The last time the Flames were in the playoffs, absolutely nothing went in their favour. This time, everything did – but it helps that the team itself is really quite good, too, and did everything it could to fully earn that win.
Getting to the top spot and clinching first seed was a season-long affair for the Flames: from October until the end of March. They wrapped up their regular season series with the Avalanche back in early January, sweeping them 3-0 and providing them with some of their most memorable of their 50 wins this year.
The Flames are in the playoffs. They play again in three days. And will play at least a minimum of three more times after that. And, in all likelihood, beyond that, too! What a world we live in.
The Flames having such a good regular season has almost been something of a fever dream. Sure, tracking their progress through the year was a given, and knowing they had to win the West to get a theoretically easier first round matchup was a concern. But now it’s actually almost here it’s all settling in….
In Game 82, the Flames seemed to be focused only on getting Johnny Gaudreau to 100 points on the season. That, unfortunately, failed to happen; throw in a brutal injury to one of the game’s best players in Connor McDavid and there’s just nothing there. It was a meaningless game for both parties with any…
As the Flames battled to secure top spot in their division and conference, there was another battle far below them: one for the last wild card spot. It was one that, with just days to go in the regular season, the Avalanche finally won out. Now, thanks to the Stars’ Game 82 win, they are…
It’s a lot easier to talk about a meaningless game when the team at least scores some goals.
Alright, let’s do this one last time: playoffs. Playoff lineups. As far as we know, the Flames are mostly healthy, if not entirely, and that gives them a lot of options and a lot of depth. Let’s go.
The games won’t be meaningful for a week and a half yet, but in the meantime, who’s to say the depth players can’t have any fun?
Back on Dec. 8, the Flames took over the top spot in the Western Conference. It was a delight that they made it there at all, and that late in the season at that; a fun little blip as we got to look forward to the start of the Flames’ window opening. But then they…
One win, and the Flames will claim top spot to both the Pacific Division and Western Conference. One win, and they’ll clinch home ice through the first three rounds of the playoffs, should they make it that far. It would be especially dramatic for that win to come against the Sharks.
Ah, yes. That’s right. The Flames are a playoff team; have indisputably been one for some time now, even if it only just recently became official. It’s not exactly a surprise when they resume looking the part.
