The skipper, Darryl Sutter, blamed this latest loss on a lack of emotion, saying that starts with the locker-room leadership group.
The final buzzer had just sounded at the Saddledome, the fans too disheartened to even bother booing after a listless 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Bad was about to turn worse.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result,” wrote Huberdeau’s representative, Allan Walsh, on his Twitter account. “Also, negativity sucks the joy right out of players. cc: @NHLFlames”
That last part sure feels like a shot at Sutter, who is notorious for his demanding and hard-driving style.
As if the Flames didn’t have enough issues already …
They lack firepower and finish, something that has been especially noticeable on a power-play that ranks in the bottom-third in the league.
Their goaltending hasn’t been up to snuff. That was already a recurring storyline before Dan Vladar — with an opportunity to claim the starting job from Jacob Markstrom — had arguably his worst outing of the season against the Red Wings.
Now, there are questions about whether there is strong enough leadership in the locker-room and whether there is a strained relationship between Sutter and the superstar left-winger acquired in a blockbuster summer swap with the Florida Panthers.
Gulp.
Huberdeau, 29, is on pace for the largest offensive drop-off in NHL history. He piled up 115 points on behalf of the Panthers in 2021-22. He is currently tracking for 55 in his first campaign in Cowtown.
“My game is different here, the way you’ve got to play,” Huberdeau told NHL.com on the Flames’ recent road-trip. “I’ve got to be way better, and I’ve got to find a way to be way better. That’s the adjustment.”
Walsh, who is fiercely protective of his clients and isn’t a rookie when it comes to causing a Twitter stir, hinted that Huberdeau’s frustration goes far beyond what shows up on the stat-sheet. It’s only natural to wonder how many of his teammates might be feeling the same way.
Now 64, Sutter sits ninth on the NHL’s all-time wins list. Even before he guided the Los Angeles Kings to a pair of Stanley Cup parades, he had a reputation for squeezing every last drop with a never-satisfied style. He eases off the gas about as often as an Andretti.
But the Flames haven’t responded in the same way that they did last winter. Have his tough tactics worn thin? Has the culture soured at the Saddledome?
This crew is currently on the playoff bubble, but they have managed just one victory in five games since returning from the bye/all-star break. While they should have been fuming after blowing a late two-goal lead in Monday’s meltdown/overtime loss in Ottawa, they didn’t look too ornery against the Red Wings. They were more meh than mad.
“I think there was a lack of emotion in our game,” Sutter assessed. “That’s a concern of mine. After long trips, I’ve seen it this year in the first game back a lot.”
And who’s that on?
“It’s a little bit of the leadership of the group,” Sutter replied.
“I’m supposed to be a leader, so I’ll take responsibility for not having everybody ready,” Tanev said after Thursday’s dud. “We’ve been a rollercoaster all year. Good one game, suck the next. Good one game, suck the next. That’s on the leaders in here. That’s me. It’s my fault.”
His fault? His teammates would surely dispute that. The 33-year-old blue-liner is as consistent as anybody on Calgary’s roster.
But Tanev is bang-on with his rollercoaster comment. And after that social-media shot from Walsh, you might want to fasten your buckle.
While it’s been an awkward match so far, Huberdeau and Sutter do have at least one thing in common — an already signed-and-filed contract extension that doesn’t even kick in until next season.
Huberdeau has inked the richest deal in franchise history, an eight-year pact with an annual salary-cap hit of US$10.5 million. Sutter is committed for two more campaigns beyond this one.
