What are your thoughts on Glen Gulutzan's system?

[Yoho]

Grateful the Flames showed us they need to be sellers at the deadline.
At least in the last few years the work ethic was there, this year reminds me of the Iggy/Tangs country club days. No heart, no hits, little offence, and worse defence.

[kyuss275]

Just like the start of the season , still think it's the players and not GG system. System is fine and resembles an NHL team. Posters need to get over Hartley's pond system. Great for individual stats and thats about it.

That said i do think GG has made some big roster mistakes. Johson has looked like a back-up goalie for a while and Elliot should have been the starter the last couple of games. Wideman and Joki have also looked like crap for a while. Granted i'm not sure Kulak is much better , but he is worth giving a shot on bottom pairing. As of now flames have nobody on the team or system that can play at the #4. That's something that will have to be adressed in the off-season.

[Erick Estrada]

I'm not really surprised. Whats going on here is exactly what happened in Dallas. Fans there complained about is square peg in round hole approached and that team played just like this team did. Going through the motions most nights and ending up with a .500 record. The Flames are pretty well in the same situation as the Jets as if you combine an up and coming team with a career .500 coach you get exactly that and nothing more. It's pretty early in Gulutzan's tenure but there's already that look of a team that's quitting on their coach.

I understand that Treliving wants to do things his way but he's finding out the hard way that going off the map to find your head coach is a risky proposition. I just don't know how much patience ownership is going to have with this marriage and how long Brian Burke is going to remain in the shadows watching this unfold.

[Moneyhands23]

I think GG is the main reason Tree doesnt have a new contract. Probably was the type of hire that wasnt recived well by king or Burke.

Just some speculation on my part though
.

[Badgers Nose]

I can see both sides but I don't want to cheer for Pros that give up on their coaches. We've all had crap bosses or even good bosses with bad ideas, and most us don't just give up.

If Flames let that happen they will have another team like the Iggy Tanguay era Flames that were often so frustrating to watch.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Just like the start of the season , still think it's the players and not GG system. System is fine and resembles an NHL team. Posters need to get over Hartley's pond system. Great for individual stats and thats about it.

That said i do think GG has made some big roster mistakes. Johson has looked like a back-up goalie for a while and Elliot should have been the starter the last couple of games. Wideman and Joki have also looked like crap for a while. Granted i'm not sure Kulak is much better , but he is worth giving a shot on bottom pairing. As of now flames have nobody on the team or system that can play at the #4. That's something that will have to be adressed in the off-season.

Just like the start of the season ..and the coach is still trying to find a way to motivate his players? While I agree it is on the players, it s on the coach to give the players the tools to succeed. Johnny has "world class skill"; Where is it??? Why is he not able to apply it under GG system? If this is on the players does Johnny and his line mates need to play harder, smarter or are they lacking the right tools/ motivation to get the job done?

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Just like the start of the season ..and the coach is still trying to find a way to motivate his players? While I agree it is on the players, it s on the coach to give the players the tools to succeed. Johnny has "world class skill"; Where is it??? Why is he not able to apply it under GG system? If this is on the players does Johnny and his line mates need to play harder, smarter or are they lacking the right tools to get the job done?

Personally think Johnny looks fine. I don't like who he is playing with. Bennett looks like crap trying to figure how to play centre. Chiasson should be on the 4th line. Granted putting Chiasson on the 4th line and filling his spot with another 4th line player solves nothing.

[jlh2640]

We have many holes, but last night was an embarassment

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I can see both sides but I don't want to cheer for Pros that give up on their coaches. We've all had crap bosses or even good bosses with bad ideas, and most us don't just give up.

If Flames let that happen they will have another team like the Iggy Tanguay era Flames that were often so frustrating to watch.

I also don't want a repeat of the Iggy Tanguay era of mental fragility but unfortunately this happens all the time. The Penguins are a perfect example. Johnston came in and set up a more defensive oriented system as the team was playing loose under Blysma and suffering embarrassing playoff losses. Johnston's system in fact did have the team playing a better team game but it stifled offensive creativity and Crosby, Malkin, etc struggled. Now they were losing playoff games 2-1 rather than 7-6. Eventually it was apparent the top players weren't enthusiastic about playing anymore as Crosby started last season playing the worst hockey of his career. The team made the call and changed coaches and the rest is history. There is no doubt the Penguins do not win the Stanley Cup without changing coaches. It's a matter really for the Flames of how long they are willing to let things play out and if Burke or ownership wasn't in love with the hiring in the first place that only makes the GM's seat hotter.

[Badgers Nose]

So GG is our Savard then? Except a lot less successful.

Julien it is then.

[442scotty]

Id love to know what the players really think but this is never going to happen. The fact that Backlund, Frolik and Chucky seem to be doing fine playing the system seems to indicate that the problem lies elsewhere ?

Is it possible that there is too much pressure on Johnny, Mony and Bennett because they are trying to do too much due to poor quality line mates ? There are too many marginally skilled players on this team and management doesn't want to give the kids on the farm a chance.

Management is acting like its a playoff team too soon. They should not have gone out and gotten older players this year to go for the playoff push. They got rid of Bollig but should not have stopped there. They should have let a couple of the forwards on the farm apprentice like they are doing with Chucky and brought up at least one defenceman with skill (Anderson?) to apprentice as well.

After next weeks massacre on the road the playoffs will be out of reach. Then maybe, hopefully we will see an injection of some youth from the farm

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Id love to know what the players really think but this is never going to happen. The fact that Backlund, Frolik and Chucky seem to be doing fine playing the system seems to indicate that the problem lies elsewhere ?

Is it possible that there is too much pressure on Johnny, Mony and Bennett because they are trying to do too much due to poor quality line mates ? There are too many marginally skilled players on this team and management doesn't want to give the kids on the farm a chance.

Management is acting like its a playoff team too soon. They should not have gone out and gotten older players this year to go for the playoff push. They got rid of Bollig but should not have stopped there. They should have let a couple of the forwards on the farm apprentice like they are doing with Chucky and brought up at least one defenceman with skill (Anderson?) to apprentice as well.

After next weeks massacre on the road the playoffs will be out of reach. Then maybe, hopefully we will see an injection of some youth from the farm

Hard to say as Treliving did say that missing the playoffs last season was a failure. I would say giving Gio that contract at his age is a sign of a team that considers themselves a playoff team.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I can see both sides but I don't want to cheer for Pros that give up on their coaches. We've all had crap bosses or even good bosses with bad ideas, and most us don't just give up.

If Flames let that happen they will have another team like the Iggy Tanguay era Flames that were often so frustrating to watch.

I thought by all accounts the players liked GG, and hoped his system would work. At least earlier in the season I thought I read that?

[Toonage]

Conspiracy theory territory on my part so feel free to disregard but does anyone get the impression ownership just doesn't want to pay for a head coach? Even paying a fired coach while paying the current coach is likely costing a bunch less than paying a guy like Boudreau what he's worth over 3 years or more.

[Resolute 14]

Twice in nine days, Glen Gultuzan allowed this team to ignore the current day's opponent and look ahead to the Oilers. Both times, this team lost in embarrassing fashion on home ice. Despite that looking ahead, twice in nine days, Glen Gulutzan did not have this team remotely ready to play the Oilers - a team that quite frankly is no better than we should be.

Overall, things have certainly gotten much better relative to October even when you account for our backup goalie playing unsustainable hockey for a month and our PP scoring at an unsustainable level for six weeks. But the simple fact is, Glen Gulutzan is not able to properly prepare this team to play. It's pretty much the the job of the coach, and he's shown he is grossly incompetent at it.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

I thought by all accounts the players liked GG, and hoped his system would work. At least earlier in the season I thought I read that?

Would anyone publicly say anything different?

[Resolute 14]

Also, Glen Gulutzan is why I am now firmly in support of a delay of game penalty for a failed coach's challenge. Two thirds of his challenges are stupid and pointless.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Id love to know what the players really think but this is never going to happen. The fact that Backlund, Frolik and Chucky seem to be doing fine playing the system seems to indicate that the problem lies elsewhere ?

Is it possible that there is too much pressure on Johnny, Mony and Bennett because they are trying to do too much due to poor quality line mates ? There are too many marginally skilled players on this team and management doesn't want to give the kids on the farm a chance.

Management is acting like its a playoff team too soon. They should not have gone out and gotten older players this year to go for the playoff push. They got rid of Bollig but should not have stopped there. They should have let a couple of the forwards on the farm apprentice like they are doing with Chucky and brought up at least one defenceman with skill (Anderson?) to apprentice as well.

After next weeks massacre on the road the playoffs will be out of reach. Then maybe, hopefully we will see an injection of some youth from the farm

Not necessarily.

Gulutzan's system has improved the overall team play defensively, I think we all can agree on that.

But in the offensive zone, he has them on the perimeter, doing a lot of cycling. That is something Backlund's line is pretty good at, but for Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett, they can't play that way. Gaudreau looks really, really frustrated to me - like he hates what's going on.

Also, the Flames have some pretty talented defensemen that can contribute, but this system is not allowing that.

I don't think it's a bad system, but I do think it is the wrong system for this team.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Twice in nine days, Glen Gultuzan allowed this team to ignore the current day's opponent and look ahead to the Oilers. Both times, this team lost in embarrassing fashion on home ice. Despite that looking ahead, twice in nine days, Glen Gulutzan did not have this team remotely ready to play the Oilers - a team that quite frankly is no better than we should be.

Overall, things have certainly gotten much better relative to October even when you account for our backup goalie playing unsustainable hockey for a month and our PP scoring at an unsustainable level for six weeks. But the simple fact is, Glen Gulutzan is not able to properly prepare this team to play. It's pretty much the the job of the coach, and he's shown he is grossly incompetent at it.

I agree that there is mounting evidence that he isn't getting the team ready to play.

And please: yell at the ref once in a while. It won't make a difference, but at least it will show your players you care.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Not necessarily.

Gulutzan's system has improved the overall team play defensively, I think we all can agree on that.

But in the offensive zone, he has them on the perimeter, doing a lot of cycling. That is something Backlund's line is pretty good at, but for Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett, they can't play that way. Gaudreau looks really, really frustrated to me - like he hates what's going on.

Also, the Flames have some pretty talented defensemen that can contribute, but this system is not allowing that.

I don't think it's a bad system, but I do think it is the wrong system for this team.

Or maybe the wrong system for each line.