Flames Shocking NHL With Early Success

The Calgary Flames are undefeated after their first few games, making them one of the biggest early surprises of the season.

Oct 13, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Calgary Flames celebrate a goal scored by forward Justin Kirkland (58) during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Did anyone have the Calgary Flames as one of the handful of undefeated teams to begin the NHL season? The team is 3-0 to begin the year, with impressive victories over the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Edmonton Oilers.

Many expected, and perhaps still do, the Flames to be one of the bottom-feeders of the league this season. Playing in the Pacific Division which is dominated by the Oilers and Canucks, the competition is stiff. But early on, Calgary is showing that the expectations placed on them were shockingly low.

A huge reason for the early success has been the performance of forward Jonathan Huberdeau. The centerpiece of the Matthew Tkachuk trade a few summers ago, it's been a difficult first two seasons in Calgary. He went from a 75 to 85-point scorer with the Florida Panthers to two straight 50-point seasons with the Flames.

But through a handful of games this season, Huberdeau is looking like his old self while leading the Flames. He has three goals and five points through three games, but it's how confident he looks while recording the points that is most noticeable. He had a four point outing against the Flyers, recording a pair of goals over 18 minutes of ice-time. Even more impressive, he did it all during even strength situations.

The Flames have also two goalies battling to be the number one, and that friendly competition is bringing out the best in each other. Youngster Dustin Wolf and veteran Dan Vladar are occupying the net in Calgary, and while the team figures out who will handle the bulk of the starts, they've each churned out a solid performance.

Now, the onus is on the Flames to keep this up. It will be difficult to sustain playing against the powerful Western Conference, but if they can sustain it, they will continue to be one of the most impressive and surprising teams in the NHL this season.

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