The Big Monday Thing - Undefeated in 2022
If you do the math, if the Flames keep up the winning percentage they're on in 2022, they will win the Stanley Cup
I have watched two Calgary Flames games since the last edition of the Big Monday Thing, and I have to admit, it felt real weird. Usually, when we go an extended period without tuning in to see our heroes in red, it’s because it’s mid-April and the team has been eliminated from postseason contention. And yeah, sometimes in Calgary, that time of year comes with the same seasonal elements we have been living through during this prolonged gap in action, but this time around there are probably 20-30% more homes with their Christmas lights up, so it all feels a little bit jarring.
All told, the Flames have had nine games postponed, and I don’t think anyone at the NHL is quite ready to have the discussion around re-scheduling those yet, so the weeks ahead are going to be pretty interesting. That’s all without discussing the continued drama surrounding Murray Edwards’s attempt to embezzle more cash out of the city.
The Week of: December 27th-January 2nd (2022, if anyone is wondering)
Results From Past Week: Four games scheduled, two of which actually happened! Some guy named Omicron said the Flames hotly anticipated holiday tilt with the 3-7-1 in December Edmonton Oilers was not allowed to go ahead, but that didn’t deny us the opportunity to finally reunite with Mark Giordano amid a downright wacky win in Calgary’s first-ever game in Seattle. A New Year’s Eve collision with the Jets was also miraculously avoided, allowing the Flames to rest up and squash the Chicago Hockey Team, the way a just god would have intended.
Flames Overall Record: 17-7-6, 40 pts
Standings: 3rd place in the Pacific Division, 5th in the Western Conference. Do you like games in hand? We got your games in hand. Assuming some of these postponed matches ever actually happen, the Flames have a wonderful opportunity to move up the standings in a hurry. Once again, the Edmonton Oilers went 3-7-1 in December.
Soundtrack: The Bitch Is Back - Elton John
This one just felt fitting. The Flames are the bitch here. But it’s a good thing?
What We Liked:
Granted, everyone had a bit of an extended COVID break over the holidays, but the Flames have been off longer than anyone and didn’t have the opportunity to practice much during that time as basically everyone was under protocol. The opportunity to rest up some tired bodies was very beneficial, but the team was bound to develop some level of rink rust as a byproduct. The Flames experienced it in droves in their first contest back against Seattle, but I thought they weathered the storm handily, and the offensive side of the game in particular does not appear to have taken a step back. The Flames are still taking a million shots per game, and the guys who are paid to score goals are doing exactly that.
Chicago certainly isn’t a measuring stick team by any stretch, but given that it was their second game back, and you’d hope all the cobwebs had been shaken out against the Kraken, the Flames were essentially well in control the entire night, suggesting they’re comfortable in their system again and ready to drive forward in 2022. You love to see it.
What We Would Prefer Not To See:
Gotta say, no notes here. I thought Jacob Markström looked pretty shaky against Seattle, but I think that can be forgiven considering the everything and was rock solid against Chicago, so nothing to worry about there.
Indeed, everything seems to be well under control now that the team has returned to play. The one thing you can say is that it’s only been two games, and the Flames were going through their most dismal stretch of the season before all the postponements, so we’re going to need to see some more action before determining if they’ll slip back into some of the habits that felled them over that four-game losing streak. It’s a long season, and these things happen, so it’s absolutely a possibility. The team is poised to use some games in hand as a weapon, and it would be a real shame if they squandered that. Time will tell.
Quick update: tibs QUITE CORRECTLY pointed out that a thing we’d prefer not to see around here is all these loser depth players the Flames signed to do nothing come back healthy the way they seem to be doing right now. Tyler Pitlick? What do you do? Brett Ritchie? Can’t wait for him to come back for a single shift and get one punched all the way back to the IR for an extra month. I don’t remember if Brad Richardson has been healthy or not, but maybe he shouldn’t be. These guys stink and Adam Ruzicka is kinda fun (ed. note: even if he can’t play basketball). As some guy who I think was the president once said, “Get ‘em out. Get ‘em out of here.”
Enemy of the Week:
Consider this a bit of a crutch on my part, but there’s rarely a more dependable villain around here than Murray Edwards, and he’s up to his no-good tricks all over again. We all know by now that the deadline to resume negotiations on the arena deal has passed, and it’s going to be funny to see him try to negotiate a better deal than the sweetheart pact he had already managed to negotiate. That said, he’s still got a full bag of tricks, he will use them, and most of them are going to be pretty despicable (while also 100% predictable. Expect “a trip to Kansas City” in the coming weeks and months).
What a fucking clown.
What Comes Next:
Believe it or not, there is a whole slate of intentionally scheduled and uninterrupted hockey for your Calgary Flames this week as the team presses forward on what is another lengthy road trip. No complaints there, they kick ass on the road. Andrew Mangiapane is going to score 50 goals just in opposing barns.
Sam Bennett, noted coward, looked at the calendar and noticed tomorrow’s Panthers-Flames contest marked down and, being too afraid to face his old team, went and got himself suspended yesterday, avoiding the confrontation altogether. Some will say this makes the game all the more special for Ryan Lomberg, but I have absolutely no idea who that is.
They round out the road trip with games against the Lightning and Hurricanes, both of which are weather phenomenons I’m not particularly fond of.
Future Flames Hall Of Famer Update of the Week:
Friend of the Scorchstack Tij Iginla made his WHL debut with the Seattle Thunderbirds this week, at the young age of 15 years old. Despite his inexperience in the league, Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis’s middle child is already the dub’s best player, and his 1 assist and 4 PIM thus far go a long way to solidify that.
Whoever is going to be the Flames General Manager going into the 2024 NHL draft, you better be getting ready for this. That is a direct threat.
Unrelated Fact:
This is why the old adage says this kind of thing needs to be done in a barrel.
See You Next Week:
Not really sure what to make of any of it, but we’ve noticed a pretty decent uptick in readership across all sections of the Scorchstack in the past month or so. My guess is that people love the Calgary Flames a lot, but are far more interested in them when they aren’t doing anything. I couldn’t blame anyone for that if it’s the reason why, but whatever it is, I want all the readers to know that we appreciate it, and we appreciate like 15 to 20% of you who take the time to read the words we splash across your various screens. To the rest of you, please keep reading, but do it in a better way if you want our respect.