The Calgary Flames won't be playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their season was very far from being a failure.

With the season wrapping up, Ally Chesham takes a look at some of the surprises from the past seven months — the teams and players who exceeded expectations, and those who fell short.

The Calgary Flames managed to defy expectations and finish ninth in the Western Conference. What was supposed to be a draft lottery season turned into a nail-biting wild card race until the end.

The Calgary Flames did what they had to do. In what was essentially a must-win game, the Flames were able to erase a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights by a 5-4 shootout final.