Calgary Flames' Early-Season Grade

Going into their Dec. 2 game against the Arizona Coyotes, the Calgary Flames have a record of 15-8-2, and have been one of the biggest surprises of the NHL this season. There are multiple factors that play into the Flames’ stellar play, and although they have surpassed expectations, there is always room for improvement. Here’s a breakdown on their play so far this season.   

Goaltending is often the backbone of successful teams; most recent Stanley Cup champions have always had great goaltending throughout the playoffs. Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo have provided the Flames with the necessary confidence in the crease, attributing to the team’s early-season success. Hiller especially, who has been carrying the majority of the workload in net, has given Calgary wins in games they should not have won. Ramo has been a great second option, with back-to-back shutouts, he’s made his case to be the team’s starter. It is likely that Hiller will continue to get the majority of games, but with the way Ramo is playing Calgary has the good problem of having two potential number one goalies on their team.  

The Flames’ blue-line has been nothing short of exceptional. The biggest story is that of Mark Giordano, who both leads the Flames in scoring with 25 points, as well NHL defensemen. He has fulfilled his role as team captain to the fullest extent, and is deserving of early Norris Trophy nominations. It doesn’t end there.  T.J. Brodie has really come into his own as a top NHL defenseman. He’s third on team scoring with 21 points, and both these guys are more than capable of shutting down the opposition as well as contributing offensively. Dennis Wideman has found a way to put the puck in the net.  He has 8 goals so far this season, already twice as many as he had in 46 games last season.  

This combination of solid goaltending and a great defensive core really puts pressure on opposing teams to bring their top game when playing the Flames.  

On offense things have gone pretty much to plan thus far, apart from all the injuries. Sean Monahan has avoided any sort of sophomore slump and Jiri Hudler is consistently producing. The big story up front is the play of Calgary’s youngsters, lead by Monahan. Johnny Gaudreau has proven to be a capable NHL talent; after a tough first 5 or so games he now has 17 points in 24 contests. Josh Jooris has seemingly come out of no where and provided strong play on top of his 9 points this season, filling in for injured forwards such as Matt Stajan and Mason Raymond. And Calgary continues to find ways to get the puck in the net, it takes a full team effort but through 25 games this season it has worked.  

Grade: A-  

The Calgary Flames are graded at A-. They are deserving of this because they have gone above and beyond what anyone expected of them, and they continue to compete alongside the NHL’s elite in the standings. They haven’t played a perfect game, hence the lack of an A+ grade but here are some things to improve on: starting the game out strong, penalty kill, and something they can’t do much about — experience. It’s tough to have a lot of experience on your team when you are going through a rebuilding phase, but it will come with time. 

The Flames have had a stellar start to the year, and if they continue to play as they have we will see them come playoff time. 

Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.