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frodo_t_baggins · 10-23-2016, 02:06 PM

My thoughts. Say what you will about Hartley, but one thing was made abundantly clear while he was coach and that is this team is most effective scoring on the rush. We have several good skaters who can carry the puck (our big 3 d, Johnny, Backlund etc) who could create a chance and our slower skaters (Monahan, Bouma etc) could crash the net and pick up any garbage. Not an advanced-stat friendly way of playing offence but was effective with how the flames are built.

Now the defensive system/special teams were trash under Hartley which Treliving was right to try and improve. Now here's what is frustrating. GG has come in and rather than study what was effective for the team in the past and to build off of it, he has scrapped everything to try and build this new system. Rather than rushing the puck up with speed and numbers, the offence is trying slow zone entries/dump and chase. This team does not have the size, strength or speed to be successful and it is no surprise at all this isn't working (except for the players who struggled in Hartley's system like Stajan and Ferland). On top of that, I'm not sure what the hell they are trying to do in the defensive zone.

BT was right that this team needed a new coach to take the next step. However, he should have been looking for someone to build off this team's previous successes and fix the fundamental problems with the team. Instead, he found someone who thinks it best to start from scratch and play a new way to improve the advanced stats. People can blame the top players for not playing like top players, but it has to be tough on them being told to do something different than what has become instinctual for them and has lead to success in the past. I'm not surprised that this has been the start we have had and I don't see any improvement on the horizon which makes me sad.

Last thing. After crappy performances, Hartley would always mention how it wasn't fair to the fans, city and team mates. He always pushed to try and create more emotion in the team. Gulutzan does not bring any of that (has he ever called a time out?), this team has played like crap every game and every post game he only talks about the system. As such I'm not surprised there has been so little emotion from the players besides frustration.

10-23-2016, 02:06 PM	#90
frodo_t_baggins Backup Goalie Join Date: Oct 2010 Exp:	My thoughts. Say what you will about Hartley, but one thing was made abundantly clear while he was coach and that is this team is most effective scoring on the rush. We have several good skaters who can carry the puck (our big 3 d, Johnny, Backlund etc) who could create a chance and our slower skaters (Monahan, Bouma etc) could crash the net and pick up any garbage. Not an advanced-stat friendly way of playing offence but was effective with how the flames are built. Now the defensive system/special teams were trash under Hartley which Treliving was right to try and improve. Now here's what is frustrating. GG has come in and rather than study what was effective for the team in the past and to build off of it, he has scrapped everything to try and build this new system. Rather than rushing the puck up with speed and numbers, the offence is trying slow zone entries/dump and chase. This team does not have the size, strength or speed to be successful and it is no surprise at all this isn't working (except for the players who struggled in Hartley's system like Stajan and Ferland). On top of that, I'm not sure what the hell they are trying to do in the defensive zone. BT was right that this team needed a new coach to take the next step. However, he should have been looking for someone to build off this team's previous successes and fix the fundamental problems with the team. Instead, he found someone who thinks it best to start from scratch and play a new way to improve the advanced stats. People can blame the top players for not playing like top players, but it has to be tough on them being told to do something different than what has become instinctual for them and has lead to success in the past. I'm not surprised that this has been the start we have had and I don't see any improvement on the horizon which makes me sad. Last thing. After crappy performances, Hartley would always mention how it wasn't fair to the fans, city and team mates. He always pushed to try and create more emotion in the team. Gulutzan does not bring any of that (has he ever called a time out?), this team has played like crap every game and every post game he only talks about the system. As such I'm not surprised there has been so little emotion from the players besides frustration.