[SuperMatt18]

Let's look at the team has a whole in those stretches.

First 15 Games:

GP: 15
Points %: .567 (8-6-1)

5v5 Corsi For %: 50.8%
5v5 xGF %: 53.0%

Shooting Percentage: 10.2%
Save Percentage: .913 (9th)

First 15 games weren't so bad. Markstrom had a couple games where he really kept the team in it.

Then from Feb 16 (potential Markstrom injury) - March 5 things weren't great.

GP: 9
Points %: .389 (3-5-1)

5v5 Corsi For %: 50.4%
5v5 xGF %: 47.7%

Shooting Percentage: 7.8%
Save Percentage: .885

Just a horrible stretch from both an on-ice and goaltending perspective. This stretch is why Geoff Ward gets fired.

March 5th (Ward Fired/Markstrom returns) - April 5th (Flames had a 5 day break April 6-9).

GP: 16
Points %: .344 (5-10-1)

5v5 Corsi For %: 54.2%
5v5 xGF %: 52.1%

Shooting Percentage: 7.6%
Save Percentage: .887

This stretch killed the season. Underlying stats were good, but goaltending and shooting percentage was just cratered at that point and team had no confidence.

And now since that break they've been okay again.

April 6 - Now

GP: 12
Points %: .583 (7-5-0)

5v5 Corsi For %: 55.4%
5v5 xGF %: 59.8% (2nd in the league in this time)

Shooting Percentage: 9.6%
Save Percentage: .912

So the team overall did rebound under Sutter, they just got crap goaltending the first 16 games with him as coach as Markstrom tried to recover from his injury.

Flames first 15 games and last 12 games have been okay, going 15-11-1 in that stretch. But there is a 25 game stretch, right around where Markstrom got hurt, where this team was outright bad though. Going 8-15-2 in that stretch, and poor goaltending was a big part of that.