March 28 - 30 Thoughts

[colbym72]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...nley-cup-runs/

Oops: Supposed to be 31 thoughts. Struggling to adjust to that as much as I am having two NFL teams in LA

It has been a very difficult week in Calgary, with the Flames on fumes, lurching to the end of the season. I think they are in a similar kind of shock Edmonton was in for awhile, stunned at how a hopeful season went off the rails. It’s led to a lot of questions about the team’s character, but my sense is they are less worried about that than a lack of urgency.

Yes, it’s a fine line, but let me give you an example of what I think this means. One of the stories I heard was that, in 2016–17, some players went to coach Glen Gulutzan and said the group responded better to a velvet glove than an iron hand. There are times that is true and good coaches use both, but the team has to be able to properly police itself. Gulutzan’s taken heat this year for public tirades/stick tosses, but he’s also got defenders who say he was trying to light a fire under a team that couldn’t do it. How do you add that edge? That’s the off-season question.

[Toonage]

They didn't take him seriously. You get a new coach.

Edit - As for policing the room to make sure the team stays focused if/when they have issues with the new coaches you find guys that have a history of speaking up and holding players accountable. They usually aren't your top end skill players though so get ready for that come July 1.

[Strange Brew]

Gulutzan has taken heat for his public tirades? I don't believe that's the case.

[ComixZone]

How do you fix it? How do you get that level of "urgency"? Well, you make changes. You restructure the veteran leadership.

Gulutzan - likely has to go. Even if it's not outright for culture-reasons, as it may not be, his player utilization is counter-intuitive and beyond logic. If you come back with Gully next year, you better have SIGNIFICANT roster turn-over, because he can't coach the group he has now. He can't make use of the good players he has now. I think he should be gone, but if he returns...then Tree better be making HUGE roster changes.

Brouwer - has to go. Trade with money retained if possible, buyout if required. Changing the culture is worth $1.5M of negative cap-space for the next 4 years.

Tkachuk - give him an "A". Doesn't matter if he's ready or not, it's an "A", not the "C". Giving a letter to the perfect embodiment of how you want your team to play will help shift the culture of the team.

And flat out, you don't get gun-shy. Don't fall in love with your own players. Everyone is on the table, but always acquire quality ahead of quantity.

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Gulutzan has taken heat for his public tirades? I don't believe that's the case.

His veteran leadership group openly joked about it after the fact. That speaks to the disconnect between coach and players, and the lack of "urgency" that Friedman alludes to.

[stang]

What Bowman suggested was every team continue to be allowed an in-game roster of 18 skaters and two goalies. However, coaches could insert their “healthy scratches” during a game. Like baseball, once someone is taken out, they cannot return.

Someone gets injured? Substitute. Down 2–0 heading into the third period, with an offensive player not dressed? Hey bud, suit up. Up 2–0 heading into the third period, with a good defensive player relaxing in a La-Z-Boy? Get dressed!

Holy smokes, do I looooooooooooooooove this idea.

This part is very interesting

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by stang

This part is very interesting

Yeah, that's a great idea. I'd love to see it.

[the-rasta-masta]

That would be awesome. Imagine a coach picking up the phone to the press box and the John Rocker style run from the press box to the dressing room in a suit.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

The only problem is that teams might keep a bruiser in the press box and only bring him in to cause havoc in the 3rd when trailing big time.

[CaptainCrunch]

To me here's the problem, first of all there's no question that Gully and his whole staff including his friend Martin Gelinas are now enemies of the Republic and have to go.

However if what is being said is face, and you had a group of players that went to Gully and said, hey man, you need to be nicey nicey and lay off of us, we've got it, and Fully listened and did that, and the team responded this way, then the players and that group of players basically shyte on the coaching staff and they didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

If the leaders said, hey man lay off, we'll play for you if your gentle, and the team pooped the bed with bad starts and bad finishes and lazy play, then that group that should have done everything to live up to the agreement needs to be raked over the coals by Treliving in the offseason, and the leadership group on this team needs to be evaluated.

I've said for a long time, that yes, absolutely there's a coaching problem, but there's just as big of a player problem on this team.

[colbym72]

I have always thought that would be a good idea because if you suddenly lose a defenseman early in the first ,it really messes you up for the rest of the game.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by stang

This part is very interesting

Jumping into an NHL game after sitting in the PB for two periods without a warmup or stretch seems like an injury waiting to happen.

[Toonage]

Most scratches take the warm up regardless.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by stang

This part is very interesting

The rich get richer.

Who would Calgary have waiting in the stands compared to Winnipeg, Nashville, Tampa, Boston?

Teams that already have 4th lines that would be 3rd lines on the non-playoff teams would have even further advantage over teams that have trouble putting together a 4th line

If you want to help parity then dress 13 skaters and then maybe have a limited substitutions.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I've said for a long time, that yes, absolutely there's a coaching problem, but there's just as big of a player problem on this team.

The player problem is nothing that can't be fixed with a head coach that commands respect and the players have faith can lead them to glory. There's nothing wrong with a firm hand. In fact it's often required over the course of an 82 game season. There's simply a big difference between a firm hand from a coach the players don't believe in and a firm hand from a coach that is a proven winner and the players realize he knows what he's talking about. The moment a coach starts to listen and cater to what the players think is best for them is the moment he's toast because if the players knew what was best for them they wouldn't need a coach in the first place. Heck if you are looking at two not great coaches in Hartley and Gulutzan I would say regardless of how the team may have not liked Hartley's firm hand they never checked out like this under him like they have with this velvet glove approach.

I would take anything Friedman says regarding the Flames coaching situation with a grain of salt because he's clearly been trying to take heat off a head coach that he likes personally.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

The only problem is that teams might keep a bruiser in the press box and only bring him in to cause havoc in the 3rd when trailing big time.

That can be easily fixed with suspensions for coaches and fines for organizations.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The player problem is nothing that can't be fixed with a head coach that commands respect and the players have faith can lead them to glory. There's nothing wrong with a firm hand. In fact it's often required over the course of an 82 game season. There's simply a big difference between a firm hand from a coach the players don't believe in and a firm hand from a coach that is a proven winner and the players realize he knows what he's talking about. The moment a coach starts to listen and cater to what the players think is best for them is the moment he's toast because if the players knew what was best for them they wouldn't need a coach in the first place. Heck if you are looking at two not great coaches in Hartley and Gulutzan I would say regardless of how the team may have not liked Hartley's firm hand they never checked out like this under him like they have with this velvet glove approach.

I would take anything Friedman says regarding the Flames coaching situation with a grain of salt because he's clearly been trying to take heat off a head coach that he likes personally.

Really, they had a coach with a firm hand in Hartley and they went and whined to management "We need a players coach, teacher like guy".

So Hartley was tossed and in comes Gully

"Thanks for being nice to us Gully, we'll decide when we want to show up for games"

There's something rotten at the core of this team and no coach is going to come in and fix it without an object lesson to encourage the others.

I have a feeling that one or two major pieces are going to take a bullet to the head in the off season.

[Toonage]

Its not rotten so much as its human nature.

Too mean? Get him out. Too nice? Take advantage.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I have a feeling that one or two major pieces are going to take a bullet to the head in the off season.

I sure hope not because I fail to see that making a team better. The issues are not player related and culture related. Take a look at Hall. There's no doubt he wasn't as good a player in that Oilers locker room as he could have been but that's because there was a rotten culture in that locker room due to head coaches that have never coached again in the NHL post-Oilers. He goes to a team with better locker room culture and he's a Hart trophy candidate and nobody is complaining about him being a cancer. You of all people being a big Stamps fan should know about how great leadership from management down to coach is what breeds winning not necessarily the players in the locker room.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The player problem is nothing that can't be fixed with a head coach that commands respect and the players have faith can lead them to glory. There's nothing wrong with a firm hand. In fact it's often required over the course of an 82 game season. There's simply a big difference between a firm hand from a coach the players don't believe in and a firm hand from a coach that is a proven winner and the players realize he knows what he's talking about. The moment a coach starts to listen and cater to what the players think is best for them is the moment he's toast because if the players knew what was best for them they wouldn't need a coach in the first place. Heck if you are looking at two not great coaches in Hartley and Gulutzan I would say regardless of how the team may have not liked Hartley's firm hand they never checked out like this under him compared to the velvet glove approach.

I would take anything Friedman says regarding the Flames coaching situation with a grain of salt because he's clearly been trying to take heat off a head coach that he likes personally.

Devil's advocate.... The minute a coach goes hard ass on a player who is guaranteed 20M and has no means of punishing him and has the player quit on him .....

I think it works better when there is a Toews/ Seabrook or Iginla, Doughty, Pietroangelo , Chara, Perry, Burns or even Wheeler who can call out and push a teammate for not playing up to their potential.

Gio seems more of a come on guys sort of personality.

Hartley was coaching a bunch of guys without money for life and GG is coaching guys to whom he can't back up his " Or else"

If Hartley were to threaten 2018 Gaudreau/ Monahan/ Backlund / Hamonic / Hamilton/ Stone / Brodie / Frolik / Gio / Stajan / Brouwer with you better play harder they might go along for a game or two and then come to the conclusion that they would rather play on a better team for a better coach.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Its not rotten so much as its human nature.

Too mean? Get him out. Too nice? Take advantage.

Show me a work place where employees haven't taken advantage of a boss that's too nice. I've seen slackers take advantage of this kind of management my entire career. There's a balance but the most important aspect is that the employees respect the boss and feel he's making decisions that are for the best of the department/company.