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Calgary nearly missed the playoffs last season, but everyone is acting like they were cellar-dwellers and will be again in 2013.

Not so fast.

The Flames have a few things, stats-wise, going for them. First of all, they were terrific against the rest of the Northwest Division last year, posting a 15-6-3 record. Also, they have proven to be a great home team in the past several years. They need to improve in road games, but fans at the Saddledome are accustomed to seeing more wins than expected.

Looking at additions, Calgary also had a decent offseason. It added veteran defenseman Dennis Wideman, experienced winger Jiri Hudler, and two youngsters with a lot of potential in Roman Cervenka and Sven Baertschi. Also, former Stanley Cup coach Bob Hartley is the new man behind the bench.

The Flames may put some big wins together and become a surprise team in 2013.