Comparing the Flames 2021-22 Success to their 2018-19 Success
The Calgary Flames are on a very promising pace this season after passing the quarter mark of the year. The learning curves of a new coach and the loss of their captain seems to have had a lot less of a detrimental effect than some thought it might. The way the Flames are playing now is very reminiscent of their 2018-19 season, where they were consistently near the top of the Pacific Division and by the end of the season, won the division overall. They faced a shocking first-round exit of the playoffs at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in just five games. This begs the question, what can they do now to avoid that same fate?
The Recipe for Success in 2018-19
In the 2018-19 season, the Flames were in the conversation with the Tamba Bay Lightning as favorites to go deep in the playoffs. Both had their large winning streaks and were the talk of the league on opposite ends of North America. They both played as if they were unbeatable. The Flames finished with an incredible 50-25-7 record and 107 points. They ranked second in the league in the goals-for category and ninth in the league for goals against.
Their production was led by Johnny Gaudreau, who finished the season just a point shy of 100 points. The top line of Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan and Gaudreau combined for 259 points in that season. You can see where the goals for were mostly coming from. Mark Giordano was also producing outrageously good numbers as a defenseman that year with 17 goals and 57 assists for a total of 78 points.
They also had depth. On nights where the top line wasn’t scoring three goals a night, the likes of the 3M line of Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk picked up the slack. Tkachuk finished with 77 points that year, Frolik with 34 and Backlund with 47.
Down the depth chart, Sam Bennett, Noah Hanifin, Mark Jankowski, T.J. Brodie, and Derek Ryan were all around the 30 point mark. Does it make it easy to win games when you’re scoring? They sure proved it does. Goaltending consisted of Mike Smith and David Rittich, who together, averaged a 2.67 GAA and a .905 save percentage through the regular season.
The Recipe for Success This Season
At this point, Jakob Markstrom has probably gotten a lot of free dinners out of his teammates. He has been absolutely electric this year. The Flames signed Markstrom in the 2020 offseason long-term and have certainly gotten their return on investment so far. As of November 30th, Markstrom sits at a 1.75 GAA and a .938 save percentage through the 17 games he has played in. Last season he dealt with some injuries that have since healed through the offseason. This year, health has been on his side and he also has opportunities for nights off with the way Flames back-up goaltender, Dan Vladar is playing. Vladar has yet to lose a game in regulation this season.
Another player that should be more of a household name for their Pacific Division competition is Andrew Mangiapane. Mangiapane has been scoring goals like nobody’s business and keeping pace with some of the best in the league. At one point, he was second to just Alexander Ovechkin. As of November 30th, he is fifth in the league with 15 goals, first on the Flames in goals and fourth on the Flames in scoring. These two have been outside of the core that has made up the image of this team over the years and it is good change like these that are benefitting the Flames immensely.
Other typical producers such as Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Lindholm are doing their part on the scoresheet, but it is also the overall depth of the team that is clicking and allowing for more opportunities for these guys to win. On November 30th, their record sits at 13-4-5 with 31 points accumulated to put them at the top of the Pacific Division with their Alberta rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, just below them.
Over the Hump in Playoffs
So the season is going well, what happens if and when they make the playoffs? The Flames seem to bounce back and forth in playoff qualification every season. It is quite rare that they have the opportunity to clinch a spot early and take the pressure off the rest of the season. They are usually down to the wire and rely on the results of others to put themselves in the race. Last season, they were a handful of games away from qualifying and ended up finishing up their regular season while the first round was already underway. Here’s a look at their seasons and playoff results over the last six years.
2020-21: 5th in the North, Missed Playoffs
2019-20: 3rd in the Pacific, Lost in the First Round
2018-19: 1st in the Pacific, Lost in the First Round
2017-18: 5th in the Pacific, Missed Playoffs
2016-17: 4th in the Pacific, Lost in the First Round
2015-16: 5th in the Pacific, Lost in the First Round
The Flames have not made it to the second round since the 2014-15 season and have not played in a Conference Quarterfinal since the days of Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff.
Is this a Stanley Cup Team?
The Calgary Flames can either be very exciting to watch or very frustrating to watch. The problem in their game in the last few years is there really isn’t much of an in-between. They have a lot of good pieces right now as they did in 2018-19, but can they stay out of their own way?
The Flames have the best goaltending they have had in just under a decade, but if there isn’t any production, they won’t win games. Defensive play is something that could use a little work but unlikely candidates such as Oliver Kylington have been stepping up. Mark Giordano is no longer around to own the blue line and at this point, it is unclear if the Flames did enough to replace him over the summer.
The Western Conference can be quite a difficult side of the league to get through to go deep in the playoffs. Winnipeg typically gives the Flames a tough series, the Golden Knights are another large and physical team, while the Flames are more quick and witty. Even looking over at the Montreal Canadiens, who went all the way last year as Stanley Cup runner-ups, have more to them than meets the eye. Even if the Flames win the division this season, nothing is guaranteed. They will need to be at their best and their best consistently to go far in the playoffs and give themselves an opportunity to win with the long-time talent they have accumulated over the years before the cap space prevents them from keeping them around anymore.