Nice guys can finish last

Struggling Flames needed to shake things up

Two days after San Jose made Darryl Sutter the first coaching casualty of the season, Calgary handed Greg Gilbert his walking papers.

To most observers, it's just surprising that Gilbert wasn't standing in the unemployment line in front of Sutter.

"Our team has under performed to this point in the season," general manager Craig Button said. "This change was necessary to advance our team to a greater level of success."

In Gilbert's defense, the coach can't put the puck in the net, but the team hasn't appeared motivated and you can't fire all of the players.

Gilbert was regarded as one of the more congenial coaches in the league, someone who was able to relate to his players because of his young age (40) and the fact that he forged a 15-year NHL career out of limited talent, but incredible hard work.

When I spoke with Gilbert in September, he sounded genuinely upbeat about the season and thought the Flames could compete for a playoff bid, despite their limited financial means and the obvious talent discrepancy between them and the top teams in the West.

When I spoke with him again three weeks ago, after a 2-1 loss to the Thrashers, he was short-tempered and frustrated at a three-game losing streak. Considering his team lost eight of its next nine, I can only imagine how his frustration grew up until his dismissal.

It's always a shame to see a nice guy lose his job, but the Flames needed to do something. And odds are they will bring in a screamer to try to rile up the locker room. NHL teams tend to alternate between a player's coach and a hard-ass.

With noted disciplinarian -- and Viking, Alberta native -- Sutter out of a job, perhaps Button could turn to him to try to light a fire under the Flames.

Calgary has lost four in a row and 11 of its past 12. The Flames have scored just 12 goals in the past 12 games, with four shutouts and just one three-goal outing, not conicindentally the lone win in that span.

The Flames responded well to Gilbert initially, jumping out to a fast 13-2-2-2 start last season. Unfortunately they limped home 19-33-10-1 the rest of the way and looked like a lost team down the stretch, despite being in playoff contention until March.

This season, with a struggling offense and their best player, Jarome Iginla, looking like a shell of the Hart Trophy candidate he was last year, things didn't get any better.

The preseason trade with Colorado that brought Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle from the Avs for Dean McAmmond, Derek Morris and Jeff Shantz provided a great initial spark to the Flames, but petered out along with the rest of the team's offense after the first month.

While Avs fans have been critical of Morris' play, or more specifically the loss of the popular Drury, one thing is clear: the deal might not have helped the Avs in the short-term, but it didn't make the Flames any better, either. McAmmond, Morris and Shantz still have a realistic shot at turning things around this season and playing well into May. Drury and Yelle can safely book some tee times now for April 7.

Additionally, talented, but standoffish young center Marc Savard was sent to Atlanta two weeks ago for Russian prospect Ruslan Zainullin, ending a nearly yearlong feud between Savard and Gilbert. Now that Button has jettisoned his coach, as well, the Savard trade definitely could come back to haunt Calgary.

No matter who ends up behind the bench at the Saddledome, it will be a long four months for them. With just 18 points in 25 games, Calgary essentially needs about 74 points in its final 57 games to have a realistic shot at the postseason in the talented Western Conference.

And whoever does end up as the new bench boss might want to consider renting a place in Calgary, rather than buying. Gilbert lasted 121 games with the Flames, an eternity compared to the 68 games Don Hay coached before he was canned to make way for Gilbert.

When you aren't given a lot to work with, it's hard to do the job right. No matter how nice you are.

Jon A. Dolezar covers the NHL for CNNSI.com.

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