[Game Takes] Canes 4 Flames 2

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2016/10/g...es-4-flames-2/

[Cheese]

"...in a game that featured almost zero flow, an anemic powerplay, too much individual play and a really tight hockey team that frankly seems lost."

That says it all.

[iamca]

The sky is not falling, but this is a bad hockey team in it's current state.. Broken record again, however there is no improvement possible when the PP, PK, and goaltending are all terrible. Start Johnson on Saturday and sit Engellend in the press box for a game... couldn't hurt at this point.

[Strange Brew]

100% on the PP for this loss. It generated nothing in terms of scoring chances or energy.

This team just had a horrible training camp and it is still showing.

[Mike F]

Bad players can make any coach look like a fool, but the Flames seem to be trying things the same way, with no positive results, so consistently that I suspect we're seeing a good enactment of Gulutzan's system, and that scares me....

The powerplay entries, with a dump back to the trailer who chips it towards a player on the boards as he hits the blue line, the circling back of the D in the defensive zone when pressured, rather than chipping it off the boards, the pinching D at the offensive blue line, etc., etc. None of it is getting the Flames out of their zone eficiently and generating offense.

Figers crossed it really is just growing pains

[Erick Estrada]

The whole team is out of sync right now and it appears there are a multitude of issues. What really worries me is that it appears Gulutzan is just throwing stuff at the wall in hopes something sticks. We knew Brent's system was defense first and let the offense take care of itself. Hartley was offense first and let the defense take care of itself. I have no idea what Gulutzan's system as they aren't doing anything well. My impression so far is that he's not sure how he wants the team to play yet and the product is players playing like they aren't sure what they are supposed to be doing.

Gulutzan is obviously a smart guy and a good talker because he's convinced two NHL GM's to hire him as head coach but sooner or later he's going to have to find an identity and take command of this team. Right now the team looks like it did when Darryl Sutter first entered the scene as there's no identity or leadership.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by iamca

sit Engellend in the press box for a game... couldn't hurt at this point.

And play Wideman in his place.... something I've been pushing for since game 2 vs the Oilers.

[Justin]

Dang I miss Hartley.

[Strange Brew]

It wouldn't hurt for Wideman to draw in at this point.

But it all comes down to Monahan, Gaudreau, Giordano and Brodie playing better and more consistently. This team won't win otherwise.

[Bingo]

Blaming the coach at this point would be assuming that his strict instructions are to ...

a) play scrambly
b) do it yourself
c) don't win puck battles
d) don't make key saves
e) take a lot of penalties

if those are all true than they've really hired the wrong guy!

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Blaming the coach at this point would be assuming that his strict instructions are to ...

a) play scrambly
b) do it yourself
c) don't win puck battles
d) don't make key saves
e) take a lot of penalties

if those are all true than they've really hired the wrong guy!

Thanks for this Bingo!

While I understand people's frustration about another coaching change and another new "system" taking time, the new coach isn't the root cause of the Flames' current struggles.

I'll never understand how hockey players can forget key elements of SPORT from year-to-year, let alone key elements of HOCKEY. Things like:

a) Follow your check
b) Finish your check (like, hitting somebody once is a while is allowed)
c) Don't commit fouls/take penalties far away from your goal (i.e. needlessly in the offensive zone)
d) If all else fails, there is no replacement for hard work

These are fundamental things that even us amateur athletes learn from very young ages. These are tenets that continue to apply to us well into our "beer league" sunset years. No coach can execute any "system" if players can't even commit to these basics.

So far, the Flames are exhibiting the same bad habits that, for the past decade, were the hallmark (emphasis on "Hall"?) of Oiler teams. That's frightening.

[Canehdianman]

As that was probably the only game I'll be at this season, I gotta say, season ticket holders are getting fleeced.

I'd be livid if I was paying good money to watch the effort the team put in last night.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Blaming the coach at this point would be assuming that his strict instructions are to ...

a) play scrambly
b) do it yourself
c) don't win puck battles
d) don't make key saves
e) take a lot of penalties

if those are all true than they've really hired the wrong guy!

I think you have to blame to head coach to an extent as it was probably a mandate to avoid repeating last season's miserable October. I don't see the Wild playing like crap under a new head coach. Are their players just better from top to the bottom of the roster or is maybe one coach making things a lot easier on his players to adapt and play?

I'm not calling for him to be fired like other posters but clearly he hasn't done as good a job in getting this team prepared to play his system as could be expected.

[Bingo]

I think there's a certainly a motivational role behind the scenes for sure, so I guess the question is effort.

Are they working hard? Yes/No
Are they working smart? Yes/No

Between Gaudreau's impasse and Monahan's injury the team didn't have a first line through the preseason, and I think that's catching up to them because the powerplay is sputtering, key players aren't finishing, and with that it's getting away from them.

As a result the players are panicking somewhat and trying to do it on their own.

Most of that isn't coaching, it's just what is.

[CroFlames]

Engelland is the last guy who deserves the pressbox.

[Igottago]

It always amazes me the lengths people will go to excuse poor coaching, we heard the same thing in the Brent Sutter days and even the Playfair days. In any other sport the coach is the guy that shoulders the burden for the overall performance of the team.

If you've got good musicians but a bad conductor the show won't be very good.

All the unpreparedness, confusion, lack of identity...that's all on the coach 100%. His job is to clearly outline expectations and also be a motivator. That should've been set in place weeks ago. There's no excuse for this team to be looking like it just started training camp.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I think you have to blame to head coach to an extent as it was probably a mandate to avoid repeating last season's miserable October. I don't see the Wild playing like crap under a new head coach. Are their players just better from top to the bottom of the roster or is maybe one coach making things a lot easier on his players to adapt and play?

I'm not calling for him to be fired like other posters but clearly he hasn't done as good a job in getting this team prepared to play his system as could be expected.

The Wilds best players are playing like their best players. Staal was brought in to be the #1 center had has produced. Kouivo put down on 2nd center line has been great for him. Our best players have not been our best players. Our supposed 3rd line of Backs and Frolik have been our best forwards. Bennett has probably been the worst player on the ice besides Versteeg.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Blaming the coach at this point would be assuming that his strict instructions are to ...

a) play scrambly
b) do it yourself
c) don't win puck battles
d) don't make key saves
e) take a lot of penalties

if those are all true than they've really hired the wrong guy!

While you're essentually correct I think it should be mentioned that it is the coaches job to make sure they're practiced and prepared so they don't do those things. That being said if it's not GUlutzan's tactics that are the problem then it's obviously going to take an uncomfortable amount of time to get them to the point where they can take advantage of them.

FWIW I think Gulutzan has them doing the right things but they're not doing them correctly i.e. it's a failure of execution not of tactics. Now Dave Cameron on the other hand... outside of the first game the Flames PP has looked awful. Tactically awful, not just in execution.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

The Wilds best players are playing like their best players. Staal was brought in to be the #1 center had has produced. Kouivo put down on 2nd center line has been great for him. Our best players have not been our best players. Our supposed 3rd line of Backs and Frolik have been our best forwards. Bennett has probably been the worst player on the ice besides Versteeg.

Is it not one of the head coach's responsibilities to get the players playing their best? Whether it be by motivation or putting them in situations to excel the head coach plays a big role in how players play. It's fair to say that Mike Johnston wasn't getting enough out of his players in Pittsburgh because they went from also ran to Cup winners after going to Sullivan.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Is it not one of the head coach's responsibilities to get the players playing their best? Whether it be by motivation or putting them in situations to excel the head coach plays a big role in how players play. It's fair to say that Mike Johnston wasn't getting enough out of his players in Pittsburgh because they went from also ran to Cup winners after going to Sullivan.

I don't think motivation is necessarily an NHL coach's primary responsibility, but it's definitely the coach's job to get everyone to play the game the right way. That's precisely why he is paid to be there.

Doesn't mean that it's totally the coach's fault if it doesn't happen, but it doesn't mean that the coach escapes responsibility when he fails in his job either. The way some fans talk sometimes, it's like the coach could never be responsible for anything because it's always just the players who are performing poorly.