Quote:
Originally Posted by 868904
I don't think "abandon the game plan" was a bad thing, as the game plan sucked under GG, but I think what you are getting at was the mental toughness to deal with adversity, which the team had none.
I don't think that's on the players. The mental toughness and will to overcome adversity was there in 2015 with pretty much the same core and an arguably weaker team. What happened? Mental toughness and character don't just disappear, it's part of someones make up and DNA.
To me, the problem was a lack of leadership at the coach level. GG did not make adjustments or settle the team down when things started to go off the rail. He would just tell the players to "stick to the game plan". Everyone mocks the GG haters about the time out thing, but it is a common tool that successful coaches use to disrupt the oppositions momentum. Keenan use to change goalies all the time just for the sake of disrupting the oppositions momentum and giving his team a chance to refocus.
Every time the Flames had a big lead under GG, it never felt safe. You just knew the opposition would get one, and then they would get another, and you would just sit there at home watching on tv screaming at GG to do something to stem the tide, and he does nothing. Next thing you know, the game is tied or the Flames are losing.
Someone has to be a leader. This isn't about Giordano. Giordano can't call timeouts or make goalie changes or have long talks with the officials. This is about GG with his hands in his pockets staring down at the ipad while the world burns around him.
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Not every player is going to agree with a teams system or team play. This would be true of every single team IMO. However, as a player if I decide I don't like the system and decide to play a different way on my own, I am selfishly putting my line mates/team mates in conflict with what the coach wants and I could be directly impacting the amount of ice time our line and team mates gets.
If you don't like the way the system works or your role as a player you talk to your coaches and try to address it that way and if that doesn't go your way you play whatever way the coach wants to even if it doesn't benefit you individually because that is what your job is. I think the best coaches are able to show each and every player why their role is important and work to put them in places they can succeed which leads to buy in of as many guys as possible. You can argue that GGs staff did not do that however, abandoning the system is only thinking of yourself and this is IMO opinion is not just bad but a big problem with the player.