The road to the post-season will have to be paved with blood, sweat and tears if the Flames want to contend for the Stanley Cup this Spring. Following Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to the nearly non-contender Blue Jackets, Calgary faces nine final games down the stretch, all against divisional rivals. While the Minnesota Wild (87 points) hold first place in the Northwest right now, Calgary, Vancouver and Colorado (84 points each) are all tangled up chasing what promises to be the only home-ice advantage available in their Division. These top four NW teams all carry an equal opportunity into the next few weeks, but with a constant stream of four-point games, one club will step up and steal enough points for the Division title.
Calgary’s near future is very much up in the air. The last thing the Flames want is to have their fate floating in the clouds until Game 82. Recent losses against Washington, Atlanta and Columbus have been wasted opportunities to solidify a top standing. Two games apiece remain versus the Avs, Wild and Oil, three against Vancouver, and there is no more time and no margin for error. Even the Edmonton Oilers, who have been considered out of playoff contention for ages have pulled within sight of the target, winning 9 of their last 11 games. While they may not qualify, they will have two more chances to rob the Flames of much-needed points.
The other teams will be equally eager to limit Calgary by winning games and wearing down the Flames in the run up to April. The Flames will need to find consistently high intensity over the last weeks to find advantage over four other desperate teams fighting for the same points. The roster should be up to the challenge with players of all strengths on board. That being said, they have wavered before despite having one of the top line-ups in the Division and the West. At this point they cannot afford lapses of discipline. They not only have to make it to the post-season, but they have to be ready to play four rounds and Calgary needs to find a way to sustain the bursts of brilliance as seen throughout the year.
Success will mean utilising the impressive arsenal at Calgary’s disposal and digging deep to find the drive that all four lines will need to play consistently. Scoring is not the main concern, although Jarome Iginla has a chance to record his second 50-goal season. The Flames play some of the best hockey in the League when they put together a full 60-minute effort, play positional hockey and work their style of game. From the goal-line forward this roster is built to win, but when they allow themselves to be taken out of their game-plan they tend to stop playing as a cohesive unit. Plays are sloppy, mistakes occur, and they no longer bear any resemblance to the squad the learned to fear only a short time ago. They are capable of reaching the top, but they will have to break some poor habits first if they want to actually accomplish that and go on to have a fruitful post-season.
If they can’t get it together, all the issues will rise to the surface once more, this time with a vengeance. Three coaches in three years. A beefed up roster with the most talented team Calgary has seen in years. More goals for, but more goals against. More wins on the road, fewer at home. Major players signed to long-term contracts. A Jekyll and Hyde team that can present any face at any time. When they look good they look very, very good, but when they look bad they look horrid!
There is no reason known outside Saddledome walls as to why a squad like this has so much difficulty. Whether it is a lack of focus or a lack of discipline, folks within the Flames organisation insist the players are driven to play well and win the Cup. It is time to realise that there is nothing left to be taken for granted; from here on out it’s got to be good hard graft by the lads in red, because no one out there is in any mood to be charitable. They will have to show up on the ice soon, because all the positive chatter in world won’t get you into the playoffs for free.
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