C of Red, buckle up. We’re days away from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Calgary Flames are heading in as Pacific Division Champions. Not only does this secure home ice for at least the first two rounds, but it’s a perfect cherry on top of an already magical season. After a season full of milestones and accomplishments, winning streaks and high-scoring affairs, the C of Red is as fired up as ever – and the team will look to continue the upward trend with the hopes of winning their second Stanley Cup. While the final days tick down, let’s dive into some impressive statistics, interesting facts, and an overall analytical perspective of where the Calgary Flames stand.
Note: All statistics are as of April 22nd, 2022.
The Calgary Flames are the only Canadian team in the National Hockey League with multiple division titles in the past decade, as they add this year’s divisional crown to that of the 2018-19 campaign – in which they also topped the Western Conference. The Flames have won the division eight times in franchise history.
Earlier this season, the Calgary Flames became the first team in NHL history to sweep a homestand of seven or more games. They did so during a franchise record-tying 10-game winning streak and 11-game home winning streak. So, having home ice in the playoffs will with no doubt be of great value to the team.
With four games left in the regular season, the Flames are closing in on 50 wins (they are currently sitting at 48). They are also in the race for the William Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the team that allows the least goals during the season. They are floating in the ranks of many top seasons in franchise history – often below only the 1988-89 season, which ended with the Calgary Flames lifting the Stanley Cup.
The Calgary Flames became the first team with nine shutouts through the first 40 games of the season since 2003-04. On the offensive front, they became the first team since 1995-96 to have four different players reach the 30-goal mark by the 65th game of the season. These four players were Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, and Andrew Mangiapane. Fast forward to the 78-game mark, and Tkachuk is the first Flame since Jarome Iginla to hit the 40-goal plateau. With Lindholm sitting at 39, Gaudreau at 38, and Mangiapane at 35 markers, it’s not unlikely that the 40-goal club gains some more new members by the end of the season. All of these numbers are career highs, too.
And, an entire section for Johnny Gaudreau & Matthew Tkachuk:
In February, ‘Johnny Hockey’ made his sixth career All-Star appearance – the most appearances of any 2021-22 NHL All-Star, save for Claude Giroux and Steven Stamkos with seven each.
Johnny Gaudreau’s 38 goals, 71 assists, and 109 points are all career highs.
Matthew Tkachuk’s 40 goals, 60 assists, and 100 points are all career bests, too.
Both American wingers are among the league’s top scorers. League-wide, Gaudreau is 3rd in points and 4th in assists; Tkachuk is 7th in points and 8th in goals. But beyond establishing themselves as one of the NHL’s top duos, the entire Calgary top line is shining in hockey’s biggest stage. The top 3 players in plus/minus in the entire league? Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, and Matthew Tkachuk. But perhaps what is even more impressive than a single line sweeping the top three of a league-wide ranking is the fact that Gaudreau’s plus/minus rating of +60 is the highest of the century. His 85 even-strength points are a century-high as well, meaning that even the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Connor McDavid have never had such numbers. In fact, Gaudreau is just the 18th player in NHL history to have 85+ even-strength points. These stats speak volumes about number 13’s dominance at 5-on-5 and his much improved defensive play – all solidifying his case as a potential Hart Trophy candidate, an honour awarded to the league’s most valuable player of the season.
Gaudreau reached 500 and 600 career points in the same season, along with 200 career goals. His 603 career points in 598 career games played put him just above a point per game rate.
This year, Johnny became the first player selected in the 4th round or later to record 100 points in a season since Daniel Alfredsson in 2005-06. He also became the second U.S.-born player in the past 25 years to achieve the 100-point feat, joining Patrick Kane. Days later, American forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk would join that club as well. This season is the third in NHL history to feature at least three U.S.-born players with 100 points. Gaudreau and Tkachuk are also the fourth pair of Flames teammates to both tally 100 points in a season.
For a read on Calgary’s current roster and the addition of Coach Darryl Sutter, feel free to check out the middle Sports section of one of my previous articles: Putting Calgary on the Map.
In the future, it could be worth taking a look at some era-adjusted stats, MoneyPuck’s analytical evaluation of the Flames’ Stanley Cup odds, and more player comparisons. But for now, the Calgary Flames will round out the regular season with players like Johnny Gaudreau chasing both franchise and league history – before heading into a playoff run with the hopes of bringing Lord Stanley home.