Flames chemistry an issue? Depends who you ask

Is the Calgary Flames' inability to string more than a couple of wins most of the time a question of chemistry?

The head coach seems to think so. At least one player isn't so sure that's the case.

When asked about starting over rebuilding team culture following significant changes to player personnel, Darryl Sutter said the process "hasn't been easy" this season.

"I think we pretty much had to (start over). You do that when there's a transformation at the top end of your lineup. It's a whole reset," the head coach said following Flames practice on Friday, the morning after a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

"The personalities are different. It's not so much coach/player; it's player/player. That's way more important than anything. It's the connection in the room more than anything else, I'd say … Obviously, it's not where I want it to be."

When asked what he thought may be issues to do with team chemistry, forward Dillon Dube said he didn't believe that was a factor in what's gone wrong for the team this season, one that sees the Flames (32-26-15) six points out of a playoff position in the Western Conference with nine games left in the regular schedule.

"We've got a lot of leaders on this team, guys who've been in the league a long time. A lot of Stanley Cups in this room," Dube said following practice. "It could've been a factor with chemistry at the start of the year. Some guys had never played together. I think that was at the start of the year. Now this team is close together. We have a really good locker room in here."

The Flames host the San Jose Sharks tomorrow at 2 p.m.