There's more to being a head coach than just implementing a system. They have to motivate and get the most out of their best players. Mike Johnston in Pittsburgh is a good example. Better system and much better defensively but Crosby, Malkin, etc saw their numbers drop off and eventually it's started to drag the team down. They bring in a different guy and they win the cup. Coaching matters and sometimes coaches are a bad fit for a locker room. Hartley's teams had a lot of enthusiasm and spark and that's one of the biggest differences as this team just doesn't have the same enthusiasm and jump.
You know some of the players obviously hated playing under a head coach that pushed them hard but it appears that's wat they needed. Let's not forget when Darryl Sutter took over the Flames he was quick to improve the work ethic. He was hard on Iginla and the rest of the team but it appears that was the only way to get the best out of them.
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