First a quick look at recent history …
2002/2003 – 5th in NW division, 75 points, missed playoffs
2001/2002 – 4th in NW division, 79 points, missed playoffs
2000/2001 – 4th in NW division, 73 points, missed playoffs
1999/2000 – 4th in NW division, 77 points, missed playoffs
1998/1999 – 3rd in Pacific division, 72 points, missed playoffs
1997/1998 – 5th in Pacific division, 67 points, missed playoffs
1996/1997 – 5th in Pacific division, 73 points, missed playoffs
Fast forward to today;
2008/2009 – 1st in NW division, 92 points, 7 games left to play.
With a playoff berth all but assured for the 5th consecutive season, the Calgary Flames are 1st place in the always tight Northwest division and are in a battle for their lives for home ice advantage in the first round, and possibly further. They are three points up on this decade’s biggest rival, the Vancouver Canucks. With only a couple weeks left to go in the regular season, Flames fans could be in for the most exciting finish since the early 90’s. But If you are reading the papers, watching sports highlights, reading message boards or listening to local radio broadcasts – which everybody has; you might be lead to believe the Flames are languishing in the bottom of the Western conference. There is much talk about firing the head coach, benching defensemen, and questions are arising about the play of the team’s top forwards. Jarome Iginla has his perennial club-leading 83 points, Mike Cammalleri is enjoying a career year with 36 goals and 75 points, and there is a supporting cast of 10 other players sporting a healthy 10 goals or more having career years themselves. The Flames #1 net minder (the Finnish sensation that Darryl Sutter acquired for a 2nd round draft pick and has done nothing but win games since his arrival) – Miikka Kiprusoff, is leading the entire NHL with 42 wins which happens to tie a club record – his own, that was set in 2005/2006.
In other words, through 74 games it has been a great season.
Pick any of the 7 seasons listed above, and tell me you wouldn’t have given your left you-know-what to watch the Flames have the type of year they are having. You might have sold your 1st and 2nd born to see a 1st and 2nd round playoff series in your own city, instead of having to sit back and watch the Leafs and Senators in an Eastern love-fest and cheer for which ever team you hated the least. Those days are over, they ended 5 years ago. Any Calgary Flames fan should be thankful of that, and any fan of this team should stand up and applaud the Flames for the season they are having. Lets help them find that extra gear for the home games…the Canucks are a good team, they might need it.
Obviously the success in recent seasons has raised the bar of expectations, that’s a given. But it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the race for the division title and subsequent playoff positioning. We have a chance to win the division and make some serious noise in the playoffs. A fan of any team should appreciate that.
As Flames fans, we should know that better than anyone.
