With the Calgary Flames scratching their two top scorers, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau against the Toronto Maple Leafs; a very strong message was sent to the team.
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That message is that Calgary Flames head coach, Bob Hartley will not tolerate misbehavior regardless of where you stand in the team; in this case it was one of his alternate captains Sean Monahan, the team’s top scorer and play-maker, Johnny Gaudreau and Lance Bouma suffering his wrath.
Now, if the Maple Leafs had taken the game, the thinking might be that the punishment was overly harsh and makes a bit of a mockery of the notion that the Calgary Flames are still making a push for a wildcard spot.
In the actual event, the Calgary Flames ended up taking the win and it’ll all end up being swept under the rug and be seen a very clever tactic of putting the team first by Bob Hartley.
As reported by Sportsnet, those who cover this team every day cannot recall a time when he walked off the practice ice and left them out there.
Obviously emotions were high but these guys are all professionals and know better than to come to the rink post-Superbowl party in a state where they were reportedly, in the words of Calgary Flames winger David Jones, “not (making) five-foot passes.”
That right there shows a lack of respect to the Calgary Flames organisation on the whole; you give the guys enough leeway to have a bit of Superbowl fun, you give them the chance to have a shortened practice provided they’re willing to get out there and sweat it out.
What you don’t give them is permission to show up for work and not do their job, which essentially at the core of it, is what happened.
Personally, I agree with Bob Hartley’s decision. Maintaining the team culture he wants with the Calgary Flames in the long-run is far more important than two points in the short-term. Once the rot sets it with players’ attitudes, it’s hard to rescue; losing two points, which didn’t even happen to be the case, that’s recoverable.
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I say good on Bob Hartley for showing that everyone should be putting the Calgary Flames first and foremost. The players involved will no doubt move on having been scolded and learnt their lesson.
What do you think of the Calgary Flames choice to scratch their top scoring duo? Was it the right move? Let us know in the comments section below.