Would you make a midseason coaching change to try to salvage playoff hopes?

[Toonage]

He's downplaying Maloney's presence with the team, something that I had joked about in the past. If Treliving falters they have a savvy GM waiting in the wings.

The one spot we never seem to point to, maybe not enough, is ownership.

[kukkudo]

There is a reason Mahoney is with the Organization. He will be taking over a position in the off-season. As Fonz was saying Burke might be headed to Team USA.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by indes

I would definitely do it for Julien and would probably do it for Gallant. People say we're slow and unskilled, I feel were just playing that way. We've had no lack of speed or skill up until this year. Our only top player who looks decent is Hamilton. I don't think it's acceptable to have almost all of your core guys slumping.

Completely agree. We're playing a slow, methodical game, void of offensive spark and instinctive creativity (except on the PP it seems, but even that's been pretty x and o'd). It's not that the players lack those abilities.

Brodie was a 40+ point player and had a top plus/minus on the team. Gio a 50 point player. Gaudreau was a PPG winger on a steep upward trend, and Monahan on a 30/30 pace, looking to be an expected pace from him. Bennett looked to be a 0.5 PPG player with a nose for the net and on the rise.

All of them have fallen off significantly. It's not coincidence.

It's reasonable to defend the fundamentals of his system, and playing a more structured game but GG's methods are clearly having an impact on several top players. I don't know what he's saying/doing/forcing on them to have this happen but this isn't just a performance issue affecting 5 players at once. Perhaps he's not adjusting his system to accommodate some individual players' strengths. The less active D (which was a pillar of strength for the Flames the past two seasons) is also having an effect on blue line numbers and overall team scoring. It just doesn't make sense to be solely on the players at this point. Unless we're just catching lightning in a bottle in the bad sense and everything's going wrong with everybody at once. But I somehow believe it's more.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Toonage

The one spot we never seem to point to, maybe not enough, is ownership.

They resisted rebuilding for years because they hate missing playoff revenue and it appears they simply can't stomach waiting. I don't agree with it but it's their team and I can't fault them for being upset over the regression of the past few seasons.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

They resisted rebuilding for years because they hate missing playoff revenue and it appears they simply can't stomach waiting. I don't agree with it but it's their team and I can't fault them for being upset over the regression of the past few seasons.

This right here! Ownership needs playoff money and they want that new arena.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

They resisted rebuilding for years because they hate missing playoff revenue and it appears they simply can't stomach waiting. I don't agree with it but it's their team and I can't fault them for being upset over the regression of the past few seasons.

I speculated (didn't hear or read anything, just my own speculation) that ownership will spend to the cap limit on players but cheap out on coaches.

The money they are paying Hartley to stay home and Gulutzan to coach is probably less than they would pay for a year of a proven coach like Julien (or Boudreau). The past 10 years of coaching hires sort of points to this.

That being said, if Treliving gets canned because of a coaching hire where he was handcuffed by the amount he could spend on one, would be telling.

[Ruttiger]

He's your Dallas Eakins. He has to at least get until Christmas next season to prove himself.

[Johnny Rotten]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada;6094532[B

]They resisted rebuilding for years because they hate missing playoff revenue and it appears they simply can't stomach waiting.[/B] I don't agree with it but it's their team and I can't fault them for being upset over the regression of the past few seasons.

And how did those few years turn out?

Yes, it's their team, but you'd think- being the smart business that they are- that since that way of thinking didn't work the first time, that maybe a more patient way of dealing with the situation would be more beneficial this time.

BTW: I just noticed how you stated that you didn't "agree with it".

[Geeoff]

This team hasn't struck me as poorly coached. I think we're just not quite there yet. Although it sucks to get swept by the Oilers.

[TheIronMaiden]

If the Flames miss the playoffs, it will not be because we lost the last two games. It will be because the Flames had a pathetic start to the season. The pathetic start was in large part due to fundamental adjustments to a new coach. Teams often play poorly for the first Dozen games with a new coach. A new coach half way through the season would only lead to another long losing streak. Not to mention what coach would choose Calgary over another market knowing that they fired their last coach after 50 games.

[Flash Walken]

The Flames are 4 points up on last year, have scored only 1 less goal than last year and the powerplay in 7% better (aka, 50% better) than the previous season at this point.

Basically, this season has been an unbridled success compared to the previous years under hartley.

Gulutzan can't buy a break.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

The Flames would have to be a two-bit outfit to fire a rookie coach halfway through his first year. Like it or not, Gulutzan is here to stay, for at least until another slow start next season, maybe even all of next season.

He's not a rookie coach.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The Flames are 4 points up on last year, have scored only 1 less goal than last year and the powerplay in 7% better (aka, 50% better) than the previous season at this point.

Basically, this season has been an unbridled success compared to the previous years under hartley.

Gulutzan can't buy a break.

Don't forget we gave up the most goals in the league last season.

We are now at least a little respectable in that area and the somewhat better team game is a big reason.

Also, I still think players have Hartley's system ingrained in them a little bit and are having a hard time getting rid of the Hartley stink.

[ThePrince]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Completely agree. We're playing a slow, methodical game, void of offensive spark and instinctive creativity (except on the PP it seems, but even that's been pretty x and o'd). It's not that the players lack those abilities.

Brodie was a 40+ point player and had a top plus/minus on the team. Gio a 50 point player. Gaudreau was a PPG winger on a steep upward trend, and Monahan on a 30/30 pace, looking to be an expected pace from him. Bennett looked to be a 0.5 PPG player with a nose for the net and on the rise.

All of them have fallen off significantly. It's not coincidence.

It's reasonable to defend the fundamentals of his system, and playing a more structured game but GG's methods are clearly having an impact on several top players. I don't know what he's saying/doing/forcing on them to have this happen but this isn't just a performance issue affecting 5 players at once. Perhaps he's not adjusting his system to accommodate some individual players' strengths. The less active D (which was a pillar of strength for the Flames the past two seasons) is also having an effect on blue line numbers and overall team scoring. It just doesn't make sense to be solely on the players at this point. Unless we're just catching lightning in a bottle in the bad sense and everything's going wrong with everybody at once. But I somehow believe it's more.

So how do you explain why we're so much higher in the standings? If all our best players have "fallen off a cliff", why have our team results been so much better?

[Barnet Flame]

We dropped the ball with Boudreau. We cannot drop the ball with Julian if he becomes available.

[Joe Nieuwendyk]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

We dropped the ball with Boudreau. We cannot drop the ball with Julian if he becomes available.

Squirrel!!!!!

[CSharp]

If the Flames have both Crosby and Malkin, hell yeah. But, they don't. It'll just make things worse to have a new system that took them over a month to get used to.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by CSharp

If the Flames have both Crosby and Malkin, hell yeah. But, they don't. It'll just make things worse to have a new system that took them over a month to get used to.

Not really. Lets say a new coach was in next week. That gives them Feb, March and a bit of April if they missed the playoffs. All of training camp in September to begin next season. It can be done.

[Toonage]

It doesn't take 4 months to get used to a system. Forcing players to adopt a way of playing outside of their skillset/comfort zone does.

Implement a way of playing that compliments your players individual strengths. Maybe we haven't really seen that here.

[Corral]

I'm not sure why a team performing as expected this season (wildcard spot) would dump its coach. Only some on this forum and the odd media folk looking for some hits picked the Flames to be top 3 in the Pacific.