Can't multiple things be true at the same time? Sutter is a great coach, but has made some questionable decisions this season.
Look, the Flames have picked up 15 of a possible 22 points over their last 11 games despite continuing to miss Kylington, and their goalie giving up some soft ones lately. Seems like a strange time to be pointing fingers at Darryl for things not going as perfectly as we want them to. While it's true that Huberdeau should be given more freedom to do what he has excelled at throught his NHL career, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Sutter has changed his system from last year or that it's not working. With Gully or Ward coaching this group, these guys are probably 8-10 points or more out of a playoff spot.
Huge changes were made to the core and they're 42 games into the transition period. It's going to take more time for these guys to really get gelling. It'll happen at some point. They already seem to be playing better now than they did 20-25 games ago. Look for more improvement throughout the 2nd half of the season.
To me the bigger story is goaltending. When the team feels it can't trust its goalie to make a big save, it starts playing more scared and conservative, absolutely terrified of turning the puck over, resulting in risk-free hockey, which doesn't lend itself toward generating high-quality chances. In my opinion, solid, consistent goaltending is what opens the team up to playing more assertive, high-tempo hockey, and generating more scoring chances. Whether this team gets said quality goaltending will ultimately determine their fate, IMO.
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