When Sutter was brought in, the good ship Calgary Flames were rudderless and needed a big correction. The coaching carousel was never ending. Star players were underperforming.
At the time, I think he was the right guy to bring in to give the core one last push. In hindsight I think losing Gio had more of an impact that we realize, because he was that established, respected Captain that could have been the barrier between the team and Sutter.
Last season was a disaster in many different ways. The team lost their identity with Gaudreau and Tkachuk leaving. They were left floundering with a guy that everyone hated in the Head Coach position.
It's crazy to think that when Sutter returned to coach LA, nobody gave him the time of day. The game has passed him by. He was a dinosaur. That was 10 years ago. 2 cups later he proved everyone wrong.
Well now, I think his detractors are finally right. His methods don't have a place in the league anymore. I do think there was a method to his madness. He had reasons for his lineup decisions, he had reasons for how and what buttons he pushed. But those methods just don't work anymore.
It's kind of a sad end to a pretty great career, but it was a fitting end.
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