Calgary Flames assistant coach Cail MacLean celebrated a birthday earlier this week.
With MacLean now handling the hot potato that is the Flames’ power-play, a reporter figured an appropriate wish would be for three man-advantage markers in an exhibition clash that evening against the Seattle Kraken.
MacLean was quick with his reply.
“I’d rather get three on October 9th,” he said with a wide smile, referring to the Flames’ upcoming opener against the Canucks in Vancouver.
That sums up the sentiment around NHL rinks at this time of year — you’d rather save the good stuff for when it actually counts.
With that in mind, what do we make of the Flames’ stellar pre-season showing, with zero regulation losses in a half-dozen dates so far? Does it matter? Could it matter? Let’s take a closer look at a few fall stats …
The stat: The Flames are 5-0-1 in six exhibition outings.
Skeptics will say: Who cares?! There’s a reason they don’t hand out hardware for pre-season success. The New Jersey Devils were a perfect 7-0 last fall … and missed the playoffs. If you’ve been following the Flames for a while, you may recall that they swept their warmup schedule in 2010-11, only to be shut out in their opener.
Why it might matter: Many are predicting this will be a woeful winter for the Flames, but they’ve been barking since the first day of training camp about an underdog mentality, about their belief they can be much better than they’re getting credit for. If they were getting drubbed in their dress rehearsals, doubt might start to seep in. So winning these meaningless matchups … well … it sure beats the alternative. “It’s always fun to win,” said Flames captain Mikael Backlund after Tuesday’s practice. “We still have a lot of things we can get better at, but I think it just creates some good vibes and good energy in the room right now. Once we start, we all know it’s going to be a little different. Everyone starts from zero, but we can definitely bring that energy with us.”
The stat: Sam Honzek leads the NHL’s pre-season scoring race with seven points. He’s mixed two goals and five assists in a handful of auditions.
Skeptics will say: While Honzek was the story of September for the Flames, the kid can’t possibly keep it up.
Why it might matter: Nobody is claiming that Honzek could win the league scoring title in 2024-25. We’re not even sure he’ll make the team out of training camp. But for this power-forward-in-progress, this pre-season surge should be a big-time confidence-booster. Still only 19, Honzek is seeing proof that his tools — his size, speed, soft hands and long reach were all part of the recipe on Monday’s gorgeous goal against the Kraken — can translate to the top level. That certainly counts for something, even if these points don’t.
The stat: Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich have each scored a pair of goals in exhibition.
Skeptics will say: Prior to Monday’s matchup with the Kraken, Kadri was asked about his check-list for his prep work and replied: “As you know, veterans just try to shake off the rush and try not to get hurt.” If they don’t put any stock into the stats, why should we?
Why it might matter: These were Calgary’s leading lamp-lighters during the 2023-24 campaign — Sharangovich finishing with 31 snipes, Coleman with 30 and Kadri with 29. For all three dudes, it marked a new career-high. You hear over and over again that confidence is the key to offensive success. If Coleman, Kadri and Sharangovich can maintain that, perhaps they can pick up right where they left off.
The stat: Dan Vladar, Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley have combined for a save percentage of .927 during their tuneup action.
Skeptics will say: Is this guy still talking about pre-season stats?! Just wait until they’re facing full lineups and polished power-plays.
Why it might matter: Some wondered if Vladar would be slow to find his form as he returned from a six-month layoff due to hip surgery, but he’s looked sharp so far and will tell you that he continues to feel better and better. Wolf is doing a darn good job of showing that he’s ready to be a full-time NHLer, while Cooley delivered a first-star performance against the Edmonton Oilers’ big guns. When an organization is holding a tryout for the No. 1 netminder job, the biggest fear is that all the options will underwhelm. That hasn’t been the case in Calgary.
The stat: The Flames still have several rookie forwards in the mix for roster spots.
Skeptics will say: It’s a rebuild. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.
Why it might matter: On the first day of training camp, it didn’t seem like the Flames had a lot of obvious job openings. Case in point, every guy skating that day on what you’d consider the four NHL forward lines had at least 60 games of big-league experience. So it’s not insignificant that Honzek, Adam Klapka and Sam Morton have all pushed into that conversation, each making a case for opening-night duties. There won’t be room for all of them, but this is an encouraging sign for a franchise that has promised to reward youngsters who earn the opportunity. As bench boss Ryan Huska put it: “There have been years prior where we’ve been like, ‘Uhh, I guess he’s ready.’ But now, we actually have some guys that have pushed really hard for jobs and made for some interesting conversations in the coaches’ office.”