What are your thoughts on Glen Gulutzan's system?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Haven't the special teams been good lately? Yeah it's a big hole to climb out of, but they're climbing.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Bingo

At least I haven't been called a company man in a few weeks for suggesting that a group of reasonably intelligent management types probably know what they were hiring when they settled on Gulutzan.

Speaking of that, how much were the Flames paying you to be their mouthpiece on CP?

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Bingo

but I thought the guy was supposed to be fired in the first week of November? That couldn't have been an overreaction could it?

I think it was pre-Halloween when Polak and others were saying "Cameron needs to be fired by Monday or I'm done with this management group"

Never seen CP turn on a coach that quickly

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Haven't the special teams been good lately? Yeah it's a big hole to climb out of, but they're climbing.

The PP looked downright lethal at times yesterday, but hey. Gotta fire someone.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

If Brodie goes into norris form watch out. Its only early December if he can get going soon we will make the playoffs easily.

I know I'm going to get my head ripped off for saying this, and I also hope I'm wrong, but I think Brodie's flaws defensively were very much masked by his offensive razzle dazzle under Hartley, or at least to us fans.

When I say that, it's not that I think his defensive flaws are worse now, it's that he's not getting as much opportunity in this system to do something amazing on offence that makes us forget or forgive some of the mistakes he makes.

Don't get me wrong, this is not me saying Brodie is no good. I still think he's a legit Top 4 D Man and one of the best value contracts going. But I do think us Fans potentially had him labeled as one of the best in the league (thus the Norris comment I'm responding too) and to be honest I'm not sure he's that elite or that he ever has been.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I know I'm going to get my head ripped off for saying this, and I also hope I'm wrong, but I think Brodie's flaws defensively were very much masked by his offensive razzle dazzle under Hartley, or at least to us fans.

When I say that, it's not that I think his defensive flaws are worse now, it's that he's not getting as much opportunity in this system to do something amazing on offence that makes us forget or forgive some of the mistakes he makes.

Don't get me wrong, this is not me saying Brodie is no good. I still think he's a legit Top 4 D Man and one of the best value contracts going. But I do think us Fans potentially had him labeled as one of the best in the league (thus the Norris comment I'm responding too) and to be honest I'm not sure he's that elite or that he ever has been.

I've always thought he was a bit weak defensively - if he doesn't get enough time he loses battles in the corner, especially ones that get really physical. Once he gets the puck he's good at getting it out, generally. But there were games in the last two years where he was eaten alive by a good physical forecheck. I remember one game in Buffalo a couple years ago where he was simply manhandled (and not by some monster either).

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I know I'm going to get my head ripped off for saying this, and I also hope I'm wrong, but I think Brodie's flaws defensively were very much masked by his offensive razzle dazzle under Hartley, or at least to us fans.

When I say that, it's not that I think his defensive flaws are worse now, it's that he's not getting as much opportunity in this system to do something amazing on offence that makes us forget or forgive some of the mistakes he makes.

Don't get me wrong, this is not me saying Brodie is no good. I still think he's a legit Top 4 D Man and one of the best value contracts going. But I do think us Fans potentially had him labeled as one of the best in the league (thus the Norris comment I'm responding too) and to be honest I'm not sure he's that elite or that he ever has been.

I am not sure I agree.

Brodie and Giordano together were not only a very high-scoring pair, but they were one of the best shut-down pairings in the league as well. Every defencemen makes mistakes at times - you can see how laughably awful Lidstrom was at times on youtube as some forwards made him look like a total rookie. It happens.

I think Brodie consistently got the puck in the defensive zone, and then consistently did something really good with it either by skating it out, or making a wonderful pass.

Brodie this season looks more lost in the defensive zone to me. He looks like he is really finding his groove again on the transition, but the defensive side of things he doesn't look like Brodie. I do, however, think it will come.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Bingo

but I thought the guy was supposed to be fired in the first week of November? That couldn't have been an overreaction could it?

Being smug after a hot streak isn't so different from being frantic after a cold streak. Both are over-reactions.

[Galakanokis]

Players have started playing rather than thinking about how they are suppose to be playing. Guys are in better positions and everyone is moving as a group. I am loving these small little passes that free guys up and still provide lots of support. Games are getting faster as the players on the ice understand where to go and pucks are being moved without guys thinking what do I do and is somebody there where I want to move the puck.

Flames are looking good right now and playing with more confidence, lets see if it continues.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by saillias

I think it was pre-Halloween when Polak and others were saying "Cameron needs to be fired by Monday or I'm done with this management group"

Never seen CP turn on a coach that quickly

Not really fair to single one poster out when it seemed like half the fan base was overreacting in the same manner. Or at least it felt like half the fan base with how vocal they were.

Teams face adversity and the Flames had plenty of excuses to be bad coming out of the gate this season. These things suck and the frustration was warranted. But everyone should of known Brodie, Gio, Johnny, Monny, Bennett, Special Teams wouldn't be that terrible throughout the full season. And despite those struggles, the Flames still managed to win games and stay within a season salvaging distance.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Being smug after a hot streak isn't so different from being frantic after a cold streak. Both are over-reactions.

Being frantic? You mean saying things like "seasons over, fire everyone"?

It's not like Bingo is claiming we're on our way to the Stanley Cup finals now which would be the same extreme as what was said during the cold streak.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I am not sure I agree.

Brodie and Giordano together were not only a very high-scoring pair, but they were one of the best shut-down pairings in the league as well. Every defencemen makes mistakes at times - you can see how laughably awful Lidstrom was at times on youtube as some forwards made him look like a total rookie. It happens.

I think Brodie consistently got the puck in the defensive zone, and then consistently did something really good with it either by skating it out, or making a wonderful pass.

Brodie this season looks more lost in the defensive zone to me. He looks like he is really finding his groove again on the transition, but the defensive side of things he doesn't look like Brodie. I do, however, think it will come.

Very fair points. I personally feel Brodie has always been more susceptible to what I like to call "fatal errors" especially when playing up on that top pairing than other "elite" D-men. I also think that under Hartley he'd make so many more great plays that resulted in goals that as a fan base we'd be very happy to give him the pass on those errors.

But, I'm not necessarily right, nothing more to go on then my own observation (which has been wrong many many times before). I like the player a lot, I just think he's one of the players that gets almost "folklore" status on this board which often translates into blindness to their issues and extreme exaggeration of their abilities.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Being smug after a hot streak isn't so different from being frantic after a cold streak. Both are over-reactions.

Being "smug" is not an over-reaction. In this instance it is a response to senseless amount of panic that ensued after a bad start. I think the point here is that it would have been a massive mistake to fire the coaching staff in the first week of November, and it was ridiculous that a number of posters drew so much attention to this as a significant issue. Fans will be fans, but the appropriate response from management should always be measured—the highs are never as high as they feeling the moment, and the lows are never as low.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I do feel better about the Gulutzan hiring.

Can I still complain about Cameron and ask that he be fired?

Yes, but only if you can accurately pinpoint what he does to coach the team, and then also accurately assess the quality of his coaching from years of your own personal coaching experience.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Yes, but only if you can accurately pinpoint what he does to coach the team, and then also accurately assess the quality of his coaching from years of your own personal coaching experience.

Ah, crap.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by New Era

Well, we're 25 games in and I still don't like the system. I still don't understand why he's employing the break out that he is and the special teams still blow goats. I still think the defensive zone coverage is this side of a Chinese fire drill. There are lots of problem with the system and some of his decisions...

I completely disagree. The breakouts appear slower and more measured because the team is carrying the puck more as a five man unit, and it has been working as of late. The special teams have been top-ten in the League over the past ten games, and the defensive coverage in that time I have thought has been quite strong.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

As for the overreaction earlier, I get it, and I was getting close to being done too, but some people were losing their minds over it.

I was seeing a lot of people call Gulutzan "Eakins 2.0". Seemed pretty silly then, and it seems even stupider now.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This is a good lesson for a lot of posters. Primarily speaking: mid-November following a dramatic change to the team's personnel, structure or dynamic is NOT a good team to make even more major changes.

Unfortunately the same types of posters who lose their mind over the coaching staff won't be the ones to evaluate their own previous opinions critically to see if they were right or not.

It'll be more of the same petulant whining.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

As for the overreaction earlier, I get it, and I was getting close to being done too, but some people were losing their minds over it.

I was seeing a lot of people call Gulutzan "Eakins 2.0". Seemed pretty silly then, and it seems even stupider now.

What? You didn't appreciate that Eakins gif reposted 1000 times with frantic exclamations of "FIRE GLUE GUN"?

Honestly, the whole Gaudreau summer nonsense leading into our bad start made things pretty intolerable for 2-3 months. Probably no surprise that a few of the guys who kept lighting fires are no longer with us.

"Fire Gulutzan" definitely wasn't "Trade Monahan/Hamilton/Gio" bad, but it was right up with the stupid.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Until Gulutzan starts taking a page out of Eakins' body language, I wouldn't think there is anything we as fans can point as something wrong.

I personally wish he would get a bit more animated with the refs at times. That's about all I am getting from the body language. Who knows though? Maybe he is doing his best to just keep it in, until one day he has a Playfair episode.

Most coaches just prefer to appear calm and even keel regardless of what happens.

It's funny. In most places, being a leader and remaining calm and even keel in situations is a good thing... Except for some posters here...