Head Tale

Back in October as the NHL season began, I did a post about many of the reasons I was excited for the Flames 2018/2019 season.

Coming off a couple very disappointing years (and really, about 15 underwhelming years with only a couple exceptions – unexpected 2003/2004 Cup run, making the second round of playoffs in 2014/2015 – but otherwise missing the playoffs as often as they made them) my honest hope for this year was a team that was somewhere in the middle of the race for a playoff spot (say 4-6 out of 8 instead of what I’m usually used to – the Flames challenging for the eighth and final playoff spot in their conference but often ending up missing the playoffs by a point or two).

Instead, the Flames have been a revelation.

They’re the second best team in the entire NHL (interestingly, the team they lost the Cup to in 2004 is #1 and wouldn’t that be the hockey gods working their magic if we had a Cup final rematch fifteen years later?)

I won’t do a full list but the Flames have so many areas they’re dominating, at or near the top of various categories – most players with 50+ points, most come-from-behind victories, most short-handed goals, most points by a player who was traded to a new team, one of the highest power play percentages, best overtime record, *three* Flames currently hold the 1-3 spots in the +/= ratings and two more are in the Top Ten, most third period goals, etc. etc.

Johnny Gaudreau is currently second in league scoring over no-name scrubs like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin and is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy for league MVP.  Captain Mark Giordano is a front-runner for Norris Trophy consideration and one of the only d-men to be a point-a-player game past the age of 35.  “Big Save Dave” Rittich started the year as a backup and has the team remembering another unheralded European goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff who joined the team in a backup role and grew to become a long-time starter and Vezina winner. Newly hired coach, Bill Peters is in the conversation for the Jack Adams coach of the year trophy.  Both Mikael Backlund *and* Elias Lindholm could make a case for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.

Every game has been must-watch right to the final buzzer whether the Flames are winning or losing since the Flames are winning in so many ways – close games, blow-outs, come-from-behind victories and more.  (To put a cherry on top of my fandom this year, they even announced the Flames will be playing the Jets in an outdoor stadium game in Regina next fall!!!)

It’s a strange feeling to be a fan of a team that’s so damn good (and with a very young core, a feeling I might even get used to for the next few years.)

Making it even more magical (if that’s possible) is the Flames’ long-time rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, are having a dumpster fire of a season with one superstar and a bunch of overpaid, underachieving players around him.  They’re making insanely bad trades, poor cap management decisions and so on.  How bad is it?  Out of all the players they could trade for in the NHL, they acquire the same guy who previously severely injured their superstar captain, a goon who was said to be happy about it when it happened!

Tonight is the Flames final game before the All-Star break and then a bye week so we won’t have Flames hockey for a couple weeks.  Luckily I’ve got a few games on the PVR I can re-watch if I need a fix! 🙂