Last year, the Flames were an underwhelming 12-14-3 against Pacific division foes. In fact, the only division rival they had a winning record against was the Vancouver Canucks, at three wins and one loss — otherwise it was .500 or worse across the board.



If Calgary is to fulfill the rebound and get back into the playoffs, beating up on the Pacific is a must. Not a single postseason competitor in 2018 had a record below .500 against their own division. And any club that was a legitimate contender was well above sawing things off.



For the Flames, the way forward starts with the Edmonton Oilers. During Glen Gulutzan’s brief tenure in Calgary, Edmonton became a much bigger concern than they were previously, winning seven of the nine contests between the two teams, including a 3-2-0 mark last year. If Bill Peters is to lead Calgary back to respectability, he must find a way to shake the Oiler’s newfound dominance over his new...