Nashville Predators: Way too early Western Conference Power Rankings

Calgary Flames (1-1-0, 2 pts)

Calgary bounced back from the Connor McDavid opening night show with a 6-3 thrashing of the Winnipeg Jets. Johnny Gaudreau is off to a solid start with four early points (1 G, 3 A) and Mike Smith will be a welcome presence in net after all the turmoil between the pipes the last few seasons. Like with a lot of teams, chemistry and offensive continuity looked to be a bit of an issue on opening night, but I give props to teams that get it corrected quickly.

Now I know Winnipeg isn’t exactly a stalwart when it comes to sound defensive hockey, but a six-goal performance is good to see nonetheless. As active as any defenceman in the league, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton will look to contribute to what can be a very up-and-down forward group. Brodie has already picked up a pair of goals on the year and he will be a big part of the Flames’ power play all season long.

Calgary has a trip to Anaheim and Los Angeles on tap before taking on the Senators and the Canucks later in the week. With four games in six days, this week will go a long way in determining how legit Calgary is.