The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[VilleN]

The parity in the west right now is ridiculous. There are 8 teams within (at most) 6 points of each other battling it out for a playoff spot. If the Flames had won 3 games more over the course of this year we'd have the 4th best record in the west. 3 games. I can easily count 3 games we lost that could have gone the other way.

I get the complaints about the team, but there are only 3 arguably elite teams in the west right now. This season isn't really that big of a failure, it's just the result of the parity in the league right now. Either you're a legit, top contender, a bubble team, or a bottom dweller. Like most of the teams in the league, we are a bubble team. In the west the elite teams are Nashville, Vegas and Winnipeg.Last season Nashville barely squeaked in (bubble team), Winnipeg just missed (bubble team) and Vegas didn't exist.

[Joborule]

10 games to go!

[JurassicTunga12]

Dude seemingly has no feel for his team and is incapable of adjustments. GG(and Cameron) better not be here next season. What a failure.

[GranteedEV]

It amazes me we've gone all year and haven't tried different defense pairs (even though Brodie and Hamonic not only lack defensive chemistry, but offensive), or splitting up Gaudreau and Monahan, or Frolik and Backlund, etc, etc. We haven't shaken up our power play units, even when Monahan's been invisible for a month. Hathaway is still in the lineup even though he is still riding a five-ish game hot streak of grinding second assists back in December. Brodie has played left D all year even though he is absolutely dynamic on the right at both ends.

Meanwhile the Lightning have even split up Stamkos and Kucherov and traded away Namestnikov even though that those three were tearing it up as a line earlier this year.

The frustrating part is knowing this team is capable of more and it's not just bad luck.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by VilleN

The parity in the west right now is ridiculous. There are 8 teams within (at most) 6 points of each other battling it out for a playoff spot. If the Flames had won 3 games more over the course of this year we'd have the 4th best record in the west. 3 games. I can easily count 3 games we lost that could have gone the other way.

I get the complaints about the team, but there are only 3 arguably elite teams in the west right now. This season isn't really that big of a failure, it's just the result of the parity in the league right now. Either you're a legit, top contender, a bubble team, or a bottom dweller. Like most of the teams in the league, we are a bubble team. In the west the elite teams are Nashville, Vegas and Winnipeg.Last season Nashville barely squeaked in (bubble team), Winnipeg just missed (bubble team) and Vegas didn't exist.

I tend to disagree. The Western Conference up until the last two years used to have a handful of powerhouse to very good teams in the Hawks, Blues, Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Preds, Wild, etc. The rest of the conference was left to fend for two or three playoff spots at best. The past few seasons we have seen decline in nearly all these franchises and despite all these teams outside of the Predators being in decline the Flames are still treading water outside the playoffs or at best just good enough to claw in the playoffs and get handled. Playoff spots in the Western Conference have never more been up for grabs and teams like the Jets and Golden Knights have taken advantage. The Flames have not. Sooner or later the Flames are either going to make their move to overtake these teams or they simply are treading water in mediocrity until they have that big meltdown season to which they will probably start dismantling the team and doing the whole thing over again. Make no mistake the Haminic trade signalled a 3 year window of winning and in season one they have regressed badly.

[Resolute 14]

10 more games.

[Erick Estrada]

Let the countdown begin!

[pylon]

GG, GG.

Now go back to the lobby, and find a new squad.

[kukkudo]

[wwkayaker]

Is GG a coward or just out of touch. I often think he is afraid of his players. Smith is going to be pissed at being pulled so is that why GG doesn’t make the call? After 6 goals, the pull is simple. After three goals, Smith would be angry. Also, the refusal to shorten his bench is akin to keeping all of the players happy.

[Lanny_McDonald]

But the Corsi?

[I_H8_Crawford]

Fire GG on garbage bag day so you're ready for any coach that may come available. Worst case is you end up hiring a Tippett or D Sutter which is still a 1000000000x upgrade over GG.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I tend to disagree. The Western Conference up until the last two years used to have a handful of powerhouse to very good teams in the Hawks, Blues, Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Preds, Wild, etc. The rest of the conference was left to fend for two or three playoff spots at best. The past few seasons we have seen decline in nearly all these franchises and despite all these teams outside of the Predators being in decline the Flames are still treading water outside the playoffs or at best just good enough to claw in the playoffs and get handled. Playoff spots in the Western Conference have never more been up for grabs and teams like the Jets and Golden Knights have taken advantage. The Flames have not. Sooner or later the Flames are either going to make their move to overtake these teams or they simply are treading water in mediocrity until they have that big meltdown season to which they will probably start dismantling the team and doing the whole thing over again. Make no mistake the Haminic trade signalled a 3 year window of winning and in season one they have regressed badly.

I think the Flames miscalculated and qualifying for the playoffs last season may have played into it. Overall the team is not ready and the required pieces are just not there. Level of experienced coaching has to take some responsibility too. Sutter's low scoring teams seemed to have a lot more confidence in holding leads than what we are seeing with this current group. This team just does not have not have an established identity from one night to the next.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Fire GG on garbage bag day so you're ready for any coach that may come available. Worst case is you end up hiring a Tippett or D Sutter which is still a 1000000000x upgrade over GG.

Sutter...yes.

If people think that this system doesn’t play to players strengths or is boring then we really don’t want Tippett.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by wwkayaker

Is GG a coward or just out of touch. I often think he is afraid of his players. Smith is going to be pissed at being pulled so is that why GG doesn’t make the call? After 6 goals, the pull is simple. After three goals, Smith would be angry. Also, the refusal to shorten his bench is akin to keeping all of the players happy.

This is just speculation, he probably has lot of faith in Smith and could have asked him between periods if he still wanted to go. We don't know so not much point making assumptions. I do agree a goalie change to start the 3rd might have been a bit more settling for the team. Hard to say as the team just didn't play well in a high stakes game, we unraveled to easily.

[wwkayaker]

Sure, Smith may not have been upset. Still, GG should have seen that Smith did not have it tonight. I don’t see why Smith should have been consulted.

[David Struch]

Glen Gulutzan is inept.
Unable to read his players.
What a waste of a season.

[OldDutch]

I still think this group can be better with the right coach. GG seems to coach as a leader with the players following and scared of making mistakes. Hence the easy fold.

They need a coach who makes everyone accountable, but allows them to make mistakes and be leaders. Sometimes the system be damned in the name of winning. The players need to feel the trust of the coach in those situations.

I don’t play for GG but I just get the sense this team is so systems oriented they fail when the system does.

The right coach can balance the two: systems and leadership. Next year this team could do wonders with no GG. I really feel that.

[flamesgod]

Is Gulutzan’s contract up after this year? Or does he have one more year left?

[bubbsy]

To be fair, our players are pretty average or sub average. On a night like tonight, it really shows what having only one or two high end players really gets you in this league.