from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

Now comes the hard part for the Calgary Flames: What to do for the encore?

Just about everything that could go right did so for the Flames last season. A team projected to be in the running for Connor McDavid unexpectedly made the playoffs, and even won a round. The Flames did so despite losing their captain and best player, Mark Giordano, with a biceps injury for the final quarter of the season, plus playoffs. It was a year in which they scored nine times with the goalie out of the net, completing one miracle comeback after another.

Defenceman Kris Russell established a single-season NHL record for blocked shots (283). Right winger Jiri Hudler tied for eighth overall in NHL scoring and won the Lady Byng trophy. Left winger Johnny Gaudreau tied for the rookie scoring lead and was a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Bob Hartley won the coach-of-the-year award. Just about every player who mattered had a career season in Calgary.

Unhappily, the general pattern for teams that make a 20-point year-over-year surge is they tend to fall back the next season, something both Hartley and general manager Brad Treliving are aware of. “Remember the Colorado Avalanche” could be the team’s slogan for the 2015-16.

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