Well, here we are. This writer’s birthday, and instead of the anticipation of the playoffs and their possibilities ahead adding to the day, its time to pull the plug on this year’s edition of the Flames and ink the eulogy of this year’s assortment of players. An assortment that took its fans up and down, once again, over the course of the season, with the same result witnessed, and the lowest point total in  9 years. Change ahead, but the Flames and its players, coaches, management owners and fans, will have a long 6 months worth of soul searching to build the roster, and fan anticipation, back to the level it was a distant 6 months ago. Although its the end and for some, the beginning of the next stage in the Flames franchise’s development, the end is the end, and its always hard for the involved fans who spend time day to day and week to week staying on top of each and every move and even every word by management, to have that day to day routine vanish for the next 6 months, when all the future moves will start to actually play out on the ice, not on paper.
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40-33-6

109 points – 1st in the West

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35-29-16

86 points – 11th in the West

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So you’re saying there’s a chance….

You have to admire Brent Sutter’s optimism.  His team turns in one of its worst performances of the year, and he’s on the Fan 960 pontificating about how they just need to take care of business and get some help on the out-of-town scoreboard and who knows what could happen.  Publicly anyway, he seems to believe that the Flames still have a shot at the post-season.  Is it too much to hope that his players share the same obstinate view?  This is a team that just got shut out 3-0 by the LA Kings – one of the teams they were fighting for their lives with – and looked pretty damn uninspiring doing it.  Is there enough desire left in the dressing room to at least make the last few games of the season interesting?  Even though the Flames are not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it would truly take a miracle for them to get in – a miracle that would have to start tonight with a win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche . - Full Article –

Visit the game day thread to talk about today’s game.

40-33-6

86 points – 10th in the West

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35-28-15

85 points – 11th in the West

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The western conference playoff race has been so tight for so long that pretty much every game for the last month has been labelled as must-win.  Strangely, every time it looks like the Flames are out of it there is some twist of fate that leads us to believe they still have a chance: they win a few in a row, or one of the teams they’re chasing goes on a losing streak, and all of a sudden they’re right back in the middle of things.  With five games remaining, the Flames are only two points out of seventh place – and a win tonight could have dramatic implications on the standings and the team’s playoff aspirations.  The question is: can they get it done?  The last ten games have been inconsistent at best, and there are still a lot of concerns around a team whose goaltender has looked tired, whose defense has been spotty, and whose forwards have had long stretches where their photos should have been featured on the back of milk cartons.  With the LA Kings in town and an opportunity to gain some valuable ground and move back into the top 8, tonight is the night to see if every game really does matter. - Full Article –