Quote:
Originally Posted by sa226
First of all, this off season, I would be open to finding a new head coach.
Yesterday they had a guy from Winnipeg on the Fan 960 talking about the Jets and the differences from last year to this year. How last year the team was a disaster, a team that was supposed to be on the up and up turned into a boring tire fire that took tom many penalties. Not to mention crappy goaltending. This season they are in contender status.
He was asked why he thought that was. The guy said something that I thought was weird, but maybe there is some truth to that. He said that it seemed like it took the group of players a good 4 years to learn the system. That now things have come together, decision making is instinctual they all know what they have to do, they have to keep being told what to do. As well the consistency of Cheveldayoff sticking with his group of young players paid off.
I don't know if that is a bunch of hooey or not. But I see similarities between the Jets of last year and the Flames of this year. Its pretty easy to grab a pitchfork and join the angry mob, but I would not be surprised in the least if Gulutzan is back next season.
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The difference for me is that the Jets made a concerted effort to play young kids above their heads in key roles as part of a long term development plan. They weren't going for it last year. The coach took the heat for it, but he was executing a mandate from the GM to take the long play and develop a team for the future.
The Flames are clearly going for it... and struggling. If it fails, I don't see any of it helping the team take it to the next level last year.