How do the Flames match up with Dallas and St. Louis?

On paper, the Flames line up better against Dallas than St. Louis. The Flames have managed to win two of three meetings, and the Stars are just a little bit weaker in terms of their lineup than the Blues.

That said, there would be something interesting in the Flames going up against the defending champs. The Flames played some of their most Flamesy hockey of the season against the Blues – November 21 was Peak Flames, in my opinion – and the redemptive arc of the team would suit such a series.

For what it’s worth, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (who’s covered that team like a blanket for years) wrote a piece on the best and worst possible first round opponents for the Blues [paywalled]: Initially, he had the Flames as their second most favourable opponent. Now?

The Flames couldn’t elevate their game against a damn good Colorado team last season. Nor could they do it against Anaheim in 2015 or 2017. For a core group with something to prove, a series with the Blues could be a great place to prove it.

That said, the Dallas match-up would be a more winnable series, especially for a Flames group that’s defended well and added some physicality to their approach to games lately.