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Thursday, January 4, 2001
Duane is like any other Sutter – intense
By Barry Melrose
Special to ESPN.com
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For a number of reasons, Duane Sutter was a logical choice for the Panthers. First, he was an assistant with Florida for three years. He had been a scout for the club, so he knew the Panthers' personnel very well. Secondly, he has a very good relationship with Mr. Torrey, who is now the Panthers' general manager. They go back together to when Duane was playing with the Islanders in the franchise's glory days of the '80s.
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Brother vs. brother
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Seasons
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Brothers (teams)
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1953-54
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Lynn (Boston) vs. Muzz (Rangers) Patrick
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1976-77
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Larry (Detroit) vs. Johnny (Colorado) Wilson
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1990-93
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Terry (Washington) vs. Bryan (Detroit) Murray
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1992-00
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Brian (Boston, Calgary) vs. Darryl (Chicago, San Jose) Sutter
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2000-01
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Darryl (San Jose) vs. Duane (Florida) Sutter
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Sutter is a fiery guy, and this team has lacked passion. They're not playing very hard, and Bill Torrey hopes that Duane's passion will rub off on his players. Often, a team will take on the personality of the coach. The Panthers need a heart transplant, and they're hoping that Sutter's message will get through.
Sutter is hoping that as well. Because the question remaining is whether Florida will perform well enough to ensure that he'll be back to continue his work next season.
Duane is, of course, the third Sutter brother to end up behind the bench as a head coach in the NHL, joining Darryl and Brian. And if you're looking for Duane to be any less hard-nosed, don't hold your breath. These guys are all very similar in style. They played hard, and they coach the same way. That is the Sutter mentality.
Brothers coaching against one another is a fairly rare occurrence in the NHL, although this very family has already experienced it. The question has come up as to whether coaching against your brother would make these matchups any different. I think whenever a family member is involved, whether your relationship is good or bad, you have a real burning desire to beat the other guy. Family bragging rights are always very important.
Anyone who has played against the Sutters knows that, to a man, they are all very competitive. That's what makes them special. When Duane plays against Darryl it will certainly be an emotional night and Duane will want very badly to beat Darryl. Unfortunately, Darryl's team is much better than Duane's right now.
Don't forget Joe
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Understandably, everything is revolving around Mario right now and I think it's been fantastic. He has nine points in three games, the team is playing great and Jaromir Jagr has been rejuvenated. The Penguins are the best story out there.
But the best player out there is Joe Sakic. He has 12 points in the last six games – including five Tuesday against Los Angeles. He leads the NHL in scoring and is near the top in plus/minus.
Joe is playing as well right now as I've ever seen him play.
Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey anaylst for ESPN.
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