The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Do we really know that GG was hand-picked by Treliving? Perhaps BT was given a dollar figure that he needed to work with, which priced other coaches out of our market?

That's the only way I can justify him not even reaching out to Boudreau, so I'm running with it.

Out of curiosity, why do you feel Boudreau would have made a good candidate?

I myself look at Boudreau as the most overrated coach in the league at this point. Guy can't get his teams passed the 2nd round, and he has never coached anything other than really talented and deep teams. I don't think he has ever had Washington or Minnesota playing out of their minds.

As for Tippett - I think he might end up being a good candidate, but I am not sure that the Flames can offer him what he may want. Didn't he fight for more 'say' in the organization, like Roy and Babcock? Does Treliving want to give him that much power? It seems like a trend among the elite of the coaching fraternity. I guess they must get sick and tired of a GM not giving them the right pieces to make their systems work.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Would you have preferred they’d stuck with Feaster or Sutter?

No but I believe Coates certainly deserved more time
Perhaps Button too
I see value in allowing your gm to play the long game and having stability at the top

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

...which is exactly what this is, since Fletcher left.

No disagreeing with that
Doesn’t that reinforce my point though?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

No but I believe Coates certainly deserved more time
Perhaps Button too
I see value in allowing your gm to play the long game and having stability at the top

Yeah those are two good examples. I wish Treliving was playing more of a long game though.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by New Era

This place is going to go into meltdown mode when the Oilers pass the Flames in the standings.

While the Flames are supposedly playing their best hockey in years according to Gulutzan’s stats.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

I really hope the organization is not that shirt sighted. Would be nice to have some stability in the role...the constant cycling through different regimes is a hallmark of a weak franchise

Back to back champs in Pittsburgh say otherwise. Shero gone, Johnston gone. Rutherford in, Sullivan in.

Crosby was on the decline if they stand pat. Talks about dealing Malkin. Instead, they picked up Kessel. One of the best trades recently.

Also, Merry Christmas Jiri!

[Iggy Snipe]

The Flames are not an elite team, and it’s not GG’s fault. Yes, they have serious issues with their fourth line, spending the crazy money they do on Stajan and Brouwer, and GG doesn’t have a choice but to play them. You are all complaining that he gives them too much ice, but in a 82 game season, your damn right the 4th line needs to play 10-12 minutes a night at least.

You can’t blame GG for that. He can’t be playing his top six forwards 25 minutes a night, which would be the result of not playing the 4th line as much. So let’s not use that as the reason the Flames can’t win.

I agree, the team is painful to watch. I shut the TV off all the time. That is an on going problem resulting from give a ways and breakout turnovers. That is something that the players and GG need to continue to work on, but that will start clicking as soon as the team can string together a couple wins. It’s all confidence and the Flames don’t have a lot of it right now. They are not winning at home and that goes to show how much pressure they are feeling.

To be honest, the Flames are a top 5 possession team in the league and a top 5 team in generating scoring chances. That is good coaching. In theory, the team should be winning more than they are. The numbers say we should turn it around.

Our expectations to win now as Flames fans is fine, but we need to let a coach come in here and coach the team for a few years and give them a real chance.

GG brought the team to the playoffs in his first season. So far this year, it looks like that has a good chance of happening again. So why would we fire him?

The season isn’t even half over and we’re running GG out of town. The bottom line is, the Flames are not that good and maybe they are overachieving. Maybe GG is getting the most out of the boys and we just need to shut up, and support the team, and maybe the Flames will turn a corner, which is what I expect.

For now, I say we play this season out and evaluate GG after two full seasons.

[Backlunds_socks]

Originally Posted by Iggy Snipe

The Flames are not an elite team, and it’s not GG’s fault. Yes, they have serious issues with their fourth line, spending the crazy money they do on Stajan and Brouwer, and GG doesn’t have a choice but to play them. You are all complaining that he gives them too much ice, but in a 82 game season, your damn right the 4th line needs to play 10-12 minutes a night at least.

You can’t blame GG for that. He can’t be playing his top six forwards 25 minutes a night, which would be the result of not playing the 4th line as much. So let’s not use that as the reason the Flames can’t win.

I agree, the team is painful to watch. I shut the TV off all the time. That is an on going problem resulting from give a ways and breakout turnovers. That is something that the players and GG need to continue to work on, but that will start clicking as soon as the team can string together a couple wins. It’s all confidence and the Flames don’t have a lot of it right now. They are not winning at home and that goes to show how much pressure they are feeling.

To be honest, the Flames are a top 5 possession team in the league and a top 5 team in generating scoring chances. That is good coaching. In theory, the team should be winning more than they are. The numbers say we should turn it around.

Our expectations to win now as Flames fans is fine, but we need to let a coach come in here and coach the team for a few years and give them a real chance.

GG brought the team to the playoffs in his first season. So far this year, it looks like that has a good chance of happening again. So why would we fire him?

The season isn’t even half over and we’re running GG out of town. The bottom line is, the Flames are not that good and maybe they are overachieving. Maybe GG is getting the most out of the boys and we just need to shut up, and support the team, and maybe the Flames will turn a corner, which is what I expect.

For now, I say we play this season out and evaluate GG after two full seasons.

So it’s tre?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Iggy Snipe

The season isn’t even half over and we’re running GG out of town. The bottom line is, the Flames are not that good and maybe they are overachieving.

That would not be a good thing.

[Erick Estrada]

Did someone really post that the Flames are not that good and may be overachieving? Really? Has that poster bothered to look at the teams they are ahead of in the standings?

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Iggy Snipe

The bottom line is, the Flames are not that good and maybe they are overachieving. Maybe GG is getting the most out of the boys and we just need to shut up, and support the team, and maybe the Flames will turn a corner, which is what I expect.

How exactly would you expect to turn a corner if GG is getting the most out of his players now? either they'er overachieving and GG is maximizing what he has to work with, or they're not and they'll turn a corner, so what do you think will change their fortune?

[DeluxeMoustache]

Maybe GG is getting the most out of the boys, who you don’t watch because of all the breakout turnovers and giveaways? Interesting take

[browna]

December 28 2002 Sutter hired as coach
December 28 2010 Sutter fired as GM
December 28 2017 ???

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Back to back champs in Pittsburgh say otherwise. Shero gone, Johnston gone. Rutherford in, Sullivan in.

Crosby was on the decline if they stand pat. Talks about dealing Malkin. Instead, they picked up Kessel. One of the best trades recently.

Also, Merry Christmas Jiri!

One exception doesn't change the point - particularly when that exception has Crosby and Malkin - frequent regime changes is the hallmark of a weak franchise.

[Iggy Snipe]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

How exactly would you expect to turn a corner if GG is getting the most out of his players now? either they'er overachieving and GG is maximizing what he has to work with, or they're not and they'll turn a corner, so what do you think will change their fortune?

I think once the puck starts going in for them, their confidence will improve their overall game. They are ranked high in scoring chances and puck possession which is why I think they fortunes will change. They have a low shooting percentage which over time will go up, as it is miserably low.

Yes I think he is getting the most out of the Flames. Analytics say they Flames should be winning more. That’s why I say the Flames should stay the course and the wins will start piling up. Their conversion rates on their chances won’t stay this low.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Corral

One exception doesn't change the point - particularly when that exception has Crosby and Malkin - frequent regime changes is the hallmark of a weak franchise.

Or a franchise that continues to hire the wrong people. Organizations that hire the right people are the strong organizations. You don’t hold on to bad hires for continuity sake. You keep tying until you hit the right people and keep them. This organization hasn’t hit on a coach since Darryl Sutter. Failing to identify and hire the right head coach has always been the biggest failing of the Calgary Flames organization post-80’s.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Corral

One exception doesn't change the point - particularly when that exception has Crosby and Malkin - frequent regime changes is the hallmark of a weak franchise.

It’s not the regime change that’s a problem IMO. You don’t stick with the wrong person for the sake of not changing. You either believe in your guy, or not.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Or a franchise that continues to hire the wrong people. Organizations that hire the right people are the strong organizations. You don’t hold on to bad hires for continuity sake. You keep tying until you hit the right people and keep them. This organization hasn’t hit on a coach since Darryl Sutter. Failing to identify and hire the right head coach has always been the biggest failing of the Calgary Flames organization post-80’s.

I was speaking less about the coach and more about stability at the GM level.

[Travis Munroe]

Night in and night out there is something off with this team. OT wins are fun and all but these could easily go the other direction. The standings have been flattering all year with the odd "wow, they are turning the corner" type game.

GG is out coached on a regular basis and I am not sure whether it is his job to break some sticks in the special teams meetings but someone should be. With a few minutes to go in a few games this year, we have been scored on with the 4th line on the ice... with a timeout in the back pocket. His (assistants) PP has also cost us an easy 6-8 points. His inability to adjust quickly has cost us points... that Montreal game was painful to watch. It took 50 minutes to figure out who was on holidays and that Montreal knew every possible outcome of the breakout.


If Sutter is interested and isn't hired by the end of this break then I would love to know who is calling the shots as there is no logic to this at all.

If Sutter isn't interested, GG rides out this season and we hire from the end of season coach pool.

If Cameron isn't either fired or has a completely new PP for the second half, I would again love to know who makes these decisions.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

It’s not the regime change that’s a problem IMO. You don’t stick with the wrong person for the sake of not changing. You either believe in your guy, or not.

Well it looks very bad on the organization if the Flames lose faith in GG after only 18 months after a thorough review of what sort of coach will take this group to the promised land - send him packing after 18 months shows no patience, always looking for a scapegoat to gloss over other weaknesses. It may just be there are more weaknesses on this team then people here are willing to see.

Darryl Sutter's teams here were good, but not elite. he was good at squeezing every last drop of effort but awful at developing talent - I can't fathom why we would want him with this group.