A semi-capable Markstrom vs the Houdini act he's pulled since the Edmonton series would have this organization in a completely different place.
He's far and away the number 1 reason the Flames organization has gone through the insane overhaul over the last 2 summers in my opinion.
Sutter had his fair share of in-game management issues (who he'd dress, the lines, ice time, etc.), but overall his system was still as dominant as they come around the NHL and kept the Flames in every game.
For all the blame to fall on Sutter after a period of 1 Playoff round and 1 regular season in which we witnessed:
- Markstrom turn from a Vezina-calibre goalie to incapable in the worst ways.
- the most 1-goal defeats in NHL history
- 17 OT losses (1 less than the NHL record)
- the biggest point drop-off in NHL history from Huberdeau (Sutter deserves a fair bit of blame for his usage, but definitely not all/most of it)
- Kadri completely turning off his GAF meter post-All Star break in which the Flames were never outta the race
Everything that could've went wrong the last season and EDM series has gone wrong, but even if Sutter had tried his hardest to throw this past season away, it took all the hockey gods coming together to just barely keep the Flames out.
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