The Calgary Flames were one of the biggest surprises in 2014-15. The Flames fell to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round four games to one, but they generated a lot of buzz and got a lot of fans talking. One person the Flames impressed was Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau.
After eliminating the Flames, Boudreau had some high praise for the squad.
Via The Score:
“They’re difficult. Every game. Two overtimes of the five. They score with 20 seconds to go (in Game 3). They’re resilient as all get out. You give that big line a chance and they put it in. (Johnny) Gaudreau scares you every time he touches the puck.
You could tell that they’ve got great character. They didn’t have a lot left, but they were giving it everything they had. In the future, that’s a team that’ll be very, very good.”
The Flames have some solid young talent and consistently found ways to win despite the fact that the team often mocked advanced statistics. Grit, heart and character are traits you can’t really measure, but the Flames managed to pick up wins and Boudreau believes the future is bright for the organization.
Things are trending upward for the Flames, but there are issues to address over the summer. Despite their crazy season, eventually the Flames will have to address their dismal Corsi figures and play a more rounded game. Several pieces of the puzzle are in place, but the Flames have some work to do to make a deeper Cup run.
