What a difference a new bench boss can make.
Sure, Darryl Sutter was technically the team’s coach in the Flames’ back-to-back losses to Edmonton and Ottawa on March 6 and 7. The Viking, AB product still had yet to make his full return to the organization when the Flames played those games; instead, assistant Ryan Huska manned the bench and was listed as coach of record on the game sheets.
Sutter cleared the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols in time to make his second debut in Calgary on March 11. His new Flames team showed early hallmarks of Sutter’s past success, grinding the opposing Montreal Canadiens to a halt while carrying the puck through the neutral zone with refreshing speed.