I’m not sure when Sutter decided it no longer needed to operate as a meritocracy, but it’s been his worst characteristic this season and yeah, arguably should be a fireable offense since it’s going to cost us Phillips who is going to go off to another team and be St.Louis / Savard 3.0. If I was Phillips I’d be asking the Flames to please try to trade me to anywhere since my career is on the line and there’s nothing more I can do to get into the Flames with a true legitimate shot. Ditto for Pelletier.
Meanwhile we have big name players having huge stretches of games playing like dog####. Old Sutter would have bumped big names down the lineup. This year? Enshrined stations on lines and grumpy face. Hey, why don’t you, oh I dunno, ####ing do something Sutter? Sit people. Move fresh bodies into the line up full of piss and vinegar.
Sorry as displayed by the Blues tonight- the difference between the AHL and the NHL is NOT THAT BIG. It’s in fact likely never been narrower. So many players can slide into NHL lineups and look fine / not out of place. This mystique that the NHL is somehow “a grown man’s league” and the AHL “a boys league” is straight up total BS for the last few years as contracts and the CBA have dictated that teams move more youth from the farm into NHL rosters. Calgary needs to pull heads out of asses at a managerial / coaching level and demote poor play and promote good play from the farm pushing for spots. It is not acceptable to watch whatever Lindholm was dojnh tonight. Bench his ass and move up Duerr or others who are ready to skate and play. Kadri couldn’t have been more disinterested in the 3rd. Why the #### is he starting in OT and look at that horrendous “back check” where he pretends to look like he’s “skating really hard” and the straight up stops at the end. If he was actually going hard the whole way he would have broken up that pass and that cost the team a point. Just lazy.
Get Phillips and Pelletier in and move some bodies to the farm. No reason whatsoever you can’t move guys up and down more. Oh no- somebody might claim Coleman? He makes a billion dollars so no, nobody will and who cares if they do. I believe I was told a couple days ago he’s “elite” which is laughable. What this team needs is a gigantic kick in the ass, and obviously Sutter is not pulling the right strings which is straight up shortening ice time and his bench.
This should be a meritocracy. People are not entitled to ice time.
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