NHL Lessons Learned, Week 7: Flames Burning Bright

The Calgary Flames burned bright during the seventh week of the NHL season.

Nov 23, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames goaltender Daniel Vladar (80) and goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) celebrate after a shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images / Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

With American Thanksgiving around the corner, the NHL season is reaching a point of the season where you can take an accurate temperature. The first quarter of the season is a great indicator for the postseason field,

According to a recent article from ESPN's Arda Ocal, it's more than likely that the playoff bracket at the upcoming holiday will look the same come April. Over the last 10 years, 75% of the teams holding playoff positions at Thanksgiving made the postseason. With that in mind, let's take a look at a few of the lessons learned from the seventh week of the regular season.

1. Flame On!

The Calgary Flames up-and-down season is on the upswing again, as they finished off a perfect home stand over the last week. The team went 4-for-4, beating the Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Minnesota Wild at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames have won four in a row off their home stretch, and it's put them back into the playoff picture in the Pacific Division. What's even more impressive is the lack of an NHL All-Star, or even an elite offensive player, in their lineup.

The Flames are led in scoring by two defensemen, MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. They have some talent on offense, sure, but they aren't winning these games on the back of a superstar. They do it by playing as a unit and relying on some impressive goaltending from the tandem of Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar.

2. Marner-Mania

With Auston Matthews out the past couple weeks, the Toronto Maple Leafs needed someone to step up and fill that void. Mitch Marner gleefully stepped forward, and has been electric. He has 14 points over his last eight games, bringing his season totals to eight goals, 20 assists, and 28 points in 21 games.

Riding the performance of Marner, the Leafs are in the middle of a four game winning streak. With each win, they are becoming more and more dangerous to the Eastern Conference.

The better Marner plays, the more expensive his upcoming contract becomes. Now just months away from unrestricted free agency, the Leafs are losing ground as Marner continues driving up his worth and value.

3. Sabres Gaining Momentum

The Buffalo Sabres have won three straight games and gone 7-3 in their last 10. It's good enough to temporarily grab hold of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Getting starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen back is certainly helping as well. In his two starts over the last week, he's earned a victory in both starts and only allowed two goals on 47 total shots. Combine that with their team playing a cohesive game top-to-bottom, and the Sabres are picking up momentum at an ideal time.

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