So Geoff Ward was fired after 24 games last year. 11-11-2.
Mr. Darryl Sutter has this team at 15-4-5 after that same stretch. And IMO this record is deciving. Some of those 5 single point losses and a couple of those outright losses can easily be wins, with the Flames the better team on the night.
What's changed? Some 4th liners, line shuffling, and third pairing defenseman...enough, but not much personell wise. The motivation, intensity, and belief that the coach has instilled and preaches is what has changed.
I'm not on the Fire Treliving campaign for every decision that doesn't go in his favour, but his mistake of listening to the players (instead of his gut) to bring back Ward after the Dallas debacle, wasted an entire season for this franchise. Even if Sutter would've been hired a few weeks earlier, they would've surpassed MTL for the playoffs last year, which I don't think would've affected his the Flames approached this offseason, as Sutter still would've brought in his players like Lewis and Richardson and Zadorv and Gudbranson.
I hope Darryl Sutter retires as a Calgary Flame. He got screwed out of a Stanley Cup here, and his forced departure (and, not being allowed to step back behing the bench as he desired) over a decade ago kicked off maybe the worst era of this franchise, thanks to his greasy successor. He proved his pedigree in Los Angeles.
He's back where he belongs, and win or lose this season it is clear how solid a coach and identity, this man is for this team and city.
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