The Calgary Flames are an odd team this year. They rank 28th in goals scored per game, 15th in goals against per game, 15th in power play percentage, 28th in penalty kill percentage, and 30th in shooting percentage. Yet, even after all of that, they still sit in a wild card spot only two months away from the playoffs. Why exactly is that? What is it that makes this Flames team so good despite most statistical categories telling you the otherwise?
I think that if you were to ask most fans, they would probably tell you that it’s Dustin Wolf‘s exceptional play that has the team in the position that they are in. With the performance he has been giving the team lately, it would be pretty hard to argue against that.
At this point, the rookie goaltender should be a lock for a Calder Trophy nomination at the very least. He’s currently sitting sixth in save percentage, top 15 in goals against average, and winning just under 65% of the games that the Flames put him in. Wolf has certainly been a very large catalyst for their success.
With that being said, What are some examples of former contenders who didn’t have elite offensive scoring talent but were able to win in the playoffs thanks to spectacular goaltending and lots of depth throughout the lineup? Are there any lessons the Flames can learn from these teams?
The 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens
Squads like the 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens come to mind as a team that may not have had truly elite offensive talent but had the legendary Carey Price help them make it to the Stanley Cup Final.
| Teams | GF/G | GA/G |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary Flames (2024–25) | 28th | 15th |
| Montreal Canadiens (2020–21) | 17th | 18th |
They finished the regular season 17th in goals scored per game and 18th in goals against per game, not exactly incredible numbers. In the playoffs, the team wouldn’t have a single player over a point per game, instead relying on scoring throughout the lineup as well as some legendary performances from Price to go on the run that they went on.
There are a few holes in this line of thought, though. As good as Wolf has been, it almost goes without saying that he is not quite as good as Price was back in his heyday. Even though Price did have a down year that regular season—putting up a 0.901 SV% and a 2.64 GAA—he significantly stepped up his game in the playoffs, jumping up to a 0.924 SV% and a 2.28 GAA. Wolf has been incredible in the regular season, but it remains to be seen how he will do in the playoffs.
Perhaps the even bigger hole in this comparison, though, is the differences in scoring. While the Canadiens’ 17th spot in GF/G isn’t exactly incredible, it still blows the Flames’ 28th spot this year out of the park. Price may not have had the most run support in the NHL that year but he still had quite a bit more than Wolf has.
2018–19 St. Louis Blues
This is a comparison that often comes up whenever we are talking about underdog teams. Everyone has heard the story about how this St. Louis Blues team was far outside of a playoff spot in January but was able to completely turn around their season and win the Stanley Cup against all odds. So, is there anything similar about this Blues team and our current Calgary Flames?
| Teams | GF/G | GA/G |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary Flames (2024–25) | 28th | 15th |
| St. Louis Blues (2018–19) | 15th | 5th |
Realistically, the comparisons probably start and end in between the pipes. The Blues’ massive second-half push was majorly helped by the play they got out of their young up-and-coming goaltender, Jordan Binnington.
Binnington would have an incredible rookie season, going 24–5–1 with a 0.927 SV% and a 1.89 GAA. In the playoffs, he would go 16–10–0 with a 0.914 SV% and a 2.46 GAA and obviously win the Stanley Cup. If you just look at Binnington’s story that year, you can maybe make a comparison to Wolf’s this year. However, to argue that the rest of the team is anything like the Blues would just be incorrect.
The Blues were a better-scoring team that season than the Flames. Very similar to the 2020–21 Canadiens, they would have no one over a point per game in either the regular season or playoffs but would rely on consistent scoring throughout the lineup instead.
The Flames have already made moves to try and help in this area with the acquisition of Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. General Manager Craig Conroy spoke of it as a way to reward his team for their efforts so far. If this move has the intended result, it could legitimately help out this team in a major way going into the playoffs.
Even more importantly, though, the Blues were great defensively in both the regular season as well as in the playoffs, ranking fifth in GA/G by the end of the regular season. If the Flames win a round this year in the playoffs, credit will almost certainly go to Dustin Wolf. The most credit for the St. Louis Blues Cup run would probably go to their overall team depth and their defence. Binnington was terrific, but he did have plenty of help.
Where does that leave the Calgary Flames?
The one thing that certainly remains obvious is exactly how unorthodox this Calgary Flames team is but despite all of their issues they remain in a playoff spot. The Flames might not hold a candle to some of those contenders of the past but maybe there is a formula there for them to follow going into the future.
The problem remains that the Flames are still without elite scoring talent and don’t necessarily have a good route to acquire any in the near future.
The Canadiens and Blues show that in the modern NHL, it isn’t always necessary to have elite scoring talent as long as you have good depth, strong defence, and a terrific goaltender defending the pipes. The Flames seemingly have found their generational goaltender of the future, and with the prospect pool that they currently have, better defence shouldn’t be far away either.
Are the Flames a team that will be fighting for the Stanley Cup later this June? I wouldn’t bet on it, but they certainly have the pieces in place to potentially steal a round in the playoffs against the right opponent and be a dangerous team for years to come later down the line.
