Lindy Ruff’s tenure was a mixed one, to be sure. The team led by young superstars was fraught with Achilles heels, but 2015-16 gave us a glimpse of just how sweet things could be when everything worked like it was supposed to. The four years with Ruff went something like this:
2013-14: “Hey, playoffs! Cool!”
2014-15: “Goalies. Not cool.”
2015-16: “EVERYTHING IS COOL DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE GOALIES FIX ‘EM LATER.”
2016-17: everyone and everything is broken forever help
Dan Hamhuis’s season was not unlike that bipolar cycle. After finally being allowed to play for the team he wanted to join last trade deadline, game one saw the presumptive veteran partner for Klingberg relegated to the second pairing in favor of Jordie Benn.