There was just something so different about seeing two teams crowd the ice together for the anthems. Hockey both took a backseat and didn’t on the day, all its positive qualities brought to the forefront. Glen Gulutzan was absolutely correct: the season was painful until suddenly, it wasn’t. And all his team had left to do was play for fun, the way the game always should be played.

That was the only objective. And they fulfilled it. Finally.

It has, overall, been a miserable season. Though the team had their struggles early in the year – they were creating chances, but just could not capitalize on them – they were still very much in the playoff conversation. And then there was an ill-timed bye, a series of losses – some earned, some not – and, sometime in February, a complete disintegration. Untimely injuries, both those concealed and those that forced missed games; frequent meltdowns; poor goaltending; and,  again, an inability to simply score – and just like that, the season slipped away, and then promptly plummeted off a cliff.

A lot of losses were not deserved. A lot were. All in all, though, the Flames probably should have been a playoff team.

There are plenty of silver linings, though.

In the short-term, there’s Mark Jankowski scoring four goals in a single game (and crushing it with eight shots along the way, trying to get that elusive fifth). Spencer Foo had his second goal in as many games. Jon Gillies had his faults, but he also had his flare, and was finally able to end the year on a note to be proud of. They’re three rookies who all may have big 2018-19 seasons ahead of them.

Then again, maybe not. As exciting as things turned out for them, they were also playing a game against a team that had nothing to play for. Did Vegas want to tune up for the postseason? Most likely. Would they have preferred to have not been embarrassed to close out their inaugural regular season? Yeah, probably. But they had even less than the Flames had to play for. The Flames had to play to remember how to have fun again; the Golden Knights have a tougher task ahead of them.

So. Several grains of salt. And hope for the best for those kids. And even some of the old-timers, too: how could you not smile at Matt Stajan’s extended helmetless shift, maybe one of the last shifts he’ll ever play?

There are long-term silver linings, too, though. Johnny Gaudreau finally picked up his 60th assist of the season, and finished with 84 points in 80 games. Sean Monahan had a career year. Matthew Tkachuk may very well be the heart and soul of this team, and he will, in all likelihood, collect his first 50+ point season next year. Mikael Backlund can still shut guys down. Dougie Hamilton can still lead an offensive charge from the backend. Mark Giordano can still elevate all of his teammates to a new level, and even though he’s one of the oldest Flames, has yet to show any signs of slowing down.

The Flames’ best players all lived up to their billings. They did what was asked of them. And at this stage, there’s no reason to think any of them can’t do it again. A good core is still intact for this club.

Which leads to the main questions of the offseason.

From the net out: can Mike Smith reach the same heights he did this season, while avoiding his lowest lows? Can David Rittich or Jon Gillies provide reliable backup, and ensure the 36-year-old isn’t overworked? The goaltending free agent market is weak and the Flames don’t have much in the way of assets to trade; they may be stuck with this group.

On defence: the Flames have to find a way to make room for Rasmus Andersson. They also might have to be prepared for Juuso Valimaki. Oliver Kylington may come barging in, as well. What can still be a very good defensive group is absolutely in play, and it won’t cost a thing to improve.

Forward may be the most troubling, but also, perhaps easier to fix. The Flames went into this season needing both Micheal Ferland and Sam Bennett to have career years. They got maybe a quarter of that, with Ferland looking amazing when he was shooting at 18% and ranging from quietly helpful to borderline useless when his percentages predictably tumbled. Bennett wasn’t nearly good enough for what the team needed him to be. The Flames absolutely need at least another impact forward, probably two, and there are a couple of names out on the free agent market that might be able to do it for them, and they may very well have the cap space available for it.

I don’t believe a roster upgrade is the biggest question, though. It’s a given. It would be very surprising if it did not happen; the Flames’ scoring woes have been a mark on them all season.

No. The biggest question is: can they put an end to the mental breakdowns? For two seasons now, they have inexplicably lost their minds at completely inopportune times. Dominate a period, leave it trailing. Get scored on once, get scored on another three times. Have a good couple of games, inevitably get blown out and have the goal differential sent deep back into the negatives. It’s been exhausting, and embarrassing, and hilariously frequent to an extent that should not be possible for a group of highly competitive professional athletes. It has made no sense whatsoever and has directly contributed to several losses, with seemingly no solution for it.

That’s also a question that can’t be answered until October at the earliest.

But at least, when the bounces finally went their way after a season of them not, they remembered what it was like to actually enjoy oneself out on the ice again. That’s why they started doing this in the first place. That’s why most anyone ever really has.