The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Have they?

Hartley's last year here, with Kris Russell (our worst possession player) and no Matthew Tkachuk (our best possession player) we were a 47.97% xGF% team.

Gulutzan's first year here, with Tkachuk (our best possession player) and no Kris Russell (our worst possession player) we were a 49.33% xGF% team.

So that's a shade under 1% improvement with a better, more complete roster and better goaltending.

Both are sub-50% teams in terms of expected goals over a full season. One guy had Matthew Tkachuk, the other guy had Kris Russell.

He's made us play a more responsible style with centers supporting down low, but don't confuse that with us playing "better" at 5-on-5. The only players to see significant gains in their possession numbers have really just been our worst players - guys like Matt Stajan or Deryk Engelland.

You look at Gaudreau and he had roughly the same possession numbers under Hartley (49.08% CF / 49.71% xGF%) he did under Gulutzan (50.21% CF / 49.96% xGF%) except he's been a turnover machine under Gulutzan because he has no green light to fly the zone and hit quickly. Gaudreau, Bennett, Brodie, and Giordano all stopped using their full skillsets under Gulutzan.

...

Pretty sure Hartley's 97 point season was more points than we had last year.

Hartley's 97-point season was one of the luckiest team seasons in recent memory.

Also, you must be joking in your point about the Flames losing Russell and gaining Tkachuk. I mean, sure, that did happen. But you're discounting other transactions that occurred, like the Flames acquiring one of their worst possession players in Brouwer. You can't just isolate a couple transactions and apply them to the whole team.

[Looch City]

He's ok.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Hartley's 97-point season was one of the luckiest team seasons in recent memory.

That team wasn't lucky though. They had a below-50% 5-on-5 goal differential (just like Gulutzan's team) which was just as you would expect. They only made the playoffs based on special teams (specifically, they were super-disciplined) just as GUlutzan's team made the playoffs based on special teams (even though those special teams meant overplaying weak 5v5 players like Versteeg, Brouwer, and Engelland.

[Jason14h]

Outside of one winning streak this team ha below average for the other 80 games

[Kovaz]

Yeah, I don't think Gulutzan is as far above Hartley as we want to think. Both teams have been consistently below average in fancy stats, and both coaches made the playoffs whenever they've had > 0.920% goaltending. Gulutzan's teams have had slightly better fancy stats, but they've also had significantly better rosters. And for all the talk of Hartley's teams being a "tire fire", Gulutzan's got significantly worse stats with this year's team than even the 2013-14 Flames, arguably the low point in our recent history.

[doctajones428]

[N-E-B]

I think GG's system is okay, where I think he falls short is his ability to play his players to their strengths. Sometimes you just have to let your best players play their game instead.

But I would agree that he takes WAY too much crap.

[Moneyhands23]

GG has one system and doesnt seem to be able to adjust to other teams. This and his constent use of scrubs on the pp kill me.

I hope he is replaced at the end of the season.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I wonder how some of the better players on this team would perform under Darryl. I think he's a great coach but could those guys handle that heavy a coach?

i think d. sutter makes our best players even better by turning them into more complete pros. he gets the most out of everyone.

1) he gets players to buy into the system
2) he gets consistency and discipline out of his players
3) He can motivate teams after bad losses and bad periods. Sutter teams generally always competitive.

[Moneyhands23]

If AV gets fired in New York I hope he is signed asap in calgary.

Hate to say it, but I think he is a great coach with a crap team

[jlh2640]

Let’s fire him now and go out and get Dave Tippett immediately

[Badgers Nose]

The team is playing badly and he is great? Does not compute.

He's OK.

[kukkudo]

GG ain't getting fired, maybe if the Flames are playing like crap by the 25 game mark. Dave Cameron will take over as interim head coach haha.

[Kybb79]

GG has a losing record at home that is unacceptable.He gets outcoached in big games he can't adjust during the game.So many things to mention!

[Backlunds_socks]

Gg is the worst.every player has experienced point regression

[Backlunds_socks]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

If AV gets fired in New York I hope he is signed asap in calgary.

Hate to say it, but I think he is a great coach with a crap team

This would be a wet dream

[Kybb79]

Ferly!!!!!

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Let’s fire him now and go out and get Dave Tippett immediately

So we can be the worst team in the NHL with an outdated boring system? Great idea.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Outside of one winning streak this team ha below average for the other 80 games

A. There were two decent winning streaks.

B. What you're saying is, aside from the games they win, they were below 50%. Ummm, ok.

[ricosuave]

No. Gulutzan and the rest of the incompetent coaching staff are wasting years off of our best players.