I don't understand how this team can be so bad.
That was my thought on Sunday morning, as I reflected back upon the first five games of the 2015-16 season. The Flames had added bodies over the summer, but otherwise it's the same team as last season. Seeking some understanding, I had some coffee and dug into the individual player underlying numbers, seeking a pattern.
Now I get it, somewhat.
The Calgary Flames are under-performing, to put it kindly, because their best players are playing very poorly right now.
DEPLOYMENTS
The Flames have played three of their first five games at the friendly confines of the Scotiabank Saddledome, giving Bob Hartley and his staff a huge amount of control over the situations, match-ups and deployments his players face.