During his tenure as the Flames head coach, Darryl Sutter was known for being the strong, silent type. The one possible exception to that was he never hesitated to call out Flames players in the Media. Jarome, Dion, Damond, Juice, Robyn, Tony, the list goes on and on. In years past, no one was ever above being named when they weren’t towing the line.Now that he has given up being the bench boss, his time in the media has lessened (probably much to the dismay of every hideous suit and tie producer in Calgary). As a result of less time in front of the microphones, Sutter hasn’t had a chance to call out any of the Flames players in what has proved to be yet another terrible start.
Which brings me to my point; how much longer before Sutter calls out Jim Playfair?
Before we begin, let’s just get a couple of things out of the way up front:
- I understand the season is just beginning.
- I know that Sutter would never have chosen Jim if he didn’t think he was capable of doing a good job.
- I am not panicking about our chances of the playoffs or even the Stanley Cup.
- I am, however, wondering how much longer Sutter will publicly stay silent about the Flames woes.
Let’s look at what has been troubling the Flames thus far this season:
1. Abysmal special teams
2. Inability to win on the Road
3. Top players not producing
4. Goaltending
Sound familiar anyone?
These are the same problems we had last year. However, unlike last year, Jim has decided to do things a bit different than Sutter did:
He has not called out anyone individually.
He has not mixed up his lines.
He has not tried to send the players a message (with a bag skate or other similar unpleasant activities).
Now, Sutter is not an idiot, in fact, despite his terrible wardrobe, he is one smart cookie. He knows that if he steps in and calls out specific players he will be undermining Jim’s authority in the dressing room.
But, what about calling out Jim?
When next he runs into a member of the media, why not talk about how Playfair needs to step up? Although unlikely, here are a couple of reasons why it’s more likely than you might think:
1. Sutter has proven that he is willing to call out any and all folks that need to perform better. What makes the current head coach less of a target than your 7 million dollar forward?
2. Sutter is more than willing to be the ‘big bad boss’ if it will help the team win. Rumor has it that Sutter was extremely well respected when he was the coach, but not particularly well liked. Jim on the other hand, is supposed to be the exact opposite. Well liked, with little respect. Now I know it’s a stretch, but if Sutter called out Jim, he could publicly stand up for himself and earn a bit more respect from the current Flames roster. Think it couldn’t happen? Think again. Sutter knows how to motivate people, at this level, that’s one of the biggest responsibilities of a head coach. If I have thought of this, so has he.
3. Why not? The Flames aren’t playing their best hockey. The four problems I listed have resulted in losses against playoff bubble teams. Playfair looks nervous behind the bench, and, although it’s early, I bet that Sutter feels its time to do something.
Could this happen? It might.
Will this happen? Probably not.
One thing is for sure though, it is something for all you fans out there to think about, and more importantly, comment on.
