When we previewed the current Calgary Flames season back in October, we framed the situation in the following way: “Welcome to the 2021-22 season, where the Flames will either turn the corner or probably face significant change.”
Good news: the Flames turned the corner (finally) and as they head towards the 2022 trade deadline, they need to embrace that and lean into the opportunity they have to do something special in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. To the extent that the salary cap will allow them, they need to burn the boats.
The term “burn the boats” is traditionally linked to Hernan Cortes leading the Spanish invasion of Mexico in 1519: he ordered his men to destroy their ships upon arriving in Mexico so that they would have to conquer or perish.