I was perusing the NHL standings recently at www.nhl.com , and was somewhat heartened to notice that it's not just the Flames who are underperforming early in this new season. Take a look http://www.nhl.com/standings/index.html, and you'll notice that Calgary shares the "1 win" distinction with the likes of Philadelphia and Chicago, the former being frequently chosen by pundits to be a stanely cup conteder. In addition, other "critics picks" during the offseason, including Boston and San Jose, have only 2 wins so far, with relatively high goals against totals. And while Vancouver has 2 wins and 5 points, anyone who witnessed their losses to Edmonton and Minnesota recently surely must admit that they are hardly in peak form as well.
While this isn't about excuse making or relative comparison valuation, it is encouraging to see other "high-caliber" teams struggling in the early going - mainly since it helps assuage the fear of the trend continuing. Does anyone think that Philly is going to struggle all year? Is Vancouver going to be as bland and average as they were against the Wild on Wednesday? Probably not. In the same vain, with the players assembled and Sutter at the helm, one can reasonably assume that the Flames will be able to turn it around and start playing quality hockey soon enough...
