The Calgary Flames finished the season with a record of 35-40-7 for a total of 77 points, ten points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final Wild Card playoff spot. The Flames earlier this week decided that it was time to let Head Coach Bob Hartley go. Was this the right decision?
Calgary hired Bob Hartley on May 31, 2012. In his first season the team went 19-25-4 for a total of 42 points in the lockout shortened season. The Flames were patient with Hartley while he tried to turn the Flames around. In the 2013-2014 season they improved to a 35-40-7 with 77 points but failed to make the playoffs.
Last year the patience with him worked as they went 45-30-7 for 97 points, making the playoffs. They were the 3rd team in the standings in the Pacific Division, knocking off the Vancouver Canucks in the first-round, 4 games to 2. In the second-round the Anaheim Ducks beat them in five games. For that, Hartley won the Jack Adams Award as the Coach of the Year.
This season the Flames were expecting to not only be a playoff team, but to be the top team in the Pacific Division. A slow start at 2-8-1 doomed their season and they missed the playoffs. That wasn’t the only reason for the Flames failing to make it to the postseason. They couldn’t stop opponents from scoring, allowing 3.13 goals per game, 30th in the NHL. Their special teams were terrible. On the power play they only scored on 17.0% of their opportunities with the man advantage. The Flames had a difficult time setting up the power play. Every time they tried to bring the puck into the opposing zone, they would turn the puck over and the other team would kill the penalty. The penalty kill was even worse and they ranked last in the NHL killing 75.5% of the penalties they took. Calgary allowed too many shots on the power play kill which equaled rebounds and goals. In the end, the Flames were playing poor hockey with Bob Harley as the head coach.
According to NHL.com, Flames General Manager Brad Treliving said,
“Today, now, starts the process of finding who the next coach is, but this is not about who it could be, who it might be. Bob deserved to go through this thoroughly and a decision be made based upon what we feel is the best move going forward, not who might be out there.”
Calgary should have one name on the top of their list, Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau was fired this past weekend after he coached the Anaheim Ducks to four straight Pacific Division titles and a record of 352-208-104. He has the experience and would assist the Flames to go to the playoffs year in and year out. Hopefully, Calgary will make the call and agree to a contract with Bruce Boudreau.
What do you think of the Flames firing Bob Hartley? Who should be the next Head Coach of the Calgary Flames?
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