The NHL’s schedule is filled with official dates.
Opening day.
Trade deadline.
Roster declaration.
But there are other critical junctures to bear in mind — those informal, yet oft-telling, benchmarks.
They are ways of tracking progress, especially for an outfit such as the Calgary Flames, clinging to the very fringes of relevancy.
Take American Thanksgiving.
The rule of thumb … if you’re in a playoff spot then, you’ll be in a playoff spot come April.
Well … the Flames flubbed this early-season litmus test.
On Nov. 26, carrying an unsightly log of 8-13-1, they sat sixth in the Pacific Division.