The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Lol.

This thread.

What is the evidence this team should have a better record than they currently have?

What are the tangible explanations for why this team is better than the team that squeaked in last year?

This season has been pretty freakin' predictable as far as I am concerned. The only real departures from my expectations has been the performances of Smith, ferland and gaudreau.

1. They fixed the goaltending - Last year they had .910sv%; Smith sitting with .924
2. It's year 2 of Gulutzen, so no "learning period" to start the year;
3. They spent a lot of assets to upgrade their 3/4 D, and signed a FA to upgrade their 5 D, putting together a pre-season consensus top 5 defense corps;
4. Healthy Monohan and fully training camp-ed Gaudreau to start the season, so supposedly no slow start;
5. Offseason "losses" Bouwma & Chiasson replaced by Jankowski & Jagr;

Given all of that, if you believe Guutzen is a good coach, why would you not expect this year's team to be better than the one whose 94 point season was anchored by a 5-10-1 start??

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

and if he was the GM?

This has been an eerily similar tenure to a Sutter GM'd team.

Overemphasis on defense, top heavy roster, moving picks for veteran, signing free agents to regrettable contracts.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

This has been an eerily similar tenure to a Sutter GM'd team.

Overemphasis on defense, top heavy roster, moving picks for veteran, signing free agents to regrettable contracts.

I’m surprised more people don’t mention this. One of the differences being Sutter didn’t have a couple of free years of sucking to accumulate high picks and trade pending ufa’s at the deadline.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Mike F

1. They fixed the goaltending - Last year they had .910sv%; Smith sitting with .924
2. It's year 2 of Gulutzen, so no "learning period" to start the year;
3. They spent a lot of assets to upgrade their 3/4 D, and signed a FA to upgrade their 5 D, putting together a pre-season consensus top 5 defense corps;
4. Healthy Monohan and fully training camp-ed Gaudreau to start the season, so supposedly no slow start;
5. Offseason "losses" Bouwma & Chiasson replaced by Jankowski & Jagr;

Given all of that, if you believe Guutzen is a good coach, why would you not expect this year's team to be better than the one whose 94 point season was anchored by a 5-10-1 start??

Great response dude.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

and if he was the GM?

He would trade Dougie Hamilton to Toronto for Bozak, Leivo, Polak, and Moore.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Geez, some of you seem so bent out of shape over losing to Edmonton that I think it's beginning to cloud your judgement.

Ask yourself this: What if he won all the games last year against Edmonton? Would that change your perspective?

Seeing all these emotion-based responses, and only a handful of rational evidence-based reasons for why people think he's a bad coach, I have to wonder how much of that emotion is wrapped up in the fact that Edmonton finished higher than us last year, largely on the back of points they gained by playing us. Not to mention the extra round of playoffs.

I wouldn't be shocked at all if that was the real reason people hated Gulutzan.

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by New Era

So everything where coaching has the greatest influence Gulutzan gets a pass, but everything where the coach has limited impact, Gulutzan gets credit? I see how this game is going to be played. I just don't have the energy for this right now. I'll just say my piece with, there are teams for certain coaches, and coaches for certain teams, but Glen Gulutzan is not the coach for this Calgary Flames hockey team.

No, not at all. I think the special teams are absolutely a result of the coaching. I'm willing to put that squarely at Gulutzan's feet.

However, I just don't understand how Bennett's 3.03% shooting percentage is somehow Gulutzan's fault.

People are crying about how we should be better than we were last year and how that shows how Gulutzan is terrible. However, last year we were 10-13-2 (22 pts) after 25 games. This year we're 14-10-1 (29 pts) after 25 games.

That's a 7 point difference from last year to this year. Or, to put it another way, a 44% win rate last year at this time compared a 58% win rate this year. How is that not an improvement?

Whenever I bring that up people say, "Oh, well Mike Smith..." But once again, that seems unfair. It seems like people who don't like Gulutzan want to credit the players for everything positive and the coach for everything negative.

If Gulutzan is response for Dougie's regression this year, then he needs to be given credit for Dougie's career year last year. Same with Backlund from last year or Johnny, Mony and Ferland this year.

Maybe here's a better question for those of you who think Gulutzan is a terrible coach: What should our record be right now?

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Ask yourself this: What if he won all the games last year against Edmonton? Would that change your perspective?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by New Era

Hilarious. I'm dying to see which of the teams for those other coaches you would rank ahead of this particular edition of the Flames? /smarm

Talent in the lineup matters. This is a very talented lineup. I would rank it up there as one of the most talented lineups in the club's history. That makes a big difference wouldn't you say? I would also say this team is under-performing. Wouldn't you agree? The question to ask is, what is the reason for the under-performance?

This team is not as talented, top to bottom, as any of the early 90s teams.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

This team is not as talented, top to bottom, as any of the early 90s teams.

Most talented in last quarter century? That’s longer than many CPers have been alive.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by theg69

GG is an average coach, but that's ok because there are only a handful upper echelon coaches (ie Babcock).

Absolutely spot on. Gulutzan is probably average right now, but you don’t become Mike Babcock or Joel Quenneville over night. Take a look at the 2 premier head coaches first 2 full seasons behind the bench:

Babcock: 69-62-19-14 / Average of 85.5 Points per season.
Quenneville: 82-61-21 / Average of 92.5 points per season.

Now look at Gulutzan’s:
87-68-9 / Average of 91.5 points per season.

Glen has actually had a better start to his career than Mike Babcock and only 1 less point per season than Quenneville.

Gulutzan has his warts, but he’s still doing some on the job learning. Would probably be worthwhile to allow him to grow into the position, given he already has very solid early coaching career numbers.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Most talented in last quarter century? That’s longer than many CPers have been alive.

Well, the post I responded to said "in history". Many CPers have followed the Flames since they arrived.

[Wyguy]

I really hate GG. Really, cant he just win one game when we want him to?

[Joborule]

So what does Glen say or do before first puck drop? Because whatever it is, it's not working. Game in, game out, Flames lose the first period. If you're consistently giving up the first goal and getting outscored significantly in that same period, your team isn't going to win many games by always having to comeback.

I'm still not seeing what good things he actually provides to this team with the roster he has.

[Matty81]

If he doesn't beat the oilers this year I will be moving into the fire him camp unless he takes the team to the 3rd round or something more impressive in the playoffs

Unacceptable to get owned by our rivals for 2 years running when they have a terrible roster.

[taco.vidal]

Gluegun is still needing to be fired. Fire Gluegun!

[mrdonkey]

I am so frigging done with this guy.

[codynw]

Yep put me in this group. I'm done with him.

[MisterJoji]

Wrong thread.

[Resolute 14]

No, no. Well coached teams routinely no-show on home ice against the most beatable opponent the team will face all year. It's totally not his fault at all. After all, he's just the coach and can't really do anything.

At least, that's going to be the excuse some use.