[Larry David]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

So there are some players that have a lack of emotion. I would probably agree with this, and we have heard about this recently with the Smith comments (and what we witness on the ice all season).

So...

Under Hartley, I can't comment as of course I don't have insight there (and none of us do), but it sure seemed like a lack of emotion was basically the opposite of the Calgary Flames then. Maybe some players had a lack of emotion then, but as a fan watching the games, they sure seemed really engaged and full of emotion.

So the players approached the GM and said that Hartley was too much of a hard ass. Fair enough. Coaches like him usually have a shelf-life.

Treliving fires Hartley, and replaces him with an easy-going player's coach in Gulutzan. That didn't work. Players seem less engaged. Rumors are coming out that this team has a lack of emotion. Gulutzan called out the vets during his stick throwing incident. Smith made those comments - mostly trying to praise Glass - but revealing some insight into the team dynamics as well.

So what to do?

In my opinion, Gulutzan is finished either way. You allowed the vets the freedom to not be fully engaged. That's an indictment as far as I am concerned. I still recall one of Conroy's stories about a game when Conroy and Iginla were having a poor game, and Darryl benched them in the game and yelled out at them that 'you princesses don't have to worry about breaking a sweat out there. You can just sit on the bench and watch." (or something like that).

Under Gulutzan, he allowed these vets to dictate the play. I am going to assume this had a lot to do with the poor starts, and the overall... crapiness... that we witnessed, especially in the last month. Gulutzan SHOULD have been benching vets. Hartley did it, and he got that team to perform at an exceptional level relative to their ability. You don't need to be a hard ass to bench/scratch a player. You just need to identify poor play, lack of energy/focus, etc., especially when it becomes a theme, rather than an isolated shift or game.

So, in my opinion, Gulutzan HAS to go. He didn't show enough leadership there to nip it in the bud before it seemingly became a full-blown disease on this team again (AGAIN - as it was under Keenan and Brent Sutter - Feaster stated as much).

I hope that Treliving figures out which players were mailing it in. I don't want them in a Calgary Flames uniform, regardless of who it was. I don't care if it is a core player or just a declining vet. You didn't play hard for that jersey? You don't get to remain a Flame.

There was a lot of work put in under Hartley's tenure to make sure that the Flames get back to being a hard working team. To get rid of that 'disease' that they had for years and years. Now it seems it is back.

The coach and every player out there that felt he can just mail it in can GTFO.

No Treliving, you don't reward the players by getting rid of the coach. You get rid of the coach because he allowed that attitude to grab a firm hold of the team, and you get rid of the players that were responsible for it.

You do both.

Well said! I hope someone says the exact same thing in the season ticket holder's meeting