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1) The Calgary Flames are firing on all cylinders right now. They have won seven of their last eight games and out-scored the opposition by 14 on aggregate during that stretch. The lone defeat came against Boston in a game the Flames won the chance battle by 15. Mike Smith simply didn't give them the goaltending necessary to win.
Despite this hot streak, the Flames are only four points clear of the Sharks for top spot in the Pacific. The Golden Knights (five points back) are nipping at the heels too.
The good news is Calgary has a really good opportunity to widen the gap a little before heading into the bye week and all-star break.
Their next four games are against Buffalo (three wins in last 10, not a playoff team), Detroit (two wins in last 10, not a playoff team), Edmonton (four wins in last 10, not a playoff team), and Carolina (seven wins in last 10 but, again, not a playoff team).
Life won't be as easy for San Jose or Vegas. At least it shouldn't be. The Sharks have upcoming games against teams like Penguins, Lighting, and Capitals, while the Knights get to deal with the Jets, Penguins, and Predators within the next few games prior to break.
The opportunity is there for the Flames to give themselves a little more breathing room heading into February. We'll see if they take advantage.
2) James Neal has the coaching staff in such a difficult spot right now. He is not a good play driver, penalty killer, forechecker, physical presence, or anything of the sort. If he's not scoring, as is the case now, he really isn't very useful. He probably does more harm than good and, obviously, you want to limit the ice time of any such player.
Of course, all of that changes if and when the puck starts going in the net and there is reason to believe that could happen soon. For one, the percentages are working firmly against him. He is shooting 5% at 5v5 after shooting at least 9.15% every single year. I'd bet on him finishing closer to the norm.
He's also generating chances at a good rate. Over the last 10 games, only Johnny Gaudreau has recorded more at 5v5. On the year he is averaging 8.26 per 60 minutes, which is more than he did in 2015-16 or 2016-17 when he combined to score 39 5v5 goals (he has four this year). Even if he has lost his fastball, it's still reasonable to expect more from him.
The best course of action – at least right now – looks to be continued 3rd line minutes in an insulated role hoping Neal can snap out of this funk and breathe some offense into the bottom-6. If that doesn't happen, and soon, the coaching staff may have to cut his ice a little more. He's just not providing enough (anything?) to warrant much more rope.
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Hotstove: midseason Hart Trophy picks
Smith's struggles continue in loss to Bruins
Predicting the Pacific Division standings
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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