What are your thoughts on Glen Gulutzan's system?

[FlamesAddiction]

I am starting to believe. Please don't hurt me Flames.

[the_only_turek_fan]

What exactly is Gulutzan's system?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

What exactly is Gulutzan's system?

Win.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

What exactly is Gulutzan's system?

It appears to be a good system when the players get on the same page. Play close to the vest in tightly contested contests and take advantage of loose teams like the Jets. They are playing a solid brand of hockey right now.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I am starting to believe. Please don't hurt me Flames.

By looking at your join date, you too have been hurt before.
You just have to keep putting yourself out there.
We got you, friend.

[Dion]

I was wrong about Gulitzan and admit it. I like the fact he has the team playing better defensive hockey and that we're able to win these close games. The team over all has never looked so confident in the way they play and I expect it to continue. Watching Flames hockey has become enjoyable again.

Now if someone would pass me plate a of crow, i'll start eating.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

What exactly is Gulutzan's system?

He wants his team to be comfortable playing 3-2/2-1 type games.

[Caged Great]

Gulutzan's system is about confronting the other team defensively and transitioning the puck up the other way.

When the opposing forward gets confronted, they have three options. Pass the puck, dump it in or get hit/stick checked and leaned on. That means they have to beat you on a play in order to have a successful interaction with your defender. If you keep confronting their players, it increases the likelihood that they will mess up and turn the puck over. Then you're off to the races.

Have you noticed in recent games, it seems like the majority of goals that the other team has scored have come off the rush, with the rest coming off complete defensive collapses?

Once the Flames successfully acquire the puck, they attack in whatever fashion seems relevant at the time. Sometimes it's a quick attack if the other team has too many players deep in our end, other times, they just control the puck and wait for a proper break out.

Offensively, it seems like the Flames are playing more of a patient game and waiting to see what unfolds. Perhaps they tend to pass too much, but it certainly is working regardless.

[Machiavelli]

Patience is the name of the game. As fans, we are often guilty of a lack thereof.

I admit I thought Gulutzan was bonkers with many of his early decisions, but he made the necessary adjustments, stuck with the overall system, and now the team is being rewarded for their perseverance.

[calgarygeologist]

Damn, this guy is good. Someone better give him Coach of the year.

[devo22]

I'll happily eat some crow. Didn't think they'd turn it around under Gulutzan like that, but boy, have they been good for a few weeks now. You can see the confidence in the players now and they are executing the system well.

Also hats off to Dave Cameron - my faith in Gulutzan wasn't big, but my faith in Cameron was non-existent. Glad to see the special teams getting better and it's no coincidence that results have been better since the PK got its #### together.

Long may it continue!

[cofias]

Originally Posted by devo22

I'll happily eat some crow. Didn't think they'd turn it around under Gulutzan like that, but boy, have they been good for a few weeks now. You can see the confidence in the players now and they are executing the system well.

Also hats off to Dave Cameron - my faith in Gulutzan wasn't big, but my faith in Cameron was non-existent. Glad to see the special teams getting better and it's no coincidence that results have been better since the PK got its #### together.

Long may it continue!

Isn't Paul Jerrard responsible for the PK? He deserves a lot of credit IMO, I really like our current PK structure. You can tell watching the games that it's frustrating to play against and the results have followed.

Not a fan of Bouma on the PK though, that has never worked very well... we're not about blocking shots anymore.

[devo22]

possibly yeah. I thought Cameron was in charge of the special teams as a whole, but could be wrong obviously. Either way, glad to see both PP and PK improve drastically.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by cofias

Isn't Paul Jerrard responsible for the PK? He deserves a lot of credit IMO, I really like our current PK structure. You can tell watching the games that it's frustrating to play against and the results have followed.

Not a fan of Bouma on the PK though, that has never worked very well... we're not about blocking shots anymore.

Bouma is fine as a PK guy...the team relies on good skating as much as anything on the PK now and he fits right in that wheelhouse.

Also...though it isnt ALL about blocked shots, it most certainly is still a part of things. Flames are top 10 in the league as a matter of fact.

[Stay Golden]

It is more Gulutzan has dumped his initial spastic system and they are playing a more traditional break out from the back end. Neutral ice attack. The defensive pairings are what they should have been from the beginning. So yeah congrats for coming back down to common sense instead of his constant experimentations. The boys are playing pretty damn close to what Hartley had in place. With much better goaltending thanks to Johnson.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

It is more Gulutzan has dumped his initial spastic system and they are playing a more traditional break out from the back end. Neutral ice attack. The defensive pairings are what they should have been from the beginning. So yeah congrats for coming back down to common sense instead of his constant experimentations. The boys are playing pretty damn close to what Hartley had in place. With much better goaltending thanks to Johnson.

I think this is a pretty bad analysis personally. Gulutzan has not "changed his system" the players are now playing the way he wants th to play. They use more short passes and attack as a 5 man unit and they stand up at the blueline and try and hold the line. Hartley relied on the stretch pass and scoring off the rush, while giving up the blueline and defending by blocking shots.

[Enoch Root]

"he changed his system and is coaching more like Hartley now"

lol

in other words: I have an irrational hate for him and, now that the team is playing well, the only way I can justify it in my mind is to imagine/pretend that he has stopped acting like himself and is somehow trying to act like the guy I do like.

[dissentowner]

One of the biggest differences I noticed between GG and Hartley is that when one of our D guys jumps up into the offensive zone, there is always a forward who drifts back to cover his spot in case it goes the other way. With Hartley when the D man would carry in deep into the O zone everyone went to the net on the attack which led to a lot of huge advantages for the opposition once the puck went back the other way.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I think this is a pretty bad analysis personally. Gulutzan has not "changed his system" the players are now playing the way he wants th to play. They use more short passes and attack as a 5 man unit and they stand up at the blueline and try and hold the line. Hartley relied on the stretch pass and scoring off the rush, while giving up the blueline and defending by blocking shots.

Nope Hartley did not relay on the stretch pass 2 years ago the D always had the green light to go. Gio, Brodie, Wideman, Russell all skated the puck out.
Fans became frustrated last season when you didn't see that as much.
Gulutzan has knocked off his disorganized BS and went back to traditional hockey. That is not a wonder boy system that's hockey.
He was the one constantly mixing up all the defensive pairings and coaching like a clown. He was the one injecting bozos like Vey into the lineup.
In the past month since his feet started to get red from the fire he simply went to what works around the league if you have have 3 very mobile D men. Gio, Brodie, Hamilton.
And you have to get solid goaltending. One of them finally stepped up.
Backlund has given that second line such balance. The Flames have 5 legitimate offensive forwards Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Backlund, Tkachuk, Frolik.
Hamilton, Gio, Brodie solid 2 way in the attack and defending.
When the D jumps up a LW always covers just like it was with Hartley 2 seasons ago.
That is what has turned this around.
They went back to what worked before Gulutzan.

[bax]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

It is more Gulutzan has dumped his initial spastic system and they are playing a more traditional break out from the back end. Neutral ice attack. The defensive pairings are what they should have been from the beginning. So yeah congrats for coming back down to common sense instead of his constant experimentations. The boys are playing pretty damn close to what Hartley had in place. With much better goaltending thanks to Johnson.

This is so far off. This team is playing nothing like they used to with Hartley. And for defensive pairings? I don't remember anyone wanting Gio and Hamilton together