Quote:
Originally Posted by JerryUnderscore
I'm sorry, I don't mean this to be snarky, but what points have you made?
I initially provided some advanced stats to show that the team is performing well except in terms of shooting percentage. This would indicate that the system the coach has implemented is working and they just aren't getting the puck to go in. The low shooting percentage hardly seems like a coaching issue since they are continuing to get scoring chances as well as high danger scoring chances.
You responded by saying that you disregard advanced stats and then later suggested that no one has been able to provide you with a legitimate argument that Gulutzan is a good coach.
You then suggested that "Special teams, breakouts, response to adversity, etc" are appropriate metrics to judge a coach by. However, even if we want to accept that those are the ways to measure a coach's success, how do you do that?
Special teams can be somewhat cut and dry if you simply want to look at their success rate. However, breakouts and response to adversity are way more subjective.
I'm completely willing to listen to an argument for why Gulutzan is not a good head coach, but if the argument essentially comes down to "I just don't feel like he's that good" I don't see that as a valid argument. It's an opinion you're entitled to have but it's not a valid argument.
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I think part of the problem is we are arguing the wrong question. The fire Gulutzan crew are making it a Gulutzan is terrible argument. He’s not terrible - the Flames have a winning record under him for starters. NHL coaching is an elite club and you don’t get there if you’re terrible.
To me the question is, is he an excellent coach. The Flames based on talent and age should be a top 10 team, trending towards top 5. Is Gulutzan a top 10 or 5 coach? I think there are good arguments that he’s not demonstrating characteristics usually associated with coaching excellence - preparation, identity, making players better, .... - but there is no objective standard for what makes a great coach except winning.
So far my assessment is he is an average coach which may not be enough to take the team to the next level