to points that is 8 of a possible 14 points every 7 games. That would be good for 94 points on the season. So far: (4-3-0) (8 pts) (+0) (4-2-1) (9 pts) (+1) (4-1-2) (10 pts) (+2) 1-1-0 so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted November 9, 2014 Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 An interesting read... http://flamesfrom80feet.blogspot.ca/2014/11/16-reasons-for-flames-fans-to-smile.html The one part I wanted to highlight was the following: The Dallas Stars made the playoffs last season as the second wild-card team in the West with 91 points. Calgary can reach that total by playing five games above .500 for the duration of the season. That could be 32-27-7, or 33-28-5, or 34-29-3. It's not necessarily a probable outcome yet the way they have opened the season, it's also far from impossible either. After all, they've already played the first 16 games at four games above the NHL's break-even mark. Either way, regardless of how this season ends, the Flames are chalking up tons of experience right now that will serve them very well in the future. When it comes to expediting a rebuild, this is how you do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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