May 1, 2023 Blame the Coach.

Hockey playoffs have arrived.

They are full of surprises. Toronto is in the second round, and Boston isn’t. Who would have predicted that one? The Oilers made it past the first round as well. And my beloved(used to be anyway) Flames are playing golf. 

And today they fired the coach… again.

What a crazy world the NHL is. Coaches take the blame because some whiney millionaire player says their feelings were hurt by the guy trying to motivate them. What a joke. 

After a record-setting season, the Boston Bruins were eliminated by the last-place Florida Panthers. I wonder if the Bruins will fire their coach? 

It is a game of inches. A game played by men who act like children while being paid like astronauts. They earn money that is out of this world. 

But if they don’t make it to where they were expected to, they fire the coach. I loved what Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets did when his team bowed out in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. He blamed the players. You know the guys on the ice responsible for working hard and winning. The coach can only do so much if the players don’t show up or don’t try their hardest. What else can they do?

But then the coach of Winnipeg came out and said he was sorry for blaming the players, he said he shouldn’t have spouted off and told the truth. PFFT. He was dead-on and the spoiled brats should have taken it like men. Instead, they complained and said their feelings were hurt. Boo-frickin-hoo. 

Suck it up, princesses.

It’s getting harder to cheer for these full-grown children. Except the game is so fast and exciting, watching it still is as much fun as ever.

Especially when Boston and Colorado lose to teams that are supposed to be inferior. That is the joy of hockey. The rush and excitement of game seven. Do or die. No more wimpy skills contests to decide who wins the game. Play hard or go home.

If The Flames had won three more OT games they could have been the team that upset the favourites. Sutter would be the hero instead of the villain and all the whiney players would shut the hell up and do what they are paid astronomical fees for – to win.

But that’s not how the Flame’s season ended. 

It ended with another overtime loss. They had a record number of OT losses. More than any team in the history of the league. A game of inches. Just three more pucks shot one inch inside the net instead of out and they would have made the party.

Instead, we have a giant pity party. 

Darryl Sutter gets to go back to the ranch 8 million dollars richer. And he doesn’t even have to go to work.

Yes NHL hockey is insane.

On that note – Go Leafs Go!