Quote:
Originally Posted by ---Hatrick---
For all of you who want GG gone, is there an obvious solution out there that can step in and fix everything immediatley?
Bringing in a new coach a quarter way through the season may make things worse than you all seem it is. And it's not guarantee to get better.
I just don't see things as terribad as you guys are seeing it
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I don't think they are as terrible either, but it isn't necessarily the case that a mid-season replacement spells the death knell for this season. The Kings would not have won the cup if they continued to stick with Terry Murray, and similarly the Penguins wouldn't have won if they didn't decide to replace Mike Johnston with Mike Sullivan.
Both of those replacements came in December of their respective seasons, so I do think that Gulutzan has some rope left. I think for him to get replaced, the Flames will still be somewhere on the bubble here, or worse. He just needs to get this team going in the right direction.
This is also the easiest division in all of hockey right now. You have the expansion VGK who are playing over their head right now, Canucks are experiencing more success than can be expected (and both those teams seem to have pretty good coaching), Arizona is the worst team in the league, Edmonton is playing like the Edmonton that we are familiar with, and Anaheim just got dealt yet another long term injury blow as their #1 center will be gone for the next 2 months.
If the Flames are healthy and still out of the playoff picture by December, then I do expect Gulutzan to be replaced. I think it is just too early to make that move. Gulutzan still has time to turn this season around (and he SEEMS to be doing so, even if the Flames did lose yesterday).
I just wouldn't be so definitive in saying that a coaching change spells any hope for salvaging a season. Also, if there is going to be a coaching change, I would rather it happen mid or late season as it just gives more time for the new coach to set systems and become familiar with the team, rather than risk a slow start to the next season.
We will see what happens here, but if there is one thing that the Flames have been abysmal at historically, and that is hiring a good coaching staff. Bob Johnson, Darryl Sutter and Bob Hartley are the only 3 coaches that I think have been good hires. Crisp won a cup with the team, so I won't argue with anyone that wants him included. Other than that, it has been either a long list of mediocre coaching to outright terrible. I feel Gulutzan is a mediocre coach at this point in time, but as long as I see improvement in this team, and taking into account his relative inexperience at the NHL level, I am willing to go through some growing pains.
Either way, I do think he is safe for at least another month. Hopefully this team gets turned around both with their consistency every game, and even more importantly, in the standings. That is the only way that Gulutzan is going to put to rest any thoughts about the Flames replacing him.