Jacob Markstrom only the beginning of Calgary's problems

Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been critical of his own performances recently but head coach Darryl Sutter has a bigger puzzle to solve as Calgary's roster revamp struggles to bear fruit.

Video Transcript

OMAR: If Markstrom is on his game, the Flames win that series. Sorry Avry. Like, that--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: They do.

OMAR: Like, the dude could not stop anything. And it's continued. So, like, it's interesting that he's saying-- He's kind of making it seem like right now he sucks at hockey. But it's like, man, it's been a while, man. And yeah, the Flames are not helping him in front. Like, that, I'll say, to a degree. Watching the Flames, sometimes, I'm shocked that Darryl Sutter is the coach. I'm, like, going, man, this is what you're doing? This is what you're doing on a Darryl Sutter team? Like, wow.

But, again, Markstrom, he's not giving them an opportunity either. So it's a mixed bag of chaos. And, right now, it's costing them. They're still on the playoff spot, right? Oh my gosh.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, they're outside. You know what's funny, actually? Like, being on the ground here, there are people who are not only going to his defense and are saying, hey, what about the offense that can't score consistently? And they sort of have a point.

OMAR: Not wrong.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: They're not completely wrong about that. The Calgary Flames, right now, they're not consistent enough. There are people asking for Darryl Sutter's job, like a very silent minority. But I was told when I came here that everybody loves Darryl Sutter. In Darryl we trust. Now, we're seeing like a little crack in the foundation. Maybe it's like one of those cracks where it's like, ah, maybe you could just fill it with sand or something later, or maybe you don't have to worry about it right now.

But we're starting to see that pressure just a little bit. Again, very small minority of people, not everybody. But there are people wondering about the Calgary Flames and how they're doing things. And I mean, hey, I guess I can understand from their vantage point. Darryl Sutter is going to be out of a contract after this-- Oh, no. He's not. He has an extension that starts next year.

OMAR: I mean--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, he does.

OMAR: Yeah, so--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I'm not saying he shouldn't have it. Just for people who don't want him at Gallagher anymore. Just know he has an extension that starts next year.

OMAR: Yeah, yeah. They ought to figure that out. And I don't know what it is. Maybe it's just like play more purposeful hockey, having an impact again. I was really looking forward to what Nazem Kadri and Andrew Mangiapane could have done this season. And I think they've been a little underwhelming. I think Jonathan Huberdeau has been a little underwhelming.

And you kind of think, OK, well, Elias Lindholm, last year, he had what? 40 goals or something? And, this year, he doesn't seem too dangerous.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, but also 2/3 of his line are in different cities now.

OMAR: That's what I was about to say. I'm, like, and who was he playing with last year and who was not on the team anymore? So it's like, OK, did we get rid of the straws that were stirring the drink there? And did the Flames kind of miss on replacing those? So maybe we have to downgrade the platinum durag to a bronze for now.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh.

OMAR: I love that analogy. It's so funny.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Damn.

OMAR: Because, man, believe me, as soon as the trade happened, I was like, they got fleeced, they got murdered. Like, you give up Tkachuk and you get Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar? Like, they got murdered on the deal. And, now, I'm watching them play and it's like, damn, OK, well, that sucks. Now, my joke doesn't work anymore. So it's like, selfishly, I want them to do better, so my joke can be funny. But, also, they can't afford to be bad, especially after what happened last season.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Nope, they cannot afford that.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: You know what's weird, too, is that we see how the Flames' fourth line, the bottom 6 of the Flames, is not exactly the best. We see the struggles of guys like Trevor Lewis and Milan Lucic playing lower minutes. But it's, like, at what point does Matthew Phillips come up? I know there's the aversion of the team recalling--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Here we go.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Wrangler players. I know [INAUDIBLE] doesn't call up players who are under 5 foot 11. But good grief, man. Come on. He's leading the AHL. Team in scoring. I know he's 5 foot 7 and my size.

But at what point do you go to the man who's having a great year with the Wranglers right now? At what point do you do? Because the fans want it. Media is calling for it. At what point do you give in? Because you cannot be stubborn to a point and never call the man up, when he's delivering in the AHL.

OMAR: You need a [INAUDIBLE].

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Guys, I hate to be that guy. It's not happening, bro. It's not happening. I don't have anything against Matthew Phillips. I want to see this dude succeed. He's killing it in the American Hockey League. You could also say Jakob Pelletier or Connor Zary should also be getting called up, too.

But considering the style of play that the Calgary Flames have, where they need heavy guys, they need big boys, even Dillon Dubé and Blake Coleman and Mangiapane, who are like 5'10 and 5'11, look like 180. Like they're big dudes.

OMAR: I forgot Coleman was on the team.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: You almost said Black Coleman.

OMAR: Yeah, I almost said Black Coleman, yeah. Yeah.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yo.

OMAR: Yeah. But yeah, I completely forgot that Blake Coleman was on the team.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Blake Coleman is on the Calgary Flames, man. He's, like, I think first or second year in a 6-year deal. But he is like on the shorter side of things. I mean, and once upon a time, Johnny Gaudreau was there. But he made his presence felt with his scoring ability. Matthew Phillips is going to have to find a way to not get bounced around at the NHL level. Like, that's what it's going to have to come down to, dude.

It's not so much that he's like 5'7". It's the fact that he's 5'7" and 145 pounds. Like, I'll say this, as someone who does want to see Matthew Phillips get a chance, I think the discourse around Matthew Phillips has surrounded too much about his height and less about how much he weighs and how much he actually plays around bigger plays in the NHL.

I've seen him get bumped around by bigger guys in the NHL. How is that going to look in the NHL? Like, he has to figure that out in order to make that work.

Even guys like Cole Caufield, who are short, they're wider dudes. People are making the comparison like, man, they don't want to be in a situation where they give up on the next Martin St. Louis. Have you seen Martin St. Louis' thick thighs?

OMAR: Each are four C's. Four C's thick, man. My jaw dropped. I was like, holy flip, OK. Yeah, man. Yeah, you have to find a way to make it.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Matty Phillips, bulk up, my guy. Do what you can. Do what you can. Do what you need to do to get your weight up.