The Big Monday Thing: Ryan Huska Has Got To Go
Perhaps the Flames should merely consider a coaching change
Only one thing I’ve seen from Ryan Huska of late that has truly surprised me:
This is what Ryan Huska looks like? This biology teacher lookin’ ass is the coach? Of a professional hockey team???
I don’t think so, pal, you gotta go.
Sometimes, when failing to coax the best out of its players, a team must move on from its coach. Trading away every asset on the roster is simply not a viable solution, but a coaching change can send a message that no one is above the logo on the jersey, even the guy who wears a suit and doesn’t have the logo on him anywhere. Unfortunately, I am unaware of any candidates at this time that I would deem ready to take over from the tyranny of Ryan Huska, but I think it’s worth a cursory glance.
I don’t know. Sound off in the comments if you’ve got any ideas here. Who else could possibly coach this team?
The Week of: March 1st-7th
Results From Past Week: /exasperated sigh
If you can collect three of a possible eight points from perennial powerhouses in the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, you throw those in your cart and hit checkout before your brain has a chance to realize it’s being infiltrated by a shopper’s high.
The upside here is that we get to watch the Flames suit up against both these teams a bunch more THIS MONTH ALONE. It’s a good thing we’re taking this season very seriously.
Flames Overall Record: 11-12-3, 25 pts
Standings: I am going to start a merch table with products that simply say “The Calgary Flames are in 5th place in the North Division” because apparently, that is never going to go out of style. $20 for a t-shirt, $45 for a hoodie. We’ve got a business to run here.
Soundtrack: Song In E - Julien Baker
I said last week that there would be space reserved for Julien Baker’s new album here on The Big Monday Thing, and I remain true to my word. Song In E has haunted me every single day since it has been presented to the world, although I can certainly surmise that the opening lyrics (“I wish that I drank because of you and not only because of me”) increasingly do not apply to the Calgary Flames.
What We Liked: It’s virtually impossible to frame anything involving this team moving forward without pinning Darryl Sutter to it. This was (another) weekly dose of ugly hockey offered by the Flames, but that doesn’t preclude any positives that we DID witness during that span. They certainly didn’t deserve to lose in Edmonton, they manhandled the Sens in their lone victory, and while even though I don’t think anyone is particularly bothered by David Rittich at this point, we will never complain about seeing Jacob Markstrom strapping on his pads again.
But I feel like we are collectively unable to delve further past what (insert player here) is going to look like in Sutter’s system, and honestly, that’s exciting. We’re quietly approaching the Circling The Drain portion of this season, but knowing that Darryl has signed on to be the boss for three years, getting an extended preview of what that looks like in 2021 is enticing.
This is no doubt a gamble, and it’s easy to see how a move like this can smell pretty rank in short order, but I personally think Darryl Sutter is an excellent - and far more innovative - coach than his reputation dictates. I feel confident that the skill guys scattered across this roster are only going to improve under his direction.
Things are going to start getting real interesting ‘round here.
What We Would Prefer Not To See: I grew up playing goal. While I know everyone’s lathered up into a hearty chuckle picturing me trying to stop a puck (and let me assure you, it’s even funnier than you think), one thing that I can absolutely guarantee is that trying to handle a puck with a far more unwieldy stick than that of a position player - coupled with an oversized basket on one of your hands - is going to hinder your ability to control a puck. Even if you’re “good” at stickhandling as a goalie, you are still miles behind even your worst defenseman in that capacity.
Which is why no matter who is strapping on the pads for the Flames on a given night, they are sewering their team when they try to handle the puck. Didn’t we all kinda think the routine heart attacks were going to stop when Mike Smith heroically donned an Edmonton Oilers jersey? David Rittich and Jacob Markstrom both seem really keen on trying to make everyone’s job harder than it has to be, and, I hate to say it, but this is as good as they are ever going to get at it. They are maxed out on the puckhandling skill slider.
Both of them have been embarrassed making plays on loose pucks beyond the confines of the crease this year. They’re still out here trying it! Someone stop them! I am begging you, it is killing my children.
Enemy of the Week: Fuck it, it’s Connor McDavid. This guy might be a top 50-100 player in the NHL, and it seems like he elevates himself into the Top 20 when he plays the Flames.
They should do something about that.
What Happens Next/We Were Right:
Last week’s prediction:
Anyway my prediction for this week is that Keith Tkachuk gets the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
All I can say is we have no way of proving this didn’t happen.
The Flames don’t return to action until Thursday, but there’s still a ton going on because Darryl Sutter will be free of all COVID safety protocols and is able to walk into the Saddledome for the first time as a Flames employee since 2010 (the first time we can be proud to see him do so since 2006). Sutter will run his first practice on Tuesday, and take the helm behind the bench on Thursday against the Habs. He once traded his own son, which does not factor into anything I’m saying today, but bears repeating anyway because he traded away his own son.
I guess I’ll just go ahead and predict that the Flames sweep a suddenly desperate Montreal team in this week’s back-to-back matchup. We deserve this.
Yamaha Viking Ad That Is Also An Allegory For Darryl Sutter’s Coaching Career Of The Week:
This is a line from the description of this video:
What you might not know is Darryl was born and raised on the family farm just outside Viking, AB
I’m glad they added that. The people need to know.
Unrelated Fact:
Honestly it’s amazing I don’t get a Sami Zayn reference in here every week.
See You Next Week:
Today is International Working Women’s Day, and not the sanitized International Women’s Day that it has been eroded into. It’s important to keep that perspective because while the day is indeed one to celebrate women, it is also an important protest and commentary on class struggle and unionism, and one that dates back over 100 years. It is a tribute to the solidarity and fight for suffrage that women in brutal working conditions have forever scratched and clawed towards, all in the face of a bourgeois who never intended to give concessions to if they could at all help it.
It is, in fact, a socialist revolution.
While it’s great to want to pay tribute to your mothers, sisters, loved ones, and so forth (all of whom are saints for having to put up with your shit!), it’s important to recognize this day as one that lifts up the women who remain ever vigilant in this continued push for mobilization and a collective goal. It’s why it’s important to celebrate women we see climbing into roles previously unseen, especially women of colour, queer women, and trans women who are always, ALWAYS forced to scrap that much harder. From a hockey perspective -and sports in general - it’s why, yes, it is important to have more women's voices involved at every level, be it the game on the ice, the executives in the front office, or the media covering it. These are the fruits of labour produced by scores of women who faced off against institutions who didn’t care to change anything that took away their power.
But I’m just one white guy writing from a free newsletter that has one woman of colour awash in a sea of white guys on the masthead, don’t take my word for it. I’m learning all this alongside everyone else. Check out this wonderful read from Alexandra Kollontai to learn more about what a vitally important day this is.
See you next week! Twitter didn’t free Ramz, so Ramz just came back. Solidarity.