Sutter has had a lot of success, and part of it has to involve believing in his system and structure. But it didn't work this year and he apparently refused to adapt. Any time he actually switched lines it seemed like desperation and button pushing, not actual thought about what might work for certain players.
Maybe his style flaws were covered up by great goaltending last season and exposed by poor goaltending this season. And partly by the top line just doing what they wanted anyway (I seriously think Tkachuk in particular could be a guy that says "OK coach" and then does whatever he wants anyway).
I think it's the same with a lot of these types of coaches. Wins cover up a lot of warts and issues. Flames had a great regular season and a handful of players with career seasons so fans and media certainly aren't going to point the bullseye on the head coach. Not a lot different than Gallant in that he comes in and has immediate success and then as the success tapers, you start hearing the whispers about him being stubborn and the players start getting tired of him. It seems that to be successful today a head coach needs to listen to others and has to have a firm but fair hand, knowing when to let off the gas. That smartest man in the room schtick more than not is going to lead to a short shelf life as Babcock was likely on course to get fired even if that Marner story doesn't blow up as that room was tiring of his act.
Except having legit complaints and voicing them to the coach is what a pro should be doing. Huberdeau has been a very successful player, he knows the game. Backlund is a super consistent player - he knows the game. They may have been making the same suggestions all year and were ignored. Then Stecher comes in for a month and thinks they are pouting because they likely have normal human reactions. Players are going to talk about the coach and the strategies. And I bet complainers, or even guys who, like Huberdeau seems to have done, just have different notions about how to do things, are written off as "pouting".
When you have the likes of Backlund getting into it with Sutter, this is a huge thing IMO.
Funny to argue that someone here might understand the dressing room better than Stecher. Aren't his comments just another data point?
IMO seems fruitless to argue about who was pouting and who wasn't since we just don't know everything. All we can really tell is who played well and who played terribly.
Funny to argue that someone here might understand the dressing room better than Stecher. Aren't his comments just another data point?
IMO seems fruitless to argue about who was pouting and who wasn't since we just don't know everything. All we can really tell is who played well and who played terribly.
This is true. We don't even know the definition of pouting he uses. I'm arguing though that Stecher may not have had the same handle on Sutter as a coach as, say Backlund.
Why does anyone care what Stecher, a career bottom pairing defensemen who bounces pretty liberally from team to team and never "fits", thinks about our players/ room?
This is a guy who has been on 5 teams since 2020. His read on our room and the quality of rooms in general is not worth consideration.
yeah, listen to Weegar on the Fan 960 this morning. A bit of a different picture painted
What did he say on Fan 960?
Edit:
- No problem with Darryl at all
- "My interactions with Darryl were all good"
Pretty cliche answer but one thing I'll say is he really emphasized the "MY interactions"
I don't really like the spitting chiclets / missing curfew guys but one thing they do tend to be able to do is get the guys to give way more candid answers. The answer on that show was way more insightful into the inner goings of the Flames locker room than anything he said on 960 which was more the typical NHL answer.
Last edited by SuperMatt18; 05-08-2023 at 12:28 PM.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to SuperMatt18 For This Useful Post:
Why does anyone care what Stecher, a career bottom pairing defensemen who bounces pretty liberally from team to team and never "fits", thinks about our players/ room?
This is a guy who has been on 5 teams since 2020. His read on our room and the quality of rooms in general is not worth consideration.
Do you not think that a player who has experienced 5 "rooms" would have a better perspective on "rooms" than a player who has experienced, say, 1 "room"? Whether he is a bottom pairing defenseman, or not?
Backlund's best chance at a cup is probably a trade. Sadly, this has become a familiar experience with long-term fan favourites.
If Backlund truly wants a chance to win a cup, it’s best for him to seek a trade to a contender. I am sure he also realizes this team is not close, and is willing to move on. I don’t blame him either. He has been a warrior.
Do you not think that a player who has experienced 5 "rooms" would have a better perspective on "rooms" than a player who has experienced, say, 1 "room"? Whether he is a bottom pairing defenseman, or not?
S_C
I would suggest that taking the word of a perennial outsider to locker rooms on internal chemistry and balance, and thereby judging when someone is "whining" or "pouting", is stupid.
The Following User Says Thank You to Monahammer For This Useful Post:
I would suggest that taking the word of a perennial outsider to locker rooms on internal chemistry and balance, and thereby judging when someone is "whining" or "pouting", is stupid.
I'm not sure it's stupid - Stecher may be a great guy to intuit this, but IMO Backlund's view is weightier. Or maybe Weegar who has been a mainstay on two teams and also has seen Gallant, Boughner, Quenneville and Sutter coach (as well as Brunette as an AC).
I'm not sure of the wisdom of a player using the words complain and pout like that anyway. I liked Stecher's time but those words sure don't sound like somemone who is in with the other guys on his team.
- No problem with Darryl at all
- "My interactions with Darryl were all good"
Pretty cliche answer but one thing I'll say is he really emphasized the "MY interactions"
I don't really like the spitting chiclets / missing curfew guys but one thing they do tend to be able to do is get the guys to give way more candid answers. The answer on that show was way more insightful into the inner goings of the Flames locker room than anything he said on 960 which was more the typical NHL answer.
Agreed on all accounts. The Player interviewing Player thing seems to naturally disarm the guests in a way that interacting with other Media doesn't. I think it's likely a window into the sort of chat 'insiders' hear buzz of
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
Thats why Flames fans make ideal Star Trek fans. We've really been taught to embrace the self-loathing and extreme criticism.
