(Calgary) The Flames have made progress on and off the ice this season, head coach Darryl Sutter said.
Posted at 4:31 p.m.
“Our goal was to make the playoffs and we did it,” Sutter told the Saddledome on Wednesday.
“The only way to become a Stanley Cup champion is to make it to the playoffs over and over and over and build on that. It takes four to six years. I’ve had successes and failures in this regard, so I know what I’m talking about. »
In their first full season with Sutter since being signed for a second time in March 2021, the Flames (50-21-11) won the Pacific Division title and advanced to the second round, before losing to Edmonton .
Beating the Stars in overtime in Game 7 and then having to accept a five-game loss to the Oilers were learning opportunities, the coach said.
“It was a good experience for them and it’s good that it hurts at the end because they understand better (that way),” said Sutter, a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy, given to the best coach of the NHL.
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, the 63-year-old from Viking, Alta., was an advisor to the Ducks coaching staff when the Flames brought him back into the fold.
Calgary has earned a measure of respect this season, he said.
“Just getting back to the standards you need to regain some respect as an organization is very important,” Sutter said.
General manager Brad Treliving believes it’s no coincidence that Johnny Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube have had career-best seasons.
“Darryl pushes people to succeed and that’s not always comfortable,” Treliving said. He brought structure, he held the group accountable, and the team was very responsive to that. He did a wonderful job. »