Calgary Flames with lots to look forward to in second half of season

The Calgary Flames, after having the odds stacked decisively against them in the first half, have a lot to look forward to in the business end of the season. 

With all factors considered, things could be way worse than sitting in fourth place in the Pacific Division at the halfway point of the season. The Flames were forced to play 27 of their first 42 games on the road, which included a seven, four and five-game stint. Oh, and we won’t soon forget the unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak in the Flames camp. 

Yet through all that adversity, Calgary is just five points behind division leaders Vegas, who’ve played an additional four games. The Flames have games in hand on all of their direct competitors who are ahead of them in the standings, including three on both Anaheim and Los Angeles.

While the Flames haven’t exactly dominated thus far on home ice, there are signs — winning three in a row at the Dome by a combined 13-2 margin — that is about to change.

Home ice advantage

Calgary has only played 15 home games so far. That is by far the least in the NHL, which, if the men in red turn Scotiabank Saddledome into a fortress, bodes extremely well as the Flames drive toward the playoffs.

The Vegas Golden Knights have played 26 home games, Los Angeles 25, Anaheim 24 and the Oilers 20.

The Flames have a seven-game home stand to look forward to when they return to action on Wednesday night. That’s one of three extended home stands between now and the end of the season. A four-game home stint awaits at the start of March, which is followed by a six-game set at the end of the same month.

Twenty one of the next 26 games are on home ice, an incredibly favourable run of games that finally offsets the horrendous slew of away outings the Flames dealt with in the first half.

The familiarity of home ice — the way the ice plays, how the lively boards react to dump ins and certain shots, having the last shift for favourable matchups — aren’t the only beneficial factors.

The players get to enjoy the comforts of home for almost two months uninterrupted. Five individual away contests on the road — Vancouver twice, Minnesota, Colorado twice —  will be welcomed, even anticipated, such is their fleeting nature. One game on the road before returning home barely registers as a road trip.

Road trips a rarity in the second half

Those five individual road games over a span of almost two months will have the Flames excited about their first extended road trip, a four-game west coast set at the start of April. Hopefully by then, after enjoying almost two months at home, the Flames are in pole position in the division.

A brief, back-to-back, two-game stint then awaits in Nashville and Chicago before the Flames play three in a row on the road — against Nashville, Minnesota and Winnipeg — to end the season.

The Flames, on paper anyway, couldn’t have a more favourable schedule as they make their playoff push. Now it’s time to see whether Sutter’s side can make the most of being permanently based in Cowtown for the remainder of the campaign.