"What gets overlooked - always - is how hard it is to make the playoffs," said Head Coach Darryl Sutter. "The league's changed a lot. … It's changed a lot because there's not a separation. It's a fine line.
"If you're looking ahead at being a playoff team, you're not going to make the playoffs. Very clearly, you have to set yourself up to make the playoffs.
"You break your schedule out and stay in it."
That was the process that helped the Flames to their second-best season in franchise history last year: Fifty wins, 111 points, their second division crown in the past four years. All of it, impressive.
But Sutter is bang on. There's no time to ease up and rest on your laurels. The margin between the haves and have-nots last year was razor-thin, with the Vegas Golden Knights and their 43 wins missing out on the dance altogether. Eight others in the West - Calgary included - did better. One week in either direction, good or bad, can make all the difference over the course of 82 games.
Hence, the goal remains unchanged.
As good a season as the Flames had last year, there are no guarantees in this league. They have to earn their spot, just like anyone else.
Even the champs.
The Avalanche open their season on Wednesday, at home to the Chicago Blackhawks, when they will raise their championship banner to the rafters at Ball Arena.
With Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Co. leading the charge, the Avs are the odds-on favourite to win the Central Division, and should prove to be another tough out when the playoffs get going later in the spring.
Knowing the road to Lord Stanley will likely go through Denver, the Flames are the ones hoping to unseat them. And what better way to make a statement than to start with an opening-night victory?
"It's important not to get too far ahead of ourselves," said Jacob Markstrom, whose .922 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average made him a Vezina Trophy finalist last year. "It's easier said than done, because like you said, you want the season to start. (We've) been waiting a long time - pretty much after since the day it ended last year, you want to get back it and you feel like you've got more to give.
"It's a long summer and a long process to get the body where it should be for the start of the season. Now, we're a few days out. It's just small details in my game. And overall, getting everybody on the same page and pushing in the same direction is going to be really important off the start here."
The Flames have had a busy week at practice, using the first two days to focus - predominantly - on special teams. The Jonathan Huberdeau-led, No. 1 powerplay unit has gotten plenty of reps in and looks as good as it has at any point in training camp.
There's also been an emphasis on battle drills, with the players getting up close and personal with each other in the corners, and ratcheting up the intensity even further.
It looks like a team that's ready to come out swinging and hopefully live up to the hype.
"The pressure, I don't listen to a lot of people around the league," Markstrom said. "Obviously, it was disappointing [the way it ended last year]. But as disappointed as the fans and supporters of the club (were), there was no one more disappointed than me after the Edmonton round. But it is what it is. It happened. You've got to be move on and you can't affect or control what happened in the past.
"You've got to move on from it.
"It's a new season and a new team for us."
