The other day, I was asked how many points the Flames would need to make the playoffs.

   Typically, I don’t get wrapped up too much in trying to assess point totals because too many intangibles need t be factored.  Especially with the number of teams chasing down the final playoff spots in the conference.

   Flame GM Darryl Sutter has always assessed that if a teams get 12 points every 10 games, that’s enough to get into the playoffs. That’s 96 points with 2 games left out of the 82-game schedule.

   The theory has proved accurate every year since the league resumed in 2005-06. In fact its been a little high every year except one.  That was the ’06-07 when the Flames finished 8th in the West with 96pt.  Last season and ’07-08 the 8th place team had 91pt.  When in ’05-06 it was 95.

   Right now the Flames have 73 points through 66 games. The Flames can’t get to their GM’s target by the end of 70 games on March 17, but by winning all 4 starting Thursday at home vs Ottawa, they’d have 81pt — 3 off the pace.

   However, over the past 4 seasons, the average point total is 93 points.  So the Flames are pretty close to where they need to be for the average.

   However, they can afford very few slip-ups over the final 16.

   In their first 10 games since GM Sutter made his first 2 trades and brought up Mikael Backlund from Abbotsford, they’ve compiled a 6-3-1 record.  That’s 13pts — one more the the 12pt standard.   The second set of 10 would be a better guage. 

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