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Wednesday, October 6, 1999
Victory or death
Winning playoff berth has never meant more to Flames
You see it in the bags from lack of sleep under GM Al Coates eyes.
The determination in the face of coach Brian Sutter.
The desperation in the words of players sick and tired of failing miserably in their modest quest for a berth in the post-season.
But if this season is to be any different, to usher in any hopes of a Flames team in the playoffs, we will know very soon.
For if this is to be the year the Flames begin to rise from the ashes, they must do two simple things differently.
Win early. And win at home.
In each of the past non-playoff seasons, the Flames have dug themselves a hole so deep in the first couple of months that no amount of desperation clawing and grabbing enabled them to pull themselves out of the pits of the Western Conference.
And last year, the Flames finally sank low enough to eliminate the one constant they could always rely on for a shot at playoff qualification, a winning home record (15-20-6).
Tonight's home debut against St. Louis, already sporting a black eye from their opening game loss at San Jose, is a chance for this team to display it's mantra for winning that was so effective on the road last season.
It's not pretty. In fact, it's winning ugly.
"At home you feel you should do something special, and quite frankly something you aren't capable of," said offensive leader Val Bure. "We start playing fancy and not the way we play, taking stupid penalties, and that's when we get into trouble.
"We have to forget about the fans, even if they don't like what we do. Even an ugly win is a win. When you look at the scoresheet they don't ask how you got the points. They ask, 'How many?' "
And from Sutter to the end of the players bench, everyone knows the importance for a struggling franchise to be able to answer this season with enough wins.
"For a young team like us, it would be awfully nice to be at least .500 after 10 or 20 games and be able to build on that," said Bure. "That is a big step for this club.
"Once you put a few wins together at home and show the fans that we are for real, that we want to make the playoffs and will make the playoffs, they'll jump on the bandwagon."
Just as easily, this city could jump off that bandwagon. We've already seen its first signs in the dwindling season-ticket base.
Those pressures, the expectations are felt in the dressing room.
"You can't put added pressure on yourself but, yeah, we know what we are up against," said Sutter.
"I know when we have a young hockey club, and this is truly the stage where young players are being thrown in. Obviously we have to take the next step this year."
That's the playoffs. The first step is tonight.
"Something we have to change is our record at home," said Sutter. "That's playing with more urgency. We have to find the answer.
"The answer is you try to do too much. Less is more in this game. The simpler, harder you play, the more things fall into place."
Sutter's coaching style has been effective in perhaps getting the most out of a thinly-talented team. But it's also clear that it's no longer enough.
From burgeoning stars such as Derek Morris and Jarome Iginla (once he signs a new contract) to veterans such as Steve Smith, Grant Fuhr and Phil Housley and rookies Oleg Saprykin and Rico Fata, patience has ran out in this city.
This city is desperate for a winner; a playoff team.
"The start is very important," said Sutter.
"Two years ago you had to convince guys here just to play hard to give yourself a chance to win. Last year we played pretty well, but the bottom line is wins and losses.
"It's goaltending, specialty teams and team defence and that's hard work and accountability."
Tonight we witness the start of a season that could be the beginning of the end of this franchise.
Four years without a playoff game, another serious dent in an already dangerously thin season ticket base ...
There is but one saviour -- victory.
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