The Calgary Flames have been a disappointment all season, struggling to build momentum throughout the year and generally staying on the outside to watch in the playoff conversation.
But they may have caught fire at just the right time, with a four-game winning streak putting them just behind the Winnipeg Jets for the final wildcard spot, including two wins from behind over the Canucks and Ducks.
Does this team have enough in the tank to squeeze through to last place? Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli talked about it on Daily Faceoff Live.
Frank Seravalli: Looks like they’re on fire. What I loved about the Flames this weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking about it and debating which team had the more impressive weekend, was it the Jets or the Flames. For me, it was the Flames in the sense that they showed they had a heartbeat. They showed they had a pulse. They showed they really had heart. It sounds like the Grinch conversation we’re having here. Does the Grinch really have a heart? Does Daryll Sutter have a heart? We are not sure of either of these two things.
However, the way the Flames fought back. Heading into Friday night’s game, 0-18-3 this season as he trailed after two periods. We all know the history of lost leads, we know the history of the Flames record in one goal games but 0-18-3 when they trail after two periods and now after this weekend, it’s 2-18-3. It’s a hell of a time for the Calgary Flames to find that little extra gear knowing they’re back to the wall. I still have real doubts about their ability to make the playoffs, but they made it a lot more interesting than I thought, and part of that is the Jets also made it a lot more interesting than I didn’t think so. .
But the Flames finally showed me something for a team that struggled with confidence, that struggled to string things together. You see, the key here for the Flames is that they’ve now won four in a row, that’s a season high. They had won three in a row twice in October, I think it was early November, but it had been a long time since they had such a winning streak. And that’s exactly the kind of effort they’ll need if they want to get in.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Also for the Flames, shout at the losing point too, as they have lost more games than they have won so far this season, but with 15 more points collected they are still in the running. I have two words for you when it comes to next week in the Western Conference: keep your head down, because we have some really big matchups in the next 7-8 days.
This Wednesday, the Flames are in Winnipeg. This Saturday, the Preds are in Winnipeg, and next Monday, if things stay the same throughout this week, Monday’s game against the Flames and Preds could be Texaco’s last chance for Nashville and Calgary.
Frank Seravalli: Yeah, I have a feeling it’s all going to end on Wednesday. It’s a back-to-back game for the Flames, if they can take care of business against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, then they fly to Winnipeg on Wednesday. If they can somehow beat the Jets in this head-to-head game, I think they’ll be in the driver’s seat to secure that last spot. The Jets’ schedule is a little tougher, the Flames’ schedule is a little easier, four very, very winnable games after the Calgary Flames.
You can watch the full episode here…
