The Recent Success Of The Calgary Flames

Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t know about you but the success of the Flames this season so far has seemed too good to be true in my opinion. A small part of me is waiting for an epic nose-dive because it doesn’t seem possible that the Flames could do so well in the first round of a rebuild. Especially when compared to a sinking, ever-rebuilding franchise like the Oilers. Rebuilds are supposed to take years and the Flames seem to have fast-forwarded into the future already. The Flames record so far is 17 wins and 11 loses. They sit in 3rd place in the Pacific Division. Is this for real?? Let’s take a look at some of the pertinent information in the rise of the Calgary Flames this year.

The rise of Sean Monahan. He joined the Calgary team last season and surprised almost everyone as he rose to the top of the ladder with 22 goals and 12 assists in 75 games as a rookie. He’s proving that last year was no fluke, but pure skill as he’s tallied 11 goals and 9 assists in 30 games so far this year. Could he be the future of the Flames if/when Gio moves on or retires? Time will tell.

The rough start of John Gaudreau. It was a whirlwind start for Johnny Gaudreau who finished playing for Boston College and was immediately whisked off to Canada to play for the Calgary Flames against the Canucks, where he got his very first NHL goal. One game, one goal and a lot of pressure on the shoulders of such a young player with so much potential and already established skill. Even after a rough start to this season, being a healthy scratch in one game so far this year, Gaudreau has come back and, with guidance from a youth-friendly Coach Hartley, proved that he’s worthy of a roster spot. With 5 goals and 16 assists so far this year, I see Gaudreau’s skills making history if he can keep up this pace.

The quietly surprising captain Mark Giordano. Acquired, undrafted, in the 2005-06 season, Gio played 7 games that season and garnered an assist. 2009-10 seemed to have been his breakout season with 11 goals and 19 assist in 82 games and he’s been getting better and better since then. After the Flames lost Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Giordano stepped up into the leadership role but had big skates to fill. His 14 goals and 33 assists in 64 games while paired with T.J. Brodie last season seem to have proven his worth as a valuable part of the blue line and his obvious leadership skills on and off the ice have justified the “C” on his jersey. He has been touted as one of the best defensemen in the league this year and part of the best pairing. I believe Gio has been the subtle foundation (along with a couple others) upon which this team has had so much success.

The no-longer-a-secret defensive weapon of T.J. Brodie. Last year, Brodie looked generally stellar with 4 goals and 27 assists in 81 games. Somehow, this season he looks even better so far with 6 goals and 16 assists in only 30 games. So far this year he seems smooth on his skates, focused on his defensive job, and his offensive play is getting even better. I predict a big year for the young blue-liner.

The fall of Brian McGrattan. He’s suited up for only 8 games with the Flames this season and doesn’t have any points as of yet. In his last five games, his time on ice didn’t even total a full game of hockey and he tallied 2 penalty minutes. At this point, I have no idea what the future holds for Big Ern, but I can almost guarantee that there’s no other presence on the team like him. He’s an invaluable character player and I believe he needs to return to the lineup to add grit in an otherwise smaller team.

The disappointment of Devin Setoguchi. Acquired from the Winnipeg Jets, Setoguchi has turned into a disappointment so far this season while on the Flames roster, netting no goals and no assists in 12 games and finished his time in Calgary with a -7 before being placed on waivers and eventually being sent to the AHL Adirondack Flames.

What the heck happened to Dennis Wideman? He came into the club in 2012 and has been a moderate presence during his tenure until recently. He’s stepped up and given us some of his best hockey yet. With 10 goals and 8 assists, Wideman is proving that he’s well worth the contract this season.

Even if the Flames take a nose-dive in the next few months, the past few weeks have been one heck of a hockey show by the Calgary team and I’m happy to see them getting the recognition they rightfully deserve. For their sake, I’m hoping they can keep up the great work and secure a playoff spot even if they don’t get far into the post-season. Making playoffs would be the first step to success that the team has had in over 10 years.

Keep up the great work, guys! We, the lifetime fans, are still here and we are so very proud of you!

Go Flames Go!