Sutter’s Way

“You’ve got to get something out of your practices to improve as an individual and improve as a team. I’m not a coach that likes average practices, because you have exactly that, an average hockey team and average games.” - Brent Sutter

It resembled the infamous torture-test tirade from the movie Miracle. Heads were bowed, tongues were hanging, legs were aching and sweat was pouring. It was skate-till-you-drop Monday and when it was over, a fatigued faction of Flames filed back to the dressing room well aware that poor performance equals painful practice.

Twenty-four hours after a miserable Halloween performance against the Detroit Red Wings that gave new meaning to the word frightening, a steaming coach Sutter threw down the gauntlet and pounded the gavel.

After a stern 10-minute lecture reminding the players that average effort produces below-average results, the bench boss put his troops through an arduous adventure where every on-ice error or undisciplined drill was punished with a spirited series of half-ice wind sprints.

That episode was followed by an intense, competitive and combative series of one-on-one battles that shortened tempers and raised the threshold of pain versus gain.

Two Flames were singled out for special prosecution. Captain Jarome Iginla, who was a (-2) on Saturday night with no shots, no hits and five giveaways, was the subject of Sutter’s post-practice discourse. The tireless tactician reminded the gathered scribes that Iginla is held to higher standards because the standards he sets for himself are so lofty. Curtis Glencross, whose soft play along the boards resulted in a loss of puck possession and, ultimately, the winning Detroit tally, was subjected to a rigorous physical workout and a slew of sarcastic Sutterisms.

Sutter’s peddle to the mettle approach will be tested on back-to-back nights when the Flames combat the Dallas Stars on Wednesday and the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

Flame Flicks

Both Eric Nystrom and Daymond Langkow were excused from the physical punishment to nurse some nagging injuries, but their ears were certainly ringing.

Backup netminder Curtis McElhinney, who is expected to start against St. Louis on Thursday, has only seen action in one game so far this season, a 5-2 loss to Dallas on October 9.

Calgary plays 14 games in November with ten of those contests away from the comfortable confines of the Saddledome.

With the return of Dustin Boyd from sickbay – and despite the minor ailments to Nystrom and Langkow – Calgary remains one of the healthiest teams in the league. On Saturday evening, three players – Brian McGrattan, Aaron Johnson and Adam Pardy – were selected to watch the proceedings from the press box.