[NHL 15] The Calgary Flames: A Dynasty

[pbbm]

This is going to be my dynasty for the Calgary Flames. I'm familiar with hockey to an extent, having played it for most of my life, but haven't followed the NHL for the last couple of years. Sorry in advance for inaccuracies or continuity errors.

In this GM mode I will be playing the role of the GM, having taken over instead of Brad Treliving in April, 2014.

The presentation of this dynasty will be as a series of articles centered around the Flames throughout the regular and (hopefully) playoff seasons. The articles will be accompanied by box scores and other charts and tables will likely pop up throughout the year to document the Flames' season in as much detail as possible, without hopefully overwhelming anyone to the point of madness.

If there's anything anyone would like to know at any point of the year (e.g., in game statistics, trades, deals, standings, etc.) please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you.

This is played on medium difficulty, with medium trading difficulty as I'm not good at this type of game and it will present enough of a challenge to me as is.

Thanks for your interest!

[pbbm]

Reserved for things and such.

[pbbm]

New players breathe hope into Flames
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

Calgary, AB — The Calgary Flames (1-0-0 in the preseason) came away with a hotly contested 3-2 win on Sunday, going head-to-head with their much despised provincial rivals the Edmonton Oilers (0-1-0 in the preseason). Though the Flames accrued no points for the regular season in their preseason win over the Oilers, you can be sure that neither team was looking to come away with anything less than a win.

“I’d say it’s as important winning tonight as it would be in the regular [season]. These guys were really hungry for that first win, and getting it early is going to really pump up the locker room,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano.

Teammate Brandon Bollig, new to the team this season, agrees. “Winning that first game is big. I think we feel ready to take on the world now. But we just have to keep playing our game.”

“Yeah, losing sucks. But it’s not even the regular season yet. I don’t expect the next time we meet the scoreboard will look anything like it did tonight,” said Oilers winger Jordan Eberle. “We had a lot of chances tonight that we just didn’t make happen. We just have to keep practicing, keep skating and keep getting better.”

The Calgary Flames took the lead early in the first period with two goals from Mason Raymond and Jiri Hudler. Though Edmonton closed the gap with a goal in the second period from Will Acton, a short-handed goal by Mikael Backlund propelled the Flames’ lead back to two. Edmonton struck back early in the third with a goal from Mark Arcobello, but Backlund’s goal proved insurmountable for the Oilers, as Flames netminder Jonas Hiller proved his worth in between the pipes, stopping 13 shots in the third period.

“I have only good things to say about Calgary,” said Hiller. “I think I will love playing here for as long as they will let me.”

And if Sunday is any indication of his abilities in the crease, Hiller is likely to be around for some time. Though the netminder posted what he described himself as a ‘mediocre’ 0.917 save percentage on Sunday night’s game, Hiller proved his worth on the penalty kill, stopping 12 shots while down a man throughout the game and not letting in a single goal on the penalty kill.

“He’s a great goaltender,” said Flames coach Bob Hartley of Hiller. “We needed a good solid backstop to play the game we wanted to play this year, and he’s it.”

Hiller was, along with three other players on Sunday night’s roster, added to the team during the 2014 Free Agency period as a move by the last Flames GM to bring new life to the team. Mason Raymond, another one of the Flames new additions, earned himself the honour of second star of the game, scoring a goal and tallying one assist in 20:30 on the ice.

“We need everyone to produce this year, especially the guys we picked up in free agency. We got them to help produce, so that’s what they have to do this year,” said coach Hartley.

If Sunday night was any indication, the new Flames will be producing in bulk this year.

The Flames go on a three game road trip next, stopping tomorrow night in Anaheim to face the Ducks, and then back to Vancouver to play the Canucks on Saturday.

[pbbm]

Flames continue to play main roster in preseason
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

ANAHEIM, CA — The preseason has been, for some number of years, a place to display upcoming talent in the NHL; a place for young prospects to earn a spot on an NHL team and to get a taste of the big time. That’s not to say the players from a team’s main roster are forbidden from playing in the preseason, but there is a code among NHL GMs that the preseason is a time to play more youngsters than veterans.

For the second consecutive game the Calgary Flames have added none of their AHL prospects to the team, choosing instead to field the team you’ll likely be seeing come the regular season.

“We’ve got a handful of new players coming in and coming up this year. We need to make sure our team has the experience playing together that some of these other teams in the league have. For us, right now, this is more important than the playing time of the younger players,” said coach Bob Hartley in an interview early Monday. “Training camp is great for getting to know one another, but the only way you can tell how a team will perform is on the ice, working as a unit.”

The Calgary Flames (2-0-0 in the preseason) won their second game straight in Anaheim on Monday night, beating the Anaheim Ducks (1-1-0 in the preseason) 4 – 2 in regulation time. Flames’ starting goaltender Jonas Hiller continued to play well in his second straight start in as many nights, extending his win streak to two games. Hiller faced 33 shots, allowing only two goals against the Ducks as he continued to prove himself a welcome addition to the roster.

Alternate captain and Flames veteran of the last six years Curtis Glencross also had a strong game for the Flames, posting two goals and an assist for three points in 20:33 on the ice. Though Glencross took a penalty for tripping early in the first that allowed Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler to score a power play goal and take an early lead in the game, Glencross came back less than two minutes later and scored his own power play goal to tie the game. Less than a minute later Glencross notched his second of the game, sending the Flames into the second period with a one goal lead.

“I was just in the right state of mind tonight,” said Glencross after the game. “I was working on a few things in the off-season this year, puck possession and shooting, and it just clicked for me tonight. It’s a great feeling to see it pay off like that.”

Jiri Hudler was another veteran Flame who had a strong night, accruing three assists in 23:01 of ice time.

But while the Flames have come out of the gate at full gallop this year, the question on everyone’s mind is this: is it sustainable? Can we expect to see similar results in the regular season when other NHL teams are putting their best lines on the ice too?

“I wouldn’t say we’re putting our best lines out there,” said coach Hartley after the win. “We’ve still got some tinkering to do with the lines, still have some prospects that might fill them out in the coming games. So no, I wouldn’t say we’ve even put our best foot forward yet.”

The Flames continue their road trip in Vancouver on Saturday night against the Canucks.

[nuka]

followin

[Edmontonoilersfan70]

Definitely following! Sweet setup!

[pbbm]

Thanks guys! It's always great to hear from people.

[SENS_AK27]

Great stat tables. I know the work that goes into the level of detail so it's much appreciated.