All Things Sutter

[FlamesAddiction]

I noticed a lot of Sutter related talk in a few threads so I thought I would start a dedicated thread to discuss all things related to the coaching.

The biggest topic lately is the line combos. I don't think anyone really likes what they are seeing. Personally, I understand why Sutter wants to demote some guys. Sutter puts a lot of emphasis on intensity, and a player even if talented, is not going to be rewarded with more ice-time if they are not putting in the work. The problem is, short of Ruzicka, the other players getting moved up can't generate much.

With all that said, I wonder if Huberdeau can ever be a Sutter player. He is super creative and attacks open pucks well. Positionally, he has a high HQ and he is good at getting position over defensemen around the net. But he is not an intense player when it comes to his movement. That constant high-energy movement is something that I think Sutter really wants from all his forwards. Huberdeau just doesn't seem like that type of player, and at 29, I am not sure you can teach him to be. I can't help but think it's going to be a disastrous relationship.

[gvitaly]

Good coach, knows what it takes to win. He's got 2(3) cups and he is on his way to the Hall of Fame as one of the absolute best coaches in the game.

He can be stubborn with some of his player use, and he has a shelf life, but he has definitely earned a very long leash from the organization. He pretty much single-handedly made this team into a contender last year. The Jack Adams was well deserved.

The bottom line, he is my coach of choice while we are in our contention window.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

you get lines to gel by sticking to them . our original lines had traction on 3 of them and with a bit more time would probably get the 4th going too

also good offensive teams tend to stack their talent

ds might be the only coach dispersing fourth line energy players across all 4 lines

trying to be the smartest guy in the room tends to backfire in this league . stick to tried and true formulas and just be an excellent individual motivator ... all Darryl has to do here

instead he's trying to play 4d chess of some kind

just stop it darryl

[Major Major]

Not surprised by a slow start in the least given the core transplant. Funny that many predicted a slow start for the flames but a stronger playoff team. Now that the first part has come true, people are panicking including those that made the prediction. This team will start firing around game 35 and not look back. And we will once again marvel at the job Sutter has done.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

it is funny . i think we all said it would be a slow start in the off season and yet people are losing their minds over being .500 .. it is going just about how we thought it would .. what really matters is how the season ends and if its better than last spring . really its all that matters if we're honest

just get in .. and incrementally improve as a group along the way

[Manhattanboy]

I lost a good amount of respect for Sutter with the take a #### comment.

Stupid and unprofessional. Hardly a way to welcome your new franchise player.

[CroCop]

Sutters been coaching this season like his best days are behind him. Bizarre

[sss1]

Okay but what about his new facial hair goatee-moustache thing? Could it be that it makes him feel younger, thereby increasing his confidence and making him more persuasive amongst his players?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I lost a good amount of respect for Sutter with the take a #### comment.

Stupid and unprofessional. Hardly a way to welcome your new franchise player.

I still don't get how this turned into anything, let alone something AGAINST Huberdeau by Sutter? It was an off the cuff comment as a joke because Sutter doesn't generally address injury inquiries immediately following a game. That's ****ing it.

[Winsor_Pilates]

The team is carrying the game on most nights and putting up 40+ shots often.
A few saves from the goalies and a better shooting performance from the forwards and no one would be questioning Sutter.
I blame coaches when the issues seem systematic. The current issues are execution problems from the players.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I still don't get how this turned into anything, let alone something AGAINST Huberdeau by Sutter? It was an off the cuff comment as a joke because Sutter doesn't generally address injury inquiries immediately following a game. That's ****ing it.

Yeah I saw people complaining about it in another thread and framing it like Huberdeau is upset by it. I don't get how any adult, especially a pro, would take that as anything other than a joke.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by CroCop

Sutters been coaching this season like his best days are behind him. Bizarre

not at all like his line management last season , which was much more consistent and sensible .. i don't get the sudden philosophy change , nor do I understand his angle here

[dino7c]

I hope this ages like I think it will

[boogerz]

The frustrating part is how solvable the problems upfront are. Sutter just needs to stop playing Lewis and Lucic on anything other than the 4th line, stop rolling the 4th line as a regular line that sees >10 ES mins/night, and trust the youngins more.

Also, the best teams right now (Bruins, Devils, Avs, Knights, Canes, Stars) all have a big line that's head and shoulders above the rest of the lines (not unlike last year's Gaudreau line). There's no excuse why Kadri and Huberdeau haven't been tried as a combination yet (outside of one game) instead of unsuccessfully spreading the talent around

No idea how you fix Markstrom though. Maybe get him Robin Lehner's sports psychologist or something

[Erick Estrada]

The line combinations were fine to start the season but for whatever reason Darryl wasn't satisfied with the lines when they got off to a good start, changed things up, and has stuck with these lines that simply haven't been working. To make things worse he's not playing his best forwards nearly enough and giving depth players far too much ice time. I don't know why he's doing these things but we can only hope that he starts riding the teams best players more soon before the team falls too far behind.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I don't think the problem is with Sutter, I think it's how the team is constructed.

We came into the season raving about defensive depth. I understand you need a solid top 4, but I really don't believe that having the amount of cap the Flames have tied into 6D the way they do is beneficial at all.

They should have come into the season with a solid top 4. Most teams give the majority of the minutes to the top 4, with the bottom pair playing minimal minutes. Then we could afford to have a ~6M RWer to balance out the lines with cap space to spare. The problem, like many said going into the season, is scoring goals. That's not on Sutter.

[Toonage]

The strangest thing so far this season with Sutter, was his admission that he shouldn't have messed with the lines. Then his not going back to them full time.

I get the feeling he's willing to burn a season to send as many messages as he can to the group he has.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I hope this ages like I think it will

Which part? Or are you against threads that talk about stuff?

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Which part? Or are you against threads that talk about stuff?

Only if it's to discuss how hard our schedule is.

Team is in great shape we are 7-9 because we have played to many good teams.

[Toonage]

Its a legit excuse, had the Flames played Arizona or Chicago etc they may have fared better given how they've played to this point.

That said, playing those teams is also a very good litmus test of where you are as a franchise. Are you a top tier team? The season started pointing in that direction and has since taken a sharp downward turn. Treading water until you face teams closer to where you're at seems possible but you still have to win those games. And again, this team is trending downward. Those aren't guaranteed in the least.