When we closed out November, there was an undercurrent of dread among those of us that follow (and cover) the Calgary Flames. The team was not good. The roster? On paper, it was good. But the team had failed to coalesce as anticipated, and as a result the finger-pointing had begun.
The most common person facing the blame for the team's underwhelming play? Reigning Jack Adams Award winner Bob Hartley, Calgary's head coach.
However, two factors have combined to probably save Hartley's job - at least for now. First, Calgary's won a lot recently - albeit usually in ugly, unconventional, and frustrating ways.