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I fully understand that most of you likely don’t read my Toronto Maple Leafs blogs, and for that reason I’d like to reiterate some of what I expressed in my most recent blog.
There is a notion, or perhaps common thought that the youth and inexperience which the Leafs had on their backend was one of, if not a large reason, for their botched 2013-14 season.
I went on to explain how the team’s defensive core averaged 25 years of age last year, with players such as Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner logging big minutes. I then tried to draw a possible correlation between the youth of their defensive roster and some of their failures for the year.
So what does this all have to do with the Calgary Flames!?
Well, I suppose what I’m trying to offer here is a reminder to fans that, well, you’ve actually got it good! Of all teams who are expected to have youth and inexperienced players in their lineup, the Flames actually did pretty well!
Let’s be honest; the Flames were expected to be a terrible team last year, and are expected to be just as bad this upcoming season. Somehow, however, with hard work and dedication this team was very much respected league wide and turned many heads. So why is it that a team who is in the middle of their rebuild can find such balance, when a Toronto team who is arguably “years… ahead, can’t?
This isn’t really an easy question to answer, because if it were, we wouldn’t find so many teams struggling to get consistency in their game. Just like there is not one “formula… to winning the Stanley Cup, there is not one formula to rebuilding a franchise.
The Calgary Flames, as an example, chose to keep certain veterans on their team who possessed high levels of hockey IQ, had something to prove, and would sacrifice their bodies to keep a game tied at 1 despite possibly being 29th place in the league at the time.
I can’t speak for all fans, but as someone who not only watches the Flames closely but also writes about them, I can say that I have been and continue to be impressed with the direction which this team has taken to date. The level of commitment, the no excuses attitude, and utmost professionalism which they’ve demonstrated has been nothing short of what you may expect from a perennial championship team.
That being said, and despite the fact that this club is a few years removed from the playoffs let alone challenging for another Stanley Cup, I’ve got to say that my pride and confidence level with respect to the future of this club are quite high and fans should be smiling.
Thanks for reading.