First it was Blasty jerseys, now it’s a full retrofit with Darryl Sutter assuming head coaching duties with the Calgary Flames.

Do good things come full circle?

darryl sutter flames

 

As everyone called for the firing of Geoff Ward who seemed to be over his head in many games, what they didn’t expect was to get the man just a few hours North on highway 2 to assume the reigns. Did anybody think this through? Well you get what you pay for, or at least what the COVID season permits, and Sutter will be returning on a 3-year deal. Consider it Brad Treliving’s last coach as GM. You can’t keep hiring and firing in search of what works. This is it folks. Win with this team or it’s time for ‘rebuild’.

The question most fans have is in what way has Sutter changed his approach to the game as coach? We know he’s a terrible GM (he sunk the Flames for years with dubious moves), but he’s a formidable winning coach. Does his style and approach, however, work in a modern era? Time will tell. Although to be fair, it wasn’t that long ago Sutter coached LA, so he’s not far removed from the game (recently working for Anaheim too).

The main asset, apart from pedigree, and what most all can agree upon, is Sutter’s penchant to bring out the best in players. This ‘player led’ team where the GM thought a ‘players coach’ would fit, will get the exact opposite in Sutter. He’ll beat the piss out of players who don’t want to stick to details and play with intensity. So with that, I say, welcome Darryl, I like that you have unfinished business.

 

The move comes at an unfortunate time for the Calgary Flames who are in free-fall. Their lack of consistency is shattering their chances at a playoff spot in this pandemic season. Is it too little too late? The tight Northern Division gives a glimmer of hope IF the team can string together consistent wins. Right now that’s a feature missing from the team’s game. Getting blown out by Ottawa repeatedly doesn’t bode well for their immediate fortunes.

So fans will wait and see, and in the meantime we can laugh at some more memes.