[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The players have to be able to self motivate, this isn't the movies where coaches stand up before every game and roll out the motivational speech with a stirring sound track.

I think where Ward is failing is I don't like his breakouts, or line rushes, I'm seeing too much where players are attacking 1 against 3. or going wide and being forced behind the net.

I still think there's a lack of leadership in that locker room, a team coming out trailing and not getting a shot for 12 minutes isn't exactly an indicator of a group of players with a lot of push back.

No thanks to Sutter, I love the guy, he'll always be one of my favorite coaches, but the hardworking grinding team with size that he likes is in the past, and the Flames don't have the personal to play Sutter hockey. I think even Sutter knows that.

This core has had the following coaches

Bob Hartley - Hard a$$ed task manager. Players hated him, turned on him and got him fired.
Glen Gulutzan - Players coach, teaching coach, players turned on him and cost him his job in short order
Bill Peters - Well we know what happened with him, but he was also a hard a$$ed coach that wasn't afraid to call players to account. Even without the racist issues, there were already signs that the players had turned on him.
Ward - Players coach, plays music during practice, players seem like they've turned off their jets.

So to me it doesn't matter what kind of coach you get, this core is a coach killing core no matter who the coach is. There is something rotten in Denmark for a team that's gone through that many coaches in a short time with signs that the players just don't want to play.

Maybe its time to take a flame thrower to the dressing room and do a cultural shake up.

Oh and good luck getting Gallent or Lav's. Coaches aren't stupid, first of all the good coaches will wait for the end of the year so they'll have maximum opportunities. Second of all there's a new expansion team coming. Third any coach that's going to interview with the Flames will look at the Flames history over the last half decade in terms of coaches, and say nah, I've got a guy wanting a set of whitewalls on the other line, I think I'll take that call.

Captain, I appreciate your view, and still think having read and heard quite a few stories about how Sutter worked inside the room, he was able to get teams playing for each other while defending them externally.