The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[JJFlash]

Originally Posted by redforever

I seriously doubt his hockey acumen when he pulls stunts like last night.

I can accept the mistake but not the inability to learn from his mistakes. To me that is the Arrogance that is always going to hold him and unfortunately the team back. GG strikes me as a guy who needs to show that he is the smartest guy in the room.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Locke

Again, I'm down because of the last two games, but overall we went on a pretty awesome winning streak, but the fact of the matter remains that that winning streak just negated a bunch of poor play from earlier in the season.

We're not ahead.

Couldn't have said it better. We should have been better this season coming out of the gate, but had too many issues with the bottom 2 lines, consistency.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

such as?

How about randomness, for starters?

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by JJFlash

I can accept the mistake but not the inability to learn from his mistakes. To me that is the Arrogance that is always going to hold him and unfortunately the team back. GG strikes me as a guy who needs to show that he is the smartest guy in the room.

You being struck that way doesn't offer much towards the truth of the matter. That was a clear mistake of his, but his inability to learn from it is something we don't know yet.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Major Major

How about randomness, for starters?

Randomness
Health
Talented players not executing as well or consistently
Changes to the team
Normal statistical variability

I also don’t know if I agree that an unusual amount of the group has regressed
Some guys are having better years. Some worse.
Overall seems normal to me
There seems to be a notion that the Flames are unusually inconsistent yet I hear the complaints across most fan bases
Maybe they are just rather typical

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Forgetting about the what we gave up for Hamonic for a minute, if at the end of last year, I'd told you that the Flames had:

- received Vezina calibre goaltending from their starter who is basically playing every game
- added Hamonic to their D and brought back all others
- received a breakout offensive performance from Ferland
- Gaudreau and Monahan in top 10 in scoring and goals respectively
- no significant injuries

You would simply not believe they are sitting on the playoff bubble. It doesn't have to be GG's fault, but that is alot to add to last year's results and have nothing to show for it.

Big part of that can be pointed at the bottom 2 lines out of the gate. Had that been better I think we would/should see better results.

[IamNotKenKing]

My attempt at optimism.

Since and including the Hawks’ game on NYE, the Flames have been trailing for:
22:43 vs. LA
33 seconds vs. FLA

That’s it.

They’ve played 5:50:01 in that time.

So, all things considered, we’re still doing pretty well. We HAVE TO beat the Oilers and need to beat the Kings, though.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

My attempt at optimism.

Since and including the Hawks’ game on NYE, the Flames have been trailing for:
22:43 vs. LA
33 seconds vs. FLA

That’s it.

They’ve played 5:50:01 in that time.

So, all things considered, we’re still doing pretty well. We HAVE TO beat the Oilers and need to beat the Kings, though.

This is a great observation.
One of the issues that hurt this team was slow starts and falling behind early.
And yes, this game goes a long way in separating Flames and Kings in the standings.
And also yes, I'm sorry but they HAVE TO beat the Oilers.
HAVE TO.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Yeah they can't keep losing to Edmonton. 10-1-1 before GG, 0-5-1 since. Had they won both games this season, they'd be a top 10 team in points.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

Randomness
Health
Talented players not executing as well or consistently
Changes to the team
Normal statistical variability

I also don’t know if I agree that an unusual amount of the group has regressed
Some guys are having better years. Some worse.
Overall seems normal to me
There seems to be a notion that the Flames are unusually inconsistent yet I hear the complaints across most fan bases
Maybe they are just rather typical

Monahan, Gaudreau, Ferland, Tkachuk, Hamilton, Kulak, Hathaway are all better this year IMO. Backlund, Frolik, Stone and Gio are the same. Brodie is actually on pace for more points, but IMO hasn't looked great defensively and may be backsliding in that area. Bennett is too inconsistent to compare - his first half was wrose but his second half is better. Stajan is worse, Brouwer is an odd example - he is looking better this year IMO but the points aren't really there.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Yeah they can't keep losing to Edmonton. 10-1-1 before GG, 0-5-1 since. Had they won both games this season, they'd be a top 10 team in points.

It sucks that it is happening against our biggest rival, and a team that we should be netting points against - but ultimately their record against a single time doesn't matter a ton. The overall record against the division is however important (I don't know what it is off hand)

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by wild gm

it sucks that it is happening against our biggest rival, and a team that we should be netting points against - but ultimately their record against a single time doesn't matter a ton. the overall record against the division is however important (i don't know what it is off hand)

8-5-1

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

It sucks that it is happening against our biggest rival, and a team that we should be netting points against - but ultimately their record against a single time doesn't matter a ton. The overall record against the division is however important (I don't know what it is off hand)

Division record is 8-5-1 so far. Not awful but not outstanding.

Powerplay is 8/53 for 15%.

[Calgary4LIfe]

At the end of the day, this is a results-based league. I think we need to focus on what Treliving and even Gulutzan stated in the off-season - this is a 100 point team.

They may get there. There more recent record is promising, albeit the last two games were disconcerting (though they managed to squeak out a point in each).

What I find strange here is how people don't feel that this team SHOULD be a good team. That there shouldn't be higher expectations. That this team this season isn't a better team than last season, even if you exclude the natural and expected progression of the youth. It most definitely is a better team than last season. They blew a solid 20 games of it by playing poorly in their own zone, but at least they are seemingly back on track (though the last few games haven't inspired confidence).

For me, the biggest single indicator of how this team is performing is where they are placing in the division. This is the 2nd worst division in hockey. Only the Atlantic division sucks more. The Leafs are a well-coached team with massive holes, but they seemed to get it together enough and raise themselves above the poor teams in their division.

Calgary? Once again, let's look at who is in this division.

Vegas is leading. Yes, a great story, a feel-good story, a rag-tag team of underdogs and cast-offs. They are proving what a well-coached team can do. They are literally the epitome of that.

San Jose is 2nd. A team that got worse this past off-season. Look at their roster, and tell me that they deserve to be ahead of the Flames right now. Watch them play and tell me that they are a really good team this year.

Next up are the Flames. They have been healthy all year. They have one of the best defences on paper. They have a goalie that is actually playing not only like a starter (something the Flames haven't had in years), but a damn good top-tier goaltender capable of stealing games and not losing them. They also have a top-line that is an actual top-line as compared to other teams. They have an elite defensive line that few teams have - maybe only bested by Boston with Bergeron's line. They have decent size, they have good speed.

LA is next. After 'feeling great' about losing Darryl Sutter - all the players saying how loose they feel and how they can concentrate on offence and so on, they are starting to show what we thought they were - a top-heavy team that is slow and isn't built well. Yet, they are right on Calgary's heels.

Ducks are 5th and only a single point away (though the Flames - thankfully - own 2 massive games in hand). What is really telling is how that team with all their injuries - not just injuries, but injuries to the most important of players on that squad - find themselves within a hair's breadth away from a playoff spot.

Next are the rest, and are all realistically out of the race.

Edmonton took an (expected) u-turn this season and reverted back to what most people here thought they were. Still, that is an open spot, a lousier team in the Pacific this year vs last year to compete with for a spot.

The rest are fodder for the upper teams to feast on (well, so is Edmonton, if Calgary gets their act together against this team).

You may not think this team is a contender. Your expectations might not be that high. However, this organization stated that this is a 100 point team. This organization spent significant futures on upgrading this team for this season. This team is playing in a very weak division where an expansion team is leading the way, and every other team EXCEPT the Flames got worse this year, including the aging Sharks and Kings, and the completely decimated Ducks who are keeping up. To me, when taking everything into consideration, this is an under-performing team that went on a recent run to help mask how inconsistent they have been.

They are in a 3-way tie for 13th overall. Is this recent run a massive outlier, or is it a signaling that this team is getting it together finally? Last year, in hindsight, that run was an outlier to me. They quickly became an inconsistent team that stumbled into the playoffs losing, and lost 4 straight (though Elliott had a tonne of responsibility there).

Gulutzan isn't being relieved now. Not after that run. Not after getting points in 9 straight. He is here until the end of the season, for better or for worse now. If he stays here past this season is the question for me now. I think the answer to that question is dependent on how well the Flames finish this season. I do think he bought enough goodwill that he stays and finishes the year (unless they go on a massive losing streak that is).

This team's inconsistency is concerning. Their effort/compete level is concerning. Their ability to generate offence is concerning. The coaching decisions at times have been concerning. Now this is not all on the coach. Most definitely not. However, some of this definitely does fall on Gulutzan's lap. In the end, it just may be easier to try a different coach than make a series of trades in today's NHL. There may be some good bets available this off-season if Gulutzan fails. I, for one, hope that this team manages to crank it up and play some consistent playoff-type hockey the rest of the way through, and actually manage to go on a run this spring. If not (and depending on how far off they are), I am relieved to know that there are still two quality coaches available, with the potential to have a few more in the off-season.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by transplant99

8-5-1

Before tonight the Flames have 14 pacific division games remaining. Including all of their games against VGK. It's safe to assume that there will be quite a bit of movement in the standings before the playoffs.

[Major Major]

My expectations are that they be better. Their record, personal player stats, underlying individual and team stats and I believe eye test all demonstrably show the team is better. They are within the acceptable margin to be a 100 point team, the team's goal. I thought they should be a divisional seed, check to that as well.

The teams comfortably in a playoff spot are on pace for 110 point range. I did not expect that from this group going in to the season, but it seems some did.

Right now, they're exactly where they should be. Of course, the rest of the season will tell the rest of the story. I'm not worried or outraged. I don't want anyone traded or fired. I'm just pumped!

[Duffalufagus]

This team is playing well defensively and has Vezina calibre goaltending. It is bottom tier in the league offensively and if that doesn't turn around and improve a slight regression in the goaltending will mean they don't make the playoffs.

I am still optimistic. Getting Fro back should help a lot.

[DazzlinDino]

I believe the team is on the right page, put me down as one who thinks we should be better than our record shows. 2 things we have improve on is consistency and playing with an identity. Sutter's teams played excellent low scoring games; What kept the team on right side of the equation was that they were consistently the hardest working team; That can't be said about the current Flames, we don't always show up. Sutter's teams oozed with confidence if we had a one goal lead every guy on the team made sure they were doing their job. Add that to some of that to the current coaches player usage and inexperience, I think this team can be much better overall.

[colbym72]

Originally Posted by Duffalufagus

This team is playing well defensively and has Vezina calibre goaltending. It is bottom tier in the league offensively and if that doesn't turn around and improve a slight regression in the goaltending will mean they don't make the playoffs.

I am still optimistic. Getting Fro back should help a lot.

Agree with everything you said. The issue with being in the bottom tier comes from not enough depth scoring. Too much inexperience, lack of offensive talent, and inconsistency. Again, one goal from anyone on the 4th line right is an issue. Even if that was five or six, that might be the difference in a win or two somewhere on the schedule

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Division record is 8-5-1 so far. Not awful but not outstanding.

That's a 100 point pace, so much closer to outstanding than awful