[sureLoss]

http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/10/19...sh-any-of-them

So, when he was questioned about his ... ahem ... colourful language during one particular drill — an exercise that saw more than a few players turn over the puck on zone entries, similar to what they’ve done in their first four NHL games — he was instantly apologetic.

To those that were offended by his language, that is.

“I hope there were no kids in the stands today,” Gulutzan said with a chuckle.

At one point, Gulutzan halted practice and commented — for the entire Scotiabank Saddledome to hear — that turning pucks over in practice is exactly what they’re doing in games. Of course, he used a few words that aren’t fit for a family newspaper.

The message? Clean it up.

But after Tuesday’s positive outcome, a productive morning of video, and then a sloppy start to the late morning on-ice session, Gulutzan had reason to enforce a lesson to his pupils.

“There were mistakes being made that were being made in the game,” Gulutzan said. “You have to get them out. You have to send a message that those mistakes won’t be tolerated. But you move on from it. They got a little whack there, and that was it … they know they need to be better.”

Truth be told, a handful of players were nodding in agreement during Gultuzan’s brief outburst.

For example, a turnover from TJ Brodie in the corner led to Buffalo's first goal.

Their teacher was right.

“Puck management,” Gulutzan said when asked what specifically he was upset about. “Turning the puck over. That’s the biggest thing we haven’t got ahold of in the first four games that we’ve played.

“We need to manage the puck better. That’s not saying we don’t make plays — that’s saying we make plays at the right time.”

Gulutzan said his group needs to make quicker decisions and to get pucks deep if they don’t have the right numbers at the bluelines or the right situations.

“We were letting them know that (Wednesday),” he said.

He identified two areas of their powerplay that needs work: their zone entries and face-offs.

“Hey, the NHL changed the format to have the powerplay start in the offensive zone with a face-off for a reason — to get more offence,” he said. “But if we can’t get that draw, then we’re going to have to be really good at entries because we’re going to have to try and enter every time.

“We need to bear down on those face-offs and we need to be better on our entries.”