Can the Flames Ditch the Game 1 Curse?

They say that starting off on the right foot can make a huge difference. For the Calgary Flames, they haven’t started off on the right foot too often in the last few decades. While one game hardly makes or breaks your season, sometimes that first game can really set the tone for the season.

Here’s a list of how Game 1 of 82 has gone since 1994-95.

• 2018-19: 2-5 L at Vancouver
• 2017-18: 0-3 L at Edmonton
• 2016-17: 4-7 L at Edmonton
• 2015-16: 1-5 L vs Vancouver
• 2014-15: 2-4 L vs Vancouver
• 2013-14: 4-5 SOL at Washington
• 2012-13: 1-4 L vs San Jose
• 2011-12: 3-5 L vs Pittsburgh
• 2010-11: 0-4 L at Edmonton
• 2009-10: 5-3 W vs Vancouver
• 2008-09: 0-6 L at Vancouver
• 2007-08: 2-3 L vs Philadelphia
• 2006-07: 1-3 L vs Edmonton
• 2005-06: 3-6 L at Minnesota
• 2003-04: 1-4 L at Vancouver
• 2002-03: 0-3 L vs Vancouver
• 2001-02: 1-0 W vs Edmonton
• 2000-01: 3-4 L vs Detroit
• 1999-00: 3-5 L vs San Jose
• 1998-99: 3-3 T at San Jose
• 1997-98: 1-3 L vs Detroit
• 1996-97: 1-3 L at Vancouver
• 1995-96: 3-3 T at Tampa Bay
• 1994-95: 3-3 T at Winnipeg

Okay I think you get the picture. In case you didn’t feel like counting that’s a record 2-18-1-3 since 1994-95. In the last 24 season opening games, the Flames have won just two times. Heck they’ve even tied more than they’ve won and ties haven’t been a thing in 15 years. I can’t confirm this, but I can’t imagine there’s a team worse than this over that stretch on their opening games.

The Flames have managed just 47 goals for in their last 24 opening games (1.96/game) compared to allowing 91 goals against (3.79.game). It has just been ugly. If Calgary is unable to pull a win out of Colorado on Thursday, that would’ve been a whole decade since their last win to start a regular season.

If there’s a little bit of a bright side with this, it’s that they’ve bounced back to go a combined 14-8-2 in the second games of the season, which isn’t horrible as they’ve been able to avoid 0-2 starts a number of times.

A win over Colorado would feel great for revenge from last spring, but also starting off on the right foot would feel great for the team and for a fanbase that only seen their team start undefeated once in the last 17 years.