The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Flash Walken]

Yes, I think

Hyka/Eakin/Carpenter
Nosek/Lindberg/Matteau

Is/Was better than

Hathaway/Janko/Bennett
Brouwer/Stajan/Lazar

Last night Vegas bottom 6 combined for 2 goals and 4 points, the Flames bottom six provided 0 goals, 0 points.

Six different players scored a goal for Las Vegas in that game. When they beat the Flames in January, 4 different players scored for Vegas.

I was watching the Vegas broadcast and they were mentioning this Carpenter fella is just a recent call up, for Bellemare I think? Normally Tuck is on the third line but with James Neal out last night he was playing up in the lineup. He's got 27 points, more than anyone on Calgary's bottom 2 lines.

So ya, I think it's pretty much far and away obvious that Las Vegas has a deeper roster and a better bottom 6 than the Flames. To a player, they are better.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Why would you put it all on Backlund to defend McDavid? Is he one of the defenseman who’s getting burned on a 1 to 1 foot race because he can’t out skate McDavid? No because he’s not going to always be on the ice against him nor does he play the defense position. How many times has McDavid torched us on a breakaway because no one and I mean absolutely no one in the league can keep up with him in a foot race.

As for all the stff about not allowing the defense to jump into the play. That’s garbage. We legitimately just saw TJ Brodie and Hamonic jump into the play yesterday to score our 1st goal of the game, Hamilton also jumps into the play all the time which is where he’s picked up a lot of his goals and chances, Gio jumps into the play from time to time and Kulak’s first goal was also a result from jumping into the play. If he didn’t allow these guys to do so, why are there so many examples of our defensemen jumping into the play?

This team also doesn’t always go up the ice as a 5 man unit. Just watch Johnny Gaudreau every game blowing the zone early for a breakaway stretch pass. He doesn’t force guys to do anything. Our team is also not fast, it’s obvious because teams like Boston, Tampa, Vegas and etc are actually fast and they skate circles around us. Not because of coaching, but because these teams have built their rosters around speed and skill rather than the edge and truculence that we’ve focused on. You can choose what you want to believe, but man do I disagree with you completely.

Are you related to him or secretly GG himself? I don't get how you can do staunchly defend the guy when he has proven all season long and reallythrough both seasons that he's not a great coach.

He has great possession numbers because his team is among the last in the league in time spent with the lead which means they have more shots and push play more to try and even it up.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Are you related to him or secretly GG himself? I don't get how you can do staunchly defend the guy when he has proven all season long and reallythrough both seasons that he's not a great coach.

He has great possession numbers because his team is among the last in the league in time spent with the lead which means they have more shots and push play more to try and even it up.

Yes, I’m secretly Glen Gulutzan and when I’m on the bench I’m secretly reading CP to see how much everyone here hates me because it’s so helpful towards my confidence as a human being.

Or really, I’m just someone who thinks that the players on the ice are more important and more accountable towards the actual success of a team. Everyone plays the same style of hockey in today’s game and I’d prefer not to see this team have to adjust to a brand new coaching staff and struggle again out of the gates.

Everyone here whines and complains about coaching, but the actual difference between us being a playoff team right now and us currently is 2-3 wins. That’ it, and how many times have we seen individual mistakes cost us those potential 2-3 wins this season? Frolik’s blunder, TJ’s turnover, dumb untimely penalties from whoever, bad pinches, missed saves.

Lots of stuff that isn’t coached, but more so a split second reactionary play that has cost us. That’s my opinion. Everyone here can hate it, I really don’t care, but no one has said anything here to me that’s so concrete and so sound that has changed my mind.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Why would you put it all on Backlund to defend McDavid? Is he one of the defenseman who’s getting burned on a 1 to 1 foot race because he can’t out skate McDavid? No because he’s not going to always be on the ice against him nor does he play the defense position. How many times has McDavid torched us on a breakaway because no one and I mean absolutely no one in the league can keep up with him in a foot race.

As for all the stff about not allowing the defense to jump into the play. That’s garbage. We legitimately just saw TJ Brodie and Hamonic jump into the play yesterday to score our 1st goal of the game, Hamilton also jumps into the play all the time which is where he’s picked up a lot of his goals and chances, Gio jumps into the play from time to time and Kulak’s first goal was also a result from jumping into the play. If he didn’t allow these guys to do so, why are there so many examples of our defensemen jumping into the play?

This team also doesn’t always go up the ice as a 5 man unit. Just watch Johnny Gaudreau every game blowing the zone early for a breakaway stretch pass. He doesn’t force guys to do anything. Our team is also not fast, it’s obvious because teams like Boston, Tampa, Vegas and etc are actually fast and they skate circles around us. Not because of coaching, but because these teams have built their rosters around speed and skill rather than the edge and truculence that we’ve focused on. You can choose what you want to believe, but man do I disagree with you completely.

[monkeyman]

Our team is only slow because they play slow. They make slow sloppy decisions and passes, and It has a lot to do with how they practice. It was noted when Toronto came to town, just how much quicker their practices were compared to Calgary's. It was also something Hartley emphasized, saying if you practice fast, you learn to play the game fast.
All you have to do is watch this team to see the results of practicing slow, when the tempo picks up, they fall behind, they panic, and they make poor decisions. It boils down to coaching.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Yes, I’m secretly Glen Gulutzan and when I’m on the bench I’m secretly reading CP to see how much everyone here hates me because it’s so helpful towards my confidence as a human being.

So that is what you are doing when you are staring down on the bench. It all makes sense now.

[4X4]

So I've taken the same route to work every day, forever. Sometimes there's a traffic jam, and I end up late for work. Didn't really think I could do much about it, because, well, the car can't go any faster when there's no room. But you know what? Today, I had an idea. I encountered a traffic jam, so I took a different route, and I got to work on time! It was magical. I managed to get the car to go faster, because there was more room! Who would have thought that trying something different could change the outcome of my drive to work?

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by 4X4

So I've taken the same route to work every day, forever. Sometimes there's a traffic jam, and I end up late for work. Didn't really think I could do much about it, because, well, the car can't go any faster when there's no room. But you know what? Today, I had an idea. I encountered a traffic jam, so I took a different route, and I got to work on time! It was magical. I managed to get the car to go faster, because there was more room! Who would have thought that trying something different could change the outcome of my drive to work?

Name checks out

[Looch City]

Sign this guy to an extension right now!

[Robbob]

Regarding Vegas. I think they are a pretty good candidate to regress next year. A lot, and I mean a lot has come up milhouse for them. Also I don't think calling them cast offs is right. The expansion rules made it so they would get players that the teams were forced to lose. You can probably count the "cast offs" on one hand where the original team was so bad Vegas was forced to take a player (looking at you Reinhart ).

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 4X4

So I've taken the same route to work every day, forever. Sometimes there's a traffic jam, and I end up late for work. Didn't really think I could do much about it, because, well, the car can't go any faster when there's no room. But you know what? Today, I had an idea. I encountered a traffic jam, so I took a different route, and I got to work on time! It was magical. I managed to get the car to go faster, because there was more room! Who would have thought that trying something different could change the outcome of my drive to work?

I was also in a traffic jam, in an Uber two days ago. The driver said "I will take a different route".

It turned out to be slower. There were more lights, the route was more circuitous, and it was a bad idea overall. We should have stayed the course.

Moral: sometimes patience works out better.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Vegas is going to be scary good in 3-4 seasons if they can keep their existing culture. They have a plethora of picks they got from the expansion draft. They have a lot of ammo. I do think they are likely to regress a bit next season, but they are built the right way - lots of speed with a sound system that plays to it. They are about to be injected with a healthy dose of youth in the upcoming seasons.

[Pointman]

The way this team is built is a lot like 2005-09 Sutter teams:

Top-heavy team with bad bottom six
Built around truculence rather than speed
Really good goalie
D looks good on paper, but gives up a lot of goals
Spends to the cap
GM is looking like a wizard at first but then the disappointment settles in

[nemanja2306]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Yes, I’m secretly Glen Gulutzan and when I’m on the bench I’m secretly reading CP to see how much everyone here hates me because it’s so helpful towards my confidence as a human being.

Or really, I’m just someone who thinks that the players on the ice are more important and more accountable towards the actual success of a team. Everyone plays the same style of hockey in today’s game and I’d prefer not to see this team have to adjust to a brand new coaching staff and struggle again out of the gates.

Everyone here whines and complains about coaching, but the actual difference between us being a playoff team right now and us currently is 2-3 wins. That’ it, and how many times have we seen individual mistakes cost us those potential 2-3 wins this season? Frolik’s blunder, TJ’s turnover, dumb untimely penalties from whoever, bad pinches, missed saves.

Lots of stuff that isn’t coached, but more so a split second reactionary play that has cost us. That’s my opinion. Everyone here can hate it, I really don’t care, but no one has said anything here to me that’s so concrete and so sound that has changed my mind.

You're right, there have been games where the Flames lost because of few mistakes. However, there were games where the Flames were completely outplayed yet won/forced OT because of Mike Smith and Rittich. Also, other teams also make mistakes. It's not just the Flames.

Brad Treliving sent a 1st round pick and 2 second's for Hamonic. Why? Because he believed that the team was ready to compete. Not just playoffs, divison, maybe even for the Cup. Hell, even Gultuzan said this is a 100 point team.

Yet here we are, battling for playoffs and outside looking in. I cannot really understand how can anyone look at this season as a whole and not be disappointed.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Pointman

The way this team is built is a lot like 2005-09 Sutter teams:

Top-heavy team with bad bottom six
Built around truculence rather than speed
Really good goalie
D looks good on paper, but gives up a lot of goals
Spends to the cap
GM is looking like a wizard at first but then the disappointment settles in

In what universe did Sutter ever look like a good GM?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

In what universe did Sutter ever look like a good GM?

Because 2004 totally never happened, amirite?

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Because 2004 totally never happened, amirite?

Sutter was barely a GM for the 03-04 season. That was 95% Button or earliers team.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I was also in a traffic jam, in an Uber two days ago. The driver said "I will take a different route".

It turned out to be slower. There were more lights, the route was more circuitous, and it was a bad idea overall. We should have stayed the course.

Moral: sometimes patience works out better.

Do you use the same Uber driver and route 82 times a year?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

In what universe did Sutter ever look like a good GM?

In this universe.

[PsYcNeT]

Man you guys must have a bad memory. Sutter was an excellent coach with a shelflife and an at best underwhelming GM.