The Calgary Flames have played 21 out of their 82 scheduled regular season games in the 2024-25 season.

The Flames are in second place in the Pacific Division with a record of 12-6-3. They’re one point behind Vegas for first place in the division. They’re 10th overall in points percentage, a significant departure from the betting markets having them sixth-from-last in playoff odds before the season.

It’s not hyperbole when we say that the Flames are one of the most fascinating teams in the entire NHL through the first quarter. As we try to make sense of the Flames’ impressive performance, we convened our staff for our first quarter mailbag!

Flash: The entire defence group that was supposed to be a detriment and the goaltending that was allegedly going to be weak simply because Wolf was a rookie. Instead all of them have silenced critics everywhere. Vladar deserves some flowers as well.

Mike: I mean, what do you think? Their goaltending has been truly outstanding, with Dustin Wolf stealing the show on a nightly basis and Dan Vladar looking like his best self after recovering from hip surgery. The Flames currently have the best 5-on-5 save percentage in the entire league. Anything less than that and they’re nowhere near the playoff picture, let alone one point out of first place in the Pacific Division. I’ve also really liked what I’ve seen from Matt Coronato, who is finally living up to my admittedly sky-high expectations for him. He’s looked like an impact player in basically every game he’s played over the last two weeks or so. I couldn’t be happier for him.

Paige: Their first handful of games to start the season. The expectations weren’t high for this team and they came out in an unprecedented way. It really instilled some hope and excitement back into this fanbase.

Pike: There were a lot of question marks with a relatively inexperienced defence and goaltending group – aside from maybe Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. But I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen from a lot of players on that side of things. Not just Dustin Wolf – who’s been a revelation – but also guys like Kevin Bahl, Brayden Pachal and Daniil Miromanov. The Flames don’t score a ton, so the onus has been on the folks that keep pucks out of the net (and away from dangerous areas), but it’s worked out so far. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give shout-outs to Ryan Lomberg, Connor Zary, Matt Coronato and Justin Kirkland for their strong performances in their roles this season.

Raz: Their ability to stick with it and just continue to grind away at games even when their down. Knocking off some top teams in the league has been very impressive as well.

Robert: The way the players have come together as a team. This is the first time in a few years that the Flames look like a cohesive group on and off the ice. They’ve bought what Ryan Huska is selling them and I think that’s been a major reason for their success.

Flash: Veteran offensive production (forwards). It was a hot start but Huberdeau and Kadri aren’t producing at an acceptable rate for a team that is clearly thinking playoffs.

Mike: They just can’t seem to score on a consistent basis. Andrei Kuzmenko, Nazem Kadri, and Yegor Sharangovich all have their warts as players, but they still deserve to have way more points. Jonathan Huberdeau hitting the post on that empty net against the Rangers on Thursday pretty much sums up the Flames’ tough shooting luck through the first quarter. In a league where goaltenders are struggling across the board, the Flames are completely bucking every established trend. They’re overdue to hang six or seven goals on some poor team one of these nights.

Paige: Some of the individual scoring performances. I feel like we’re still waiting for some of the top guys to really take off and be difference makers consistently. Some of the goals feel like they’ve been harder to come by than previous seasons.

Pike: We knew this would be a team that struggles to score a ton of goals, but I’m not sure if I expected them to struggle this much. They need more offence out of their veteran forwards.

Raz: At times leaving their goaltenders out to dry. They have given up the seventh-most shots on goal in the league. Without the play of both Wolf and Vladar the Flames most likely aren’t in the position they are in right now.

Robert: It’s the offence. And the blame lies on three players shoulders. Nazem Kadri, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Jonathan Huberdeau. All three of those players have struggled mightily throughout the first 21 games. If they can reach their potential in the final 61 games, the Flames will be a dangerous team.

Flash: They haven’t. It’s a free year for me. Do good or bad, I just want to see growth from the youth. Coronato, Zary and Wolf have been excellent and energetic.

Mike: I honestly have no idea what to make of these guys. Dustin Wolf looking like one of the best goalies in the league certainly changes the equation for them a bit, but the team in front of him isn’t exactly tailor-made to take down the best of the West. As good as Wolf is — and I think he’s already a superstar — I think he’s going to cool down a little bit at some point, and while the Flames are due to pick things up offensively, I’m not convinced it’ll be enough to hold onto their playoff spot. But I’m certainly not complaining about this start. It’d be one thing if they were getting a bunch of fluke wins, but it’s another thing entirely that it’s their 23-year-old blue-chip goalie prospect propelling them forward. I’m just curious to see where Wolf can take them.

Paige: I still don’t think we’re looking at a team that will be at the top of the division by the end of the regular season but I have now shifted more into the thought that this team is competitive and can give almost any team in the league a good game and a shot at playoff qualification.

Pike: I still don’t think this is a playoff team because of their offensive challenges. But man, they’re a lot more fun to watch than I expected them to be.

Raz: Thought they were going to be a bottom feeder but after seeing the way they have played these first 21 games, playoffs seem like an achievable goal. Do I think they have overachieved? Yes, but they have put themselves in a good position considering how the rest of the Pacific Division looks.

Robert: Heading into the season I was one of the few people who actually thought they would be good. So this doesn’t change my opinion on the team all that much. The one thing I did not see coming was the rapid emergence of Dustin Wolf as a starting goalie. I thought there would be a lot of ups and downs with his season. But he has been incredible. And that makes me more confident that this team can compete for a playoff spot.