When the expectations are low, life can be pretty good. That’s the silver lining or possible rallying cry of the Calgary Flames this season. After finally acknowledging that it may be time to rebuild the franchise, general manager Jay Feaster has to be pleased with his foundation at the start of this season.

Gone are veterans Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester. Franchise goalie and franchise anchor Miikka Kiprusoff has retired. The countdown to next season’s draft lottery had begun and the promise of Connor McDavid gave the Flames faithful a little bit of hope. But then something happened: The Flames actually put a competitive team on the ice. Coach Bob Hartley is a Stanley Cup winner and has played the “us against the world” or “Bad News Flames” angle perfectly.

Don’t get the wrong idea, Calgary is a proud hockey town and there is some talent on the roster. Realistically though, the youth movement that Feaster initiated meant that there would be a considerable learning curve of a young and inexperienced team. A 3-1-2 start is nothing to frown about, but is it realistic to expect the Flames to be competitive over the course of an 82-game season?

Here are five reasons for the fast start in Calgary. Don’t go planning that Stanley Cup parade just yet, but there is valid reason for optimism.

5. They really aren’t that bad. No, seriously. The Flames got rid of their best players, but honestly, they sucked just as much with Iginla, Bouwmeester and Kiprusoff on the roster. Giving younger players a chance will expedite the scouting process to see if some of the young players can make an NHL roster.  Sure they have some holes in their roster, and the concept of Joey MacDonald as their starting goalie has to be terrifying. Essentially players are auditioning for work every single night, which means there is a massive effort for each and every game.

4. Jiri Hudler-I never thought I would use the term Jiri Hudler and lead by example in the same paragraph. The former Detroit Red Wing had some personal issues in his first season with the Flames (his father passed away a the start of Calgary’s brief training camp), but seemed to find his wheels towards the end of the season. This year, Hudler has led the team in scoring and looks like the player that Calgary hoped he would be when they signed him to a big free agent deal in the summer of 2012.

3. Ignorance-Something Hartley has probably preached to his young squad is to avoid reading the newspapers or looking at statistics. If the Flames were to take a glance at the numbers they might be concerned that they lose more than 55% on face-offs, surrender over 31 shots per game, give up three goals per game and concede power play goals at an alarming 33% rate. Skate hard every shift and no jobs are guaranteed. Outside of hard work and grinding, there probably isn’t that much else that Hartley wants or expects.

2. Sean Monahan- The Calgary rookie might have an expiration date that makes the fans wince, (he could be returned to his junior team if the club decides in the next week or so-within 10 games or less) but real consideration needs to be made about keeping the 19-year old in the NHL. Monahan has impressed coaches, fans and opponents with his maturity and offensive skills. Four goals in his first four games is nothing to sleep on, but the Flames have to decide if and when they want to pay him. Do the right thing Feaster, keep the kid in Calgary.

. “Us against the world” is actually a pretty polarizing mindset, particularly if you have a crafty veteran coach like Bob Hartley preaching it. A young squad full of cast offs, riff raffs and n’er-do-wells can galvanize and believe in the common goal if there is little faith outside of the locker room. The floods over the summer and the desire to succeed for the community can also be considered a legitimate rallying cry.