Quote:
Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood
I'm with Bingo and a little shocked so many want Gulutzan fired.
I tend to think that many are overrating our team or not placing enough blame on the players.
I promise you Gulutzans system does not call for the defense coughing up the puck or firing ill advised passes up the gut.
It does not promote shooting wide or making one pass too many.
It does not advocate our defense misreading and making stupid pinches that get them caught on the wrong side of the puck.
It does not call for the same offenders taking stupid penalties every single game.
It cannot be about choosing to leave a player wide open in the slot.
I'm sure they aren't told to deflect pucks past Smith with their bodies or sticks
... (Etc.) ...
We have seen the team play well under his system. I put the blame on many of the players misreads or mistakes more than I do on him at this point.
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Sure the coach isn’t telling the players to, say, turn the puck over
But is he telling the D to stand in each corner to give Smith 2 stationary options to pass to?
Is he coaching that tip in to the middle by the winger on the breakout that some other teams easily neutralize?
Is he encouraging his D men to retreat to a defensive position when they are going to lose a close puck race rather that immediately pressure the opponent?
All of these examples, and there are a lot more, are things that have led to a lot of turnovers.
The team’s passivity in the d zone and their lousy breakouts are problems that other teams take advantage of and to me lie with the coaches.