- 10 Sunday games, 2 of which are afternoon games (24 Feb @ Minnesota & 16 March @ Chicago)
- 6 Monday games, the least of any day.
- 19 Tuesday games, the most of any day
- 7 Wednesday games
- 14 Thursday games
- 10 Friday games
- 16 Saturday games, 12 of which are on HNiC
Of road trips or homestands lasting 4 games or more there are six:
- A 4-game road trip early in the season (games 3-6, Detroit, Dallas, Nashville, Colorado)
- Followed immediately by a 7-game homestand (games 7-13, Los Angeles, Edmonton, San Jose, Minnesota, Colorado, Nashville, Detroit)
- A 6-game road trip in December (games 30-35, Chicago, Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, St Louis, Columbus)
- A 4-game homestand broken up by the All-Star game (games 49-52, Los Angeles, Minnesota, San Jose, Dallas). After a quick trip to Edmonton the Flames have 3 more games at home making 7 home games in 8.
- A 5-game road trip right after the 7 in 8. (games 57-61, San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, Dallas)
- A 4-game trip in mid-March (games 70-73, washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus)
- A 4-game road trip to end the season (games 79-82, Vancouver, Edmonton, Minnesota, Vancouver)
That final four on the road is a little worrying as they could be important. Nine of the last thirteen are on the road so let's hope the team has more success on the road this season. Compared to last year's road schedule there are a few more 4-or-more game road trips. Last year there was two 4-game trips, one at the beginning of the season (games 4-7) and one near the end (games 76-79) and a 6-game trip just before Christmas (games 29-34). I like this better I think. Get the travel out of the way in bigger chunks. I don't know if they are truly comparable but years ago I had to make trips to three centres in Poland plus Prague and Moscow from my German office and I would go to great lengths to put all the visits together in one week rather than spreading them throughout the month. It made it feel like one effort rather than several comings and goings.
Another thing I notice is that there are no home-and-home meetings. I love those. Really gets my hate on for the Oilers and Canucks. I notice the Oilers have two (versus Vancouver and Minnesota) and those are the only home-and-homes for Vancouver and Minnesota.
I have some strong feelings on the schedule and I hope to post my grand plan for improving it at some point during the season. There is just too much St Louis and Phoenix, for example, on our plate.
There are 21 games televised nationally, 20 in Canada and 1 in the US. Important to people like me who live outside the Flames regional telecast area. Fourteen are on Hockey Night in Canada, two of them on a Thursday including the season opener. Six on TSN and one, against Detroit on the US cable station Versus. I would get the Centre ice package but then I would get nothing else in my life accomplished.
Go Flames Go
pmc
