Traditionally, it takes a half-season for any coach to put his stamp on a team. And remember that Suhonen and Ivan Hlinka of the Pittsburgh Penguins are the first two Europeans given the reins of a NHL club. Suhonen had to be feeling the pressure. He had been an assistant coach with Toronto and Winnipeg before getting his chance, but there's a world of difference between being an assistant and being the boss. Assistant coaches can be chummy with players.
Nobody ever blames an assistant coach for a team's failure.
Suhonen made mistakes early. Some wondered what he was thinking. He made a public comment suggesting that his team wasn't much better than an expansion team. Now that the team is winning, the likable Suhonen's style seems quite entertaining to watch. This is not to say that this team has magically been transformed into a Stanley Cup contender, or even that it is problem-free.