I am super excited after that media availability.
I will start this off by saying that we shouldn't expect a drastically different team on Thursday than what we have been seeing. This is going to take time to turn things around and make them play well. I am just hoping for wins - either deserved team wins or undeserved steals by the goalies - until this team is turned-around.
I am pumped because of practices. I asked if anyone knew how Ward had this team practicing, but nobody knew it seemed. Sutter is running uptempo practices at game-speed. That's so critical, and I don't understand how coaches are employed when they aren't running games at full speed. Yes, there are things you slow down when teaching or fixing an issue, but practices should be 100% game speed - that's how you make things become second nature.
Hartley's practices were at game speed, and I clearly remember those being lauded by media types around the NHL during games. He would run a fricken game-day skate at full speed. Flames were always ready to compete and played at a high level all the time. I remember the contrast with the Edmonton Oilers at the time, and how slow their practices were.
If you are always practicing at a slow speed, doesn't it just seem obvious that you would have a bit of trouble when things start happening at game speed? It throws all your timings off.
As for 'the system' - yes, Darryl said that the system is not the problem, but the style is. It is how they are playing within the system that is the problem (and I linked speed and being hard on pucks as to what he meant by style). However, he also is stressing "Protecting the goalie" - I don't think either goalie has been protected at all this season. He wants the wingers to protect the boards, the centre to protect the middle of the ice, and the defencemen to protect the middle of the ice. I think we are going to see a reinforcement of structure on this team that is much needed and greatly overdue - I must sound like a broken record continually whining about how this team bleeds chances over and over again, and I did my best this season to not do that during the wins.
I like the message today. I like how this is changing again. It is 'back to being business' at practices - work hard. Back to being defensively responsible. Sutter also said that the PP needs work (felt it lost them the game on Sunday). He also said the first period by the Flames on Saturday against Edmonton was the best period that any team in the NHL played this season.
So for me, the big takeaways were:
- Uptempo game-speed practices
- focus on protecting the goalie
- wingers protect boards, centre middle of the ice, defencemen middle of the ice as a defensive structure
- wants to generate more offence, and thinks it will happen by playing with speed
- won't be much in the way of a systems change, just some adjustments in a lot of areas
This is really what I wanted to see happen. Ticks off every box for me