The Calgary Flames defied the odds, and after four games played, they had four wins and were in first place in the league standings. After a hard-fought game last night in Seattle, the Flames were handed a loss in overtime but still salvaged a point out of the effort. Historically, 80.4% of teams that start the season with four straight wins go on to make the playoffs. Not something anyone expected heading into the season.
Low expectations were discussed at length this offseason, and the team was certainly listening. Management and players have both been vocal about defying the odds and competing night in and night out, regardless of the narrative. With the Flames doing just that to start the season, we wanted to know how the fans felt about the hot start. We asked, you answered.
We asked, you answered.
Want to take part in Sunday Census polls? We send them out every week on our Twitter at @wincolumnCGY. Follow along or send in ideas for the next poll!
How are you feeling about the Flames’ hot start?
We presented the below poll to our readers.
Plan the Parade/Excited for Playoffs
Just 12% of respondents think the Flames are Cup contenders, and 16% think the playoffs are a realistic outlook.
Although five games isn’t a large sample size and a long way from the playoffs, it has been a strong showing in a lot of ways. One of the biggest positives is Jonathan Huberdeau’s early success. Something that could severely impact the outlook of the season and has been absent since arriving in Calgary.
Combine that with strong play from your veterans and rookie/sophomore NHLers continuing to develop, and you get a solid all-around team. It might not seem like it’s sustainable, but anything can happen, and the culture in the locker room seems stronger than it has been in years.
One of the biggest things to take away from this week’s poll is the aforementioned culture. Anyone following the Flames TV series “The Chase” might remember Ryan Huska asking the team to define their style of play at the end of training camp. The answer is playoff hockey.
This mantra and attitude takes time to establish, especially after having a very rigid structure under Darryl Sutter. It takes time for that leadership transition to show through, and the shuffling of the locker room over the last year contributes to the rate and success of that trickle-down effect.
Removing pieces of the existing group and adding new players with those valuable winning intangibles like Ryan Lomberg will lead to a better long-term for this organization.
In the short term, there’s a lot of season left and a lot of adversity still to face. But those championship qualities are already translating to on-ice product and only grow with every win, proving another doubter wrong. I don’t know how realistic it is to see this translate for an entire season, but I’m certainly in for the ride.
Good but not sustainable
In a landslide victory, 61% of fans are enjoying the Flames hot start but don’t want to get their hopes up. Although 80.4% of teams that start 4–0–0 historically make the playoffs, Flames fans are all too familiar with falling just shy of the goal. If you need to be reminded, only one win prior, we were discussing how poorly 3–0–0 starts favoured the Flames.
Over-investing in single seasons has been this franchise’s kryptonite for the better part of 30 years. There’s been some success, but none that’s been sufficient nor sustained. The difference with this management group—thus far—is all of those investments towards the 2024–25 season will also benefit the team for the next three to five years. It’s all about finding that window and maximizing its potential.
It’s exciting to be optimistic, but the team would agree it’s way too early to make any predictions. That’s what it’s all about for them; the predictions don’t mean anything to them, so why talk about them? The wins will come, and the team will be what it will be. I don’t know about you, but that attitude makes me excited to watch Calgary Flames hockey again, regardless of wins or losses.
Team Tank
Wearing it loud and proud, 11% of fans are downright disappointed with the Flames’ early success. That was the plan, right? It was discussed at length all offseason, and it finally seemed the organization was turning a corner, a corner that faced Murray Edwards towards the future.
Well, if there’s one thing that can change that plan in a heartbeat, it’s the potential of Saddledome Hockey in May, and that’s Team Tank’s fear. Playoff tickets equals cash in owners’ pockets. Although I don’t think it’s the notion of playoffs that scares Team Tank, it’s a fear that the organization will throw away part of its strong asset pool for a short-term gain.
Or maybe they just want to see the world burn. Either way, Team Tank is still out on the prowl, looking to stomp any instance of positivity. I mean, really, Gavin McKenna and Landon DuPont aren’t going to draft themselves. Am I right, Team Tank?
Don’t get too excited
Although it’s been a fun five games, and the team has displayed some great moments of perseverance, there’s still 77 to go. It’s a long season, and Flames fans know all too well not to get our hopes up. It’s great to see the team succeed, but a lot of things need to go right for this to play out for the rest of the season.
Even if the effort doesn’t continue to translate into wins, the 2024–25 season is on pace to be a cornerstone season in establishing what the next era of Flames hockey looks like.
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