With a few classic comments at a Calgary Flames press conference today at the Saddledome, Sutter once again caught fans and media by surprise.
The fact that drives me nuts? I continue to fall into this trap.
The Darryl Sutter mantra once again. Under promise, and over deliver. From trade deadlines, to entry drafts it’s been a Sutter pattern, one that time and time again we all fall into.
Mike Keenan was fired on Friday, and with it another new chapter in the Calgary Flames began. It marks another coaching change, a pattern that has seen Sutter himself, Jim Playfair, and Mike Keenan all behind the bench in four years. Too much turn over, too much disappointment, and not enough results.
That last part should be taken with a grain of salt.
The Flames have been a very successful franchise in almost any measurement category over the past few seasons under Darryl Sutter’s watch. If you go by economics, they are now a large market due to winning and the Canadian dollar. Their scouting and drafting has improved considerably despite what the boys at hockeysfuture have to say, and they’ve made the playoffs five straight seasons, and have a cup final appearance to boot.
Are they the Detroit Red Wings? No they are not. But then none of the 29 other NHL franchises can boast that claim.
However unlikely that 2004 run was when the playoffs started that spring, it may actually be a hindrance to the current and recent teams. Sutter mentioned a five year plan when he took over general managing duties, but early success had him forced into a scrap job of said plan and an escalation to take advantage of a roster that looked more ready than he imagined. Another year behind the bench and a division title and all seemed to be well despite a first round loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Now comes the interesting part of recent Flames history.
Sutter assumes the Flames leadership group is ready to lead the team without his grizzled mug behind the bench and entrusts his assistant Jim Playfair to do the job. Mixed results. The verdict? A veteran coach with a history of leaning on players was needed .. enter Mike Keenan. The verdict? The same result.
So where does that leave the club? A big hint that Darryl Sutter himself is returning to coach a team and a core of players that just might have an internal leadership problem – at least that’s what I’d infer from the general managers comments.
Is that a surprise? Hell no. I’ve suggested as much after the 2007 playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings. So what do you do about it? I’m not convinced Sutter can right what has been wrong in Calgary for the past few seasons. The best players have to be the best players and they haven’t been the best players in three years.
Will Darryl Sutter’s gruff persona be the guy to make Jarome Iginla backcheck? Make Miikka Kiprusoff show up in shape and stop giving up weak goals? Will his “presence” on the bench be enough to get team defense out of the much more talented forward group in order to make the real captain of the team – Robyn Regehr much happier in his shut down leadership role from the blueline? And how about Dion Phaneuf; is Sutter the guy to right the ship on a top prospect that took a step back, a step as likely due to injuries as Sean Avery, Elisha Cuthbert or Red Bull.
Personally I can’t wait to find out.
Darryl Sutter’s last appearance behind the Flames bench occurred in a seven game playoff loss to the Ducks as I mentioned earlier. It was the only time in Sutter’s coaching reign that I felt he was outcoached in a playoff series (to rookie Randy Carlyle). I wondered then if his style was that of a pre-lockout NHL, and that the game was leaving him behind. It didn’t matter much as he soon proved to be a formidable GM.
But now if he does return to coach the Flames will he be able to push the buttons (that has to be a pun in Flames lore) like he did when he benched both Craig Conroy and Jarome Iginla in Montreal in his first year behind the Flames bench? Or is his angered voice just a rinse and repeat of the Mike Keenan experiment?
Time will tell, but this much I know; the press conferences next season are going to be a heck of a lot of fun … to be quiet honest.
