Quote:
Originally Posted by DazzlinDino
I think the Flames miscalculated and qualifying for the playoffs last season may have played into it. Overall the team is not ready and the required pieces are just not there. Level of experienced coaching has to take some responsibility too. Sutter's low scoring teams seemed to have a lot more confidence in holding leads than what we are seeing with this current group. This team just does not have not have an established identity from one night to the next.
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The coach builds the identity. And what he built was hands in the pockets, staring down at the ground with no idea what to do. It should be no surprise that the on ice product mimics that.
Smith should have been pulled at 5-3. Gulutzan also has a time out he routinely forgets he has. He could use it. Refocus his players. Settle them down. Tear them down. Build them up. Whatever the situation requires. Whatever a coach capable of reading the flow of the game would do.
He does none of that. Instead, he throws effing Troy Brouwer out on the most important 5 on 3 of the season, watches it fail predictably, then spends a half hour staring dumbly into space as yet another winnable game slowly drifts by.