Last season's disappointments can officially be put in the past
Finally the Calgary Flames can truly bury last season’s disappointment.
When the puck drops for their season opener Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, all of the ghosts and turmoil will be left in the past.
“You have to move on,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said after Wednesday’s morning skate at the Saddledome. “We’ve got new guys in room and you’ve got to put that behind you, but it’s also a learning process. You’ve got to learn from what went wrong.”
Feel free to compile the list of what went wrong, it could be lengthy, but the Flames believe they have what it takes to not only turn the page but also return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
After all, they did only miss by two points despite all of the issues.
“We have a few changes from last year, but we have what, 15 returning players,” defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “We’ve just got to find the swagger within the guys and trust ourselves that we’re a good team.
“I think we’re a really good team and we’ve got to show that off the start.”
Here are three thoughts going into puck drop:
Having more fun
Nobody can deny the difference in atmosphere around the Saddledome with the firing of Darryl Sutter and his acerbic attitude and replaced by the more upbeat Ryan Huska.
Whether that makes a difference remains to be seen. (There are plenty of cases where the inmates run the asylum and the result is disappointing.) However, the Flames are seeing a more relaxed situation to be a positive.
“It brings another level of energy,” Hanifin said. “You want to have fun. It’s a long season, there’s going to be ups and downs, and you’ve got to make sure you’re enjoying the whole process.”
Second season comfort
Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri both believe they fell short of personal expectations last season, their first in Calgary.
Will having a level of comfort help them this season?
“We don’t have a whole lot of new faces, so the familiarity is there, playing with each other,” Kadri said. “I think that goes a long way. A few guys are going to be more and more comfortable, and hopefully it shows out there.”
Keep in the intensity in check
Unquestionably, the excitement of a home opener can be felt. Some teams manage to use that to their advantage, but some have struggled when the curtain rises.
“There’s a little bit of nerves, but that’s a normal thing for me,” Huska said. “I think that’s a normal thing for most players. This time of year is exciting. I know they’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point. It’s now here and it’s time to enjoy the moment and get ready to play.
“I think the one big thing is managing your emotions. They say it’s an 8 o’clock start, but it’s 8:16, and it’s a long day for them. If they’re going to redline at 7 o’clock, they’re not going to have what they need for the full 60 minutes. It’s managing your emotions the right way.”
The Flames held an optional morning skate, but here are the lines based on Tuesday’s practice.
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau-Elias Lindholm-Dillon Dube
Yegor Sharangovich-Nazem Kadri-Matt Coronato
Andrew Mangiapane-Mikael Backlund-Blake Coelman
AJ Greer-Adam Ruzicka-Walker Duehr
Extra: Dryden Hunt
Defense
Noah Hanifin-Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov-MacKenzie Weegar
Jordan Oesterle-Chris Tanev
Extra: Dennis Gilbert
Goal
Jacob Markstrom
Dan Vladar
Winnipeg's expected lineup:
Forwards
Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Gabe Vilardi
Nikolaj Ehlers-Cole Perfetti-Nino Niederreiter
Mason Appleton-Adam Lowry-Alex Iafallo
Morgan Barron-Rasmus Kupari-Vladislav Namestnikov
Defense
Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg-Neal Pionk
Brendan Dillon-Nate Schmidt
Goal
Connor Hellebuyck
Laurent Brossoit