The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by kukkudo

The leafs get Matthews and now they are on a role (Some say they tanked). Babcock's name speaks for itself they were never going be last forever. Montreal has a terrible roster Claude Julien can't do much in that situation.

A team with Gaudreau, Monahan, Tkachuk, Gio, Hamiliton, playing all well and good goaltending from Smith should be sitting comfortably in the wildcard or in one of the division spots. The Flames this year have been very inconsistant. Nothing against GG but he is the perfect NHL assistant coach or AHL head coach.

The Leafs do fine without Matthews. I remember them winning 4 or 5 in a row when he got concussed. They draft exceptionally well and have talented forwards up and down their line up. We’re too top heavy and rely on a couple forwards to win us games night after night. The whole bottom has been a disaster this season and is a big part of the reason why we’re not comfortably in a playoff position. They had 1 good month in December and have been invisible for the rest.

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I’ve already gone over this too many times. This sometimes, maybe, what if crap is all just a 50/50 shot in the dark. Maybe we do make the playoffs, or maybe we fall into the abyss like the Avs didnwhen Roy left or maybe this roster just isn’t good enough no matter what coach is in the system.

Fact is, 2 coaches have failed with this roster and I’ll bet a 3rd will fail just as hard. This roster is not elite. We have some elite pieces, but pieces of a puzzle doesn’t make the picture complete. We don’t need new voices, we need a new philosophy. Less muckers and grinders who love the penalty box and more speed and skill to make teams pay when they’re in the box.

Agree. But the bed is made. We mortgaged the next two years on a guy who didn’t return value. Our highest ever draft pick, who showed so much promise when he dropped into the playoffs, is a bust by any objective measure.

It is so frustrating because the Gaudreau and Monny contracts are such value. But that, with Smith and Gio, is it really.

I still think there is enough cap flexibility and good contracts here to improve big time this offseason. But this year is a write off.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

If coaching doesn’t do much and doesn’t matter then why do you care if they replace GG?

I don’t care, I expect him to be fired if we miss the playoffs and I expect a GG clone to replace him. There’s just so many people here who have somehow convinced themselves that this team will be better if just fired the coach. No coach can make this current roster a yearly contender.

I’ve watched quite a few Leafs and Jets games this season I notice that they have flaws including their coaches, but with the depth and talent that they have up front, they can outscore their troubles. We don’t have that, we’re a 1 line team virtually every night.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Agree. But the bed is made. We mortgaged the next two years on a guy who didn’t return value. Our highest ever draft pick, who showed so much promise when he dropped into the playoffs, is a bust by any objective measure.

It is so frustrating because the Gaudreau and Monny contracts are such value. But that, with Smith and Gio, is it really.

I still think there is enough cap flexibility and good contracts here to improve big time this offseason. But this year is a write off.

Our GM is also young. He made a mistake and now he’s learned from it. Hopefully he can put the focus where he needs to this summer, a more skilled and fast forward group from top to bottom. That would be a good starting point.

[blender]

I think the biggest area this team can improve upon is scoring and offensive pressure from the back end.

Of all the flaws, real or perceived, that is the one that seems to jump out at me. Maybe it is just the hockey fan in me, but I want to see Brodie and Hamilton flying up the wing.

[jemjey]

Don't really think you can say bob failed "with this roster". He basically had the johnny mony hudler line, a dominant gio brodie pairing and a bunch of plugs.

Say what you will about his system but I think we would be in a playoff spot if he was coaching this roster this year.

[JohnnyB]

The Flames are not really an all-star team packed with superstars. That's not the big problem though. The big problem is that the team seems to consistently perform as less than the sum of its parts. That's the opposite of what good teams do. For a group with the talent the Flames have it is the difference between yearly battles trying to squeak into wildcard spots versus consistently making the playoffs with a chance at a run.

It's also the difference between a team that's frustrating to watch and hard to cheer for versus a team that you can get really get behind as a fan. That last one is what actually matters most to me and is why I want GG gone. This team sucks to cheer for since he took over.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

Agree. But the bed is made. We mortgaged the next two years on a guy who didn’t return value. Our highest ever draft pick, who showed so much promise when he dropped into the playoffs, is a bust by any objective measure.

It is so frustrating because the Gaudreau and Monny contracts are such value. But that, with Smith and Gio, is it really.

I still think there is enough cap flexibility and good contracts here to improve big time this offseason. But this year is a write off.

And we still have a few picks in the 2019 and 2020 drafts to deal away!

I understand why he didn't do it, I guess. But if Treliving was truly playing a long game, I wish he could have found a way to move a defenseman at the deadline with the way teams were spending. Whatever assets he could have acquired would come in handy over the summer.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Too many people selling this team short. If the system allowed for the defense to activate more, allowed them to transition more, and allowed the team to move the puck forward instead of moving it backwards, this team would be very successful. Unfortunately, the flawed system has the puck moving backward too much, rarely quickly transitions, and more often than not has the blueliners holding the puck to set up the play rather than quickly transitioning and using the speed of the forwards. This system allows the opposition to get back into position and clog the lanes. That is why this team can't score and why they lead the universe in shots wide of the net. The system stinks and the players' strengths are not being used to their fullest. Bring in someone who knows how to use the players properly. Success will follow.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I don’t care, I expect him to be fired if we miss the playoffs and I expect a GG clone to replace him. There’s just so many people here who have somehow convinced themselves that this team will be better if just fired the coach. No coach can make this current roster a yearly contender.

I’ve watched quite a few Leafs and Jets games this season I notice that they have flaws including their coaches, but with the depth and talent that they have up front, they can outscore their troubles. We don’t have that, we’re a 1 line team virtually every night.

Who is a GG clone currently coaching or not coaching?

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by New Era

Too many people selling this team short. If the system allowed for the defense to activate more, allowed them to transition more, and allowed the team to move the puck forward instead of moving it backwards, this team would be very successful. Unfortunately, the flawed system has the puck moving backward too much, rarely quickly transitions, and more often than not has the blueliners holding the puck to set up the play rather than quickly transitioning and using the speed of the forwards. This system allows the opposition to get back into position and clog the lanes. That is why this team can't score and why they lead the universe in shots wide of the net. The system stinks and the players' strengths are not being used to their fullest. Bring in someone who knows how to use the players properly. Success will follow.

I agree.

One of the things Bruce Cassidy did with the Boston Bruins was quickly put in place a high speed transition system. When their D get the puck, they reverse course immediately and it's an extremely north-south focused play development with quick and short puck movements. They don't really spend a lot of time skating the puck up because it takes too long. So it really requires the forwards a) coming back to support the D and b) providing support for each other for outlet passes- and being alert because there is an incoming pass from the D. The advantage is that the defending team has less time to react and cover their assignments. You then gain the zone quicker.

This seems to be the way the more successful teams play too. Watch Vegas and how aggressive they are both with the transition and with the forecheck. There's just no doddling. There's less focus on D to D passes to set up and get players into place to match the perfect "system" break out. It's kind of just a crude rendering focusing completely on speed.

It makes Calgary look slow, but it doesn't mean Calgary has slow players. I actually think the D is instructed to take a minute, evaluate the scene and set up properly. The problem is it's not fast enough and can be defended easier, it also doesn't leverage the offensive abilities of the D corps, as has been (accurately in my mind) mentioned a few times on this site.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

I agree.

One of the things Bruce Cassidy did with the Boston Bruins was quickly put in place a high speed transition system. When their D get the puck, they reverse course immediately and it's an extremely north-south focused play development with quick and short puck movements. They don't really spend a lot of time skating the puck up because it takes too long. So it really requires the forwards a) coming back to support the D and b) providing support for each other for outlet passes- and being alert because there is an incoming pass from the D. The advantage is that the defending team has less time to react and cover their assignments. You then gain the zone quicker.

This seems to be the way the more successful teams play too. Watch Vegas and how aggressive they are both with the transition and with the forecheck. There's just no doddling. There's less focus on D to D passes to set up and get players into place to match the perfect "system" break out. It's kind of just a crude rendering focusing completely on speed.

It makes Calgary look slow, but it doesn't mean Calgary has slow players. I actually think the D is instructed to take a minute, evaluate the scene and set up properly. The problem is it's not fast enough and can be defended easier, it also doesn't leverage the offensive abilities of the D corps, as has been (accurately in my mind) mentioned a few times on this site.

This is the system I want the Flames to play especially with Brodie, Hamilton, and Gio in the back end that can bring that puck up aggressivly.

[Anduril]

Maurice has been consistently plagued with poor goaltending all of his career. As much as you'd like to say that it could be due to the coach and his team choices, he hasn't exactly been supplied with studs like Cam Ward, Ondrej Pavelec and Steve Mason throughout his career.

[Beninho]

I’ve got a bad feeling Treliving has an unrealistic value of what Brodie is worth and does not want to trade him and will not like the value that he gets back. Frankly, I don’t see Brodie netting a massive return, other teams have scouts and i’m sure they all know about his decline and weakness in his own zone.

It would be very Flames to not trade any of the Dmen and sign some middling top 9 veteran to a low term low cash contract. I would be shocked if a Dman is traded honestly, I think the Flames grossly overated this defense and expected way too much from certain young players. Treliving has yet to make a tough call on a player, as in trading them when their clearly on a decline. Trading Brodie for a young top 6 player is a tough call but it’s the move that needs to be made. The question is if teams value Brodie as much as the Flames do.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Beninho

I’ve got a bad feeling Treliving has an unrealistic value of what Brodie is worth and does not want to trade him and will not like the value that he gets back. Frankly, I don’t see Brodie netting a massive return, other teams have scouts and i’m sure they all know about his decline and weakness in his own zone.

It would be very Flames to not trade any of the Dmen and sign some middling top 9 veteran to a low term low cash contract. I would be shocked if a Dman is traded honestly, I think the Flames grossly overated this defense and expected way too much from certain young players. Treliving has yet to make a tough call on a player, as in trading them when their clearly on a decline. Trading Brodie for a young top 6 player is a tough call but it’s the move that needs to be made. The question is if teams value Brodie as much as the Flames do.

For discussion sake, if other teams rate Brodie as you have rated him, are you sure he will net the team a top six forward? Let's say he does net the team a second line rw, who's going to be on second D pair? Do they move Stone up with Hamonic ? Then who's going to play with Kulak? Bartkowski? Can Anderssen be able to play second pairs minutes? Or can he even play third pair regularly. I haven't watch him play at all in Stockton, so I really don't know.

So, may be Treliving hasn't traded Brodie not because he over value him, instead he is thinking more than oh we need a top 6 forward. My 2 cents anyway.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I’ve already gone over this too many times. This sometimes, maybe, what if crap is all just a 50/50 shot in the dark. Maybe we do make the playoffs, or maybe we fall into the abyss like the Avs didnwhen Roy left or maybe this roster just isn’t good enough no matter what coach is in the system.

Fact is, 2 coaches have failed with this roster and I’ll bet a 3rd will fail just as hard. This roster is not elite. We have some elite pieces, but pieces of a puzzle doesn’t make the picture complete. We don’t need new voices, we need a new philosophy. Less muckers and grinders who love the penalty box and more speed and skill to make teams pay when they’re in the box.

Your premise is wrong here. Hartley did not have anywhere near the roster to work with that GG had this year. If GG couldn't make things work this year, it's foolhardy to believe the team would succeed with him in the future.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Beninho

I’ve got a bad feeling Treliving has an unrealistic value of what Brodie is worth and does not want to trade him and will not like the value that he gets back. Frankly, I don’t see Brodie netting a massive return, other teams have scouts and i’m sure they all know about his decline and weakness in his own zone.

It would be very Flames to not trade any of the Dmen and sign some middling top 9 veteran to a low term low cash contract. I would be shocked if a Dman is traded honestly, I think the Flames grossly overated this defense and expected way too much from certain young players. Treliving has yet to make a tough call on a player, as in trading them when their clearly on a decline. Trading Brodie for a young top 6 player is a tough call but it’s the move that needs to be made. The question is if teams value Brodie as much as the Flames do.

He walked away from Joe Colborne for nothing and got slammed for it by almost everyone
But he was right
He traded Glencross, Hudler and Russel
He’s made tough calls

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Beninho

I’ve got a bad feeling Treliving has an unrealistic value of what Brodie is worth and does not want to trade him and will not like the value that he gets back. Frankly, I don’t see Brodie netting a massive return, other teams have scouts and i’m sure they all know about his decline and weakness in his own zone.

It would be very Flames to not trade any of the Dmen and sign some middling top 9 veteran to a low term low cash contract. I would be shocked if a Dman is traded honestly, I think the Flames grossly overated this defense and expected way too much from certain young players. Treliving has yet to make a tough call on a player, as in trading them when their clearly on a decline. Trading Brodie for a young top 6 player is a tough call but it’s the move that needs to be made. The question is if teams value Brodie as much as the Flames do.

Brodie’s perceived decline in value corresponds closely with when he made the transition from a coach who played him to his strengths to a coach that does not.

If the market undervalues him then selling low is not in my mind the move that needs to be made.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He walked away from Joe Colborne for nothing and got slammed for it by almost everyone
But he was right
He traded Glencross, Hudler and Russel
He’s made tough calls

No I think it’s a fair point. We have yet to see him trade a roster player that wasn’t leaving anyway. Not re-signing Colborne was good, trading him for a return would have been better. The other calls weren’t tough at all IMO.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He walked away from Joe Colborne for nothing and got slammed for it by almost everyone
But he was right
He traded Glencross, Hudler and Russel
He’s made tough calls

You forgot Granlund and Jones, he made a number of tough calls the year the Flames were 20 points out of the playoffs.

I am not sure it is a good sign when your GM trades all your picks to build an 11th place team. And over the summer snags another dman for a team that had two 20 goal scorers the year before.