Imagine if the flames get off to a poor start again next year. Reading members thoughts on GG over the course of 1.5 seasons would be hilarious.
Yes, it could but it will be different. I think the main difference between this system and previous ones, GG has implemented a universal application rather than to tailor for a few individuals. This system could be sustainable in the cap era cos you need to constantly swapping spare parts in and out. What makes me excited is our salary outlook, we have not broken the bank with Gio and Johnny our top salary getters. Once Smid, Wideman, or a re signed Engelland contracts are shifted, we will manage to land a bigger fish in the off season.
I was starting to wonder about Johnny and Monny in terms of them getting their pay day and their subsequent commitment off and on the ice. They've proven me wrong.
Also, I was not sold on Elliott at all after watching his first few. His style is awkward and he couldn't catch a puck. I felt much more comfortable with Johnson. Since then Elliott has been fantastic and pumped to have him leading us into the playoffs. He's the biggest reason the team is in.
Lastly I was positive Tkachuk wasn't going to get suspended and was quite vocal about that.
On the other hand I always have seen the top 6 potential in Ferland and never gave up on him. Guy has way more skill than people realized, wicked shot, smart, and he can skate. Was just a matter of confidence and consistency, and in hindsight getting his off ice commitment cleaned up. Happy for him.
Anyways happy to eat crow on the top three. Just happy that they made it! Can't wait!
There sure are a lot of assumptions in that post about what happened. And not so much eating crow as excuses as to why your opinions at the time were actually valid, but happiness that the team unexpectedly over cane all those things you were legitimately upset about to still make the playoffs.
Basically a, I wasn't wrong, but sure glad miricals happen kind of take
He wasn't ready to start the season, and he has shown that he can't get this team ready for the Oilers. Those statements are easily supported by what happened on the ice, and those are both reasons why I wanted him gone early in the season. That he finally learned to adapt - PK early in the season and then line-up only after Treliving made some trades for D - stands to his credit, but doesn't change my view that Gulutzan was a steaming pile of crap for a not insignificant part of this season.
Also, if we were to pull arguments like those Jiri were making back out, then he deserves no credit at all since all the faults were seemingly 100% on the players, then all the credit now would have to be the same.
The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. Go Flames Go!
He wasn't ready to start the season, and he has shown that he can't get this team ready for the Oilers. Those statements are easily supported by what happened on the ice, and those are both reasons why I wanted him gone early in the season. That he finally learned to adapt - PK early in the season and then line-up only after Treliving made some trades for D - stands to his credit, but doesn't change my view that Gulutzan was a steaming pile of crap for a not insignificant part of this season.
Also, if we were to pull arguments like those Jiri were making back out, then he deserves no credit at all since all the faults were seemingly 100% on the players, then all the credit now would have to be the same.
My position is relatively unchanged. The team largely turned around because their best players started to actually play well.
I wasn't on the ‘fire Gulutzan’ bandwagon after the bad start. What I saw then was a team that had got used to playing Hartley's oddball system and had a lot of habits to unlearn. It didn't help that the top two forwards missed training camp and had to learn the system in the regular season.
But when things went south in January, I figured the team was done. I'll have a half portion of crow, please, with a side of humble pie.
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I do remember being upset about his lack of emotional response during the January blah streak (prior to the "pathetic" rant to the media), and also regarding the lack of creativity in the offensive zone. Will be happy to eat crow on both fronts.
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Really didn't think Chiasson was going to do anything for this team and was very vocal about it. I think he was over his head trying to keep up with 13 and 23 for a large part of the season but he has been absolutely terrific on the 4th line.
Also I gave Gulutzan 20 games at the beginning of the season to implement his system and get the team playing the way he wants and when they still weren't after that mark I turned on him very quickly.
PP top 16 for the last 50-60 games
PK top 16 for the last 50-60 games
PT% top 16 for the last 50- 60 games
GA avg top 16 for the last 50-60 games
Development of young players is a bit of an intangible from a measurement standpoint.
These are the parameters of improvement that BT set out at the end of last season. For a salary cap team, the above parameters would likely put us in the 18-25th overall position based on how the next few games go (I. E. No progression from last year despite an extra year of experience). I believe we can both agree that anything less would be a complete failure.
For the sake of argument between you and I, 22-30 games is well beyond anything that should ever be necessary to learn a new system/coach based on those parameters previously presented.
Textcritic & I had a pretty good back forth back on November 15th. I wanted to resurrect this at the end of the season, but with the playoffs clinched and the statistics not prone to major changes, I believe it is time for me to eat my share of crow.
PP% - 20.1% (12th) for whole season to March 31
PK% - 81.5% (11th) for whole season to March 31
PT% - .700+ (1st) since end January, .587 for the season (good enough for 11th)
GA - 210 through 78 games, good enough for 14th
At the time we agreed that this was fairly reflective of the key parameters that management had set out for the team at the start of the year. I believe on all fronts, the Flames have achieved what they set out at the beginning of the season and all success from this point onwards is gravy.
This has been a heck of a rollercoaster this season, but a good reminder for me that with patience and management support; hard working people have a way of surprising us for the better.
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I was fine with Tre and actually liked all of his signings. Even when Elliott was not good, I chalked it up to poor team defense not helping him out.
However, even though I never trashed GG on this board I committed a much worse sin: Telling oiler fans IRL that he was Dallas Eakins 2.0 and that their team was better than ours this year and we were likely in for a top 5 draft pick. The looks of happiness on their faces will haunt me to my grave and I can only hope that a swift and absolute destruction of the Oilers in the playoffs through a combination of our team's ability and heart paired with GG's tactics will grant me resolution.
