Desperate Flames call on a franchise legend for locker room inspiration

It's been an absolute brutal season for the Calgary Flames in 2022-23. 

Projected to be a leader in the Pacific Division and darkhorse Stanley Cup favorite heading into the campaign, the Flames have struggled to keep their heads above water and look like they're going to fall short of the NHL's Wild Card playoff race. They're currently four points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and would need to close out the remaining dozen games on an absolute heater to get back into the post-season. With a HUGE game on tap this evening against the Los Angeles Kings, the Flames are looking at a must-win. So... who do they call in to inspire them? Head coach Darryl Sutter? Assistant coach Kirk Muller?

Nope.

They call in the moustache.

Check out Flames' franchise icon Lanny MacDonald firing up the boys after the game-day skate this morning:

Makes sense, honestly... it's not like they're going to listen to Sutter anyways. The Flames have struggled in large part this season due to what appears to be a disconnect between the players and Sutter. Sure, there's been a roster upheaval in Calgary over the past calendar year, but the team is full of quality veterans who know what it takes to win in the NHL. Yet... they play like a group of tentative rookies all waiting to be scolded by Sutter the moment they go off script. For a team that features the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri up front, that's a difficult dichotomy. 

In fact, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reports that Kadri himself hasn't liked what he's seen from the team in his season there and hasn't been shy in holding back his frustration.

From Friedman's latest 32 Thoughts podcast on Sportsnet:

“Nazem Kadri has been very vocal about what he’s seen in Calgary this season and why they aren’t firing on all cylinders. He’s been very blunt about the communication between players and the coach. Frustration boiled over on Saturday night”

- Nazem Kadri

I'd expect nothing less from Kadri and, frankly, I think the team's management and coaching staff would be wise to listen to him. Here's a guy who knows what it takes to win and who chose Calgary as a free agent because he thinks the team has the pieces to win. 

Any way you look at things though, it's clear that things have to change in Calgary this upcoming offseason. Sad as it is, I think Sutter's time in the NHL has come and gone and, again, there's no shame in that. He's put together one Hell of a career as a head coach.