Fire Gulutzan/Give him Coach of the year All Purpose Thread

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I know we all love the +/- stat but it's been over 10 games now. GAudrea, Monahan, brodie are tied for the second worst in the entire league at -8, while the remainder of the team is quite good in this stat (even or better) it's telling that these players are individually not right.

Your could put that on coaching, but most others on the roster seem to doing fine.

+/- relative to team definitely shows something, I think. Just not sure exactly what...

[FanIn80]

Quick, someone help me get caught up. Are we in coach of the year mode right now or fire him? I don't want to look like someone who doesn't keep up with current events when I talk about him in other threads.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Quick, someone help me get caught up. Are we in coach of the year mode right now or fire him? I don't want to look like someone who doesn't keep up with current events when I talk about him in other threads.

You just look at the W/L. If we won, he's the best and plan the parade. If we lost, fire him and trade/sit everyone.

[SuperMatt18]

Really I think the players and coaches are all to blame with the slow start for the "stars".

Gaudreau & Monahan have both been terrible all season, Monahan is getting more of the ire but Gaudreau has been just as bad. Monahan is handling the puck like a grenade, and Gaudreau is trying to do too much and stickhandle through whole teams. Not getting a single penalty call hasn't helped either since it has just added to his frustration.

From a coaching perspective I think they need to get Chiasson off that line. Makes the line too predictable because you know Gaudreau is going to be the one carrying the puck, Hudler worked well for that reason since it provided another threat as a puck carrier.

Brodie has been terrible all season - whether he was playing the left side or the right side.

Paired with Gio - he's been bad.
Paired with Engelland - he's been bad.
Paired with Hamilton - he's been better but they still made two brainfarts that ended up in the net.

Probably been our worst defenseman overall - however I think the coaching staff has made it worse. He's clearly uncomfortable on the left and I think the need to get him back into his comfort zone with Giordano to get his game back again.

Giordano just seems to fall into traps where he tries to do too much when the team is struggling and overall it makes the team even worse. He just needs to simplify his game, and being paired with Brodie again will help.

[polak]

This team sucks cause all of our best players are playing terribly. Not just one or two, but every top player on this team sucks.

Is that a coaching problem? I wouldn't be so sure. I doubt the system is making Gaudreau forget how to make a tape to tape pass or Brodie bobble the puck every time he gets it.

Could just be a case of "not our year". Lets hope it is since we went all in on this core.

[northcrunk]

There have been way too many coaching blunders so far this season. I feel like the team is already tuning him out.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by polak

This team sucks cause all of our best players are playing terribly. Not just one or two, but every top player on this team sucks.

Is that a coaching problem? I wouldn't be so sure. I doubt the system is making Gaudreau forget how to make a tape to tape pass or Brodie bobble the puck every time he gets it.

Could just be a case of "not our year". Lets hope it is since we went all in on this core.

All players go through slumps and it is the coaching staffs responsibility to identify the problem and correct it. Ball and Hrudey briefly talked about the slump that Toews has been in this year and that the coaching staff has put Kane and Toews together in an attempt to get Toews going again.

I haven't seen the coaching staff in Calgary do anything to get Johnny and Monahan going. They are just plowing forward and hoping that the two get things figured out sooner rather than later.

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

There have been way too many coaching blunders so far this season. I feel like the team is already tuning him out.

lol on what basis?

The team is clearly not jiving, could be from actually listening to their coach and trying to adjust and rid of old habits from the past three seasons. But obviously we don't know because we're not in that room.

[EldrickOnIce]

As coach Sutter always said, your best players have to be your best players.
Flames best players have been brutal. That's almost exclusively on them.

[madmike]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Quick, someone help me get caught up. Are we in coach of the year mode right now or fire him? I don't want to look like someone who doesn't keep up with current events when I talk about him in other threads.

I prefer this system to Hartley's. It works well for most of the team. Possession is up and chances against are down. The Flames actually look decent against good teams like Chicago and St. Louis, both of whom outplayed the Flames pretty badly during the Hartley era.

I'm not a fan of the Brodie on the left side experiment. And I think it's past time to push Monahan down to the 3rd line. His play has been awful and he's wasting ice time that would be better used by other players like Bennett.

Unfortunately the Flames' top players are really sucking right now. I don't think it's a coaching issue. Monahan has been putrid, same with Brodie. Gio and Gaudreau haven't been much better.

[Justin]

Originally Posted by polak

This team sucks cause all of our best players are playing terribly. Not just one or two, but every top player on this team sucks.

Is that a coaching problem? I wouldn't be so sure. I doubt the system is making Gaudreau forget how to make a tape to tape pass or Brodie bobble the puck every time he gets it.

Could just be a case of "not our year". Lets hope it is since we went all in on this core.

I must be watching different games than most everyone else because I don't see it this way.

I think we became accustomed to seeing Monahan and Gaudreau control the pace of the game and contribute over half of the entire teams offensive output. Right now what I see are 3 solid lines rolling in 2,3 and 4 during 5 on 5 play. Only the JG-Monahan-Chaisson line seems to be hemmed into their own end consistently.
The other lines are essentially carrying this team right now, along with Elliotts stellar play, however Calgary's been carrying much of the play the last several games. From what I see its really just the top line thats bad at this point. The line just isn't gelling, far too much time spent in the defensive zone to generate any offensive.

I don't look at this as the sky is falling because JG and Monahan aren't over a PPG right now, I look at this as a big turn for the club by having 3 contributing lines that really control the play when they're out there. We weren't used to this, the team relied so heavily on JG and Monahan that now that they aren't scoring every game fans come to think the sky is falling. If the top line could get producing this team would be a force every night by rolling 4 solid lines.

I think things look real bright. The last few years this team was a 1 line team just hoping for offence (or to not give up a goal) from the other 3 lines, this year they're a 3 line team just hoping for offence from the top line; that'll come eventually.

[Willi Plett]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Really I think the players and coaches are all to blame with the slow start for the "stars".

I would add "and management" to that (which may even include ownership).

Firstly, they put this group of players and coaches together and so far it is not working (though it hasn't been that long yet). Secondly, many here have argued that training camp did not prepare them for a fast start which is definitely a point I would agree to.

This team was not ready at the start of the season. Johnny wasn't at camp and there were too many players at camp too late to get lines and pairings playing well and trying systems in training camp instead of experimenting now.

If I wasn't before, I am now totally sold on the Islanders signing model. Not signed by the start of camp, not playing this year. "Johnny we need you signed and at camp. We can't afford to have a slow start and have new coaches who will have new systems. We need to be upfront and tell you that if the deal is not done by that deadline we won't have a deal that lets you play this year so lets get it done."

Further, less bodies in camp and/or much faster cuts. Last 2-3 preseason games playing most of our nhl roster. Thats 2-3 we could lose in preseason learning instead of at the start.

Lastly, we don't have a group of coaches with the best track record of success. I think the Flames would have done well to ensure that we had one coach in the group who had been very successful. I don't know that GG was a bad hire but I think there should have been someone else in the mix. One example that was discussed was Reirden who has had excellent success with the PP and with highly skilled forward groups. No, he probably wouldn't have come as an assistant but maybe as an associate - ie as equals in the coaching braintrust? Then if management doesn't like the direction with one of the coaches it is easier to move one out and carry on.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You just look at the W/L. If we won, he's the best and plan the parade. If we lost, fire him and trade/sit everyone.

I used to be able to get by with that, but now all the advanced stats guys here make that impossible.

Me: We're on a 3 game winning streak, this coach is awesome!
Stats guys: What are you talking about? Have you even seen how many times Brodie sneezes now per minute of ice time compared to when Hartley was coach?

Me: We haven't won in a week, maybe this coach is the problem.
Stats guys: OMG do you even watch hockey? It's all about powerplay pucks per penalty divided by shot attempts from behind the net times the equal opportunity pay structure of southeastern Ecuador. The clearly indicates that our coach should be Coach of the Year!

What we really need is a stat that can tell me what isn't going to make me look like an idiot this week.

[TheoFleury]

This season is so depressing. I think the last 25 years of following this team has finally crushed my soul.

[kyuss275]

I have not been down on the coach like some on CP but he does need to take some blame. Splitting Brodie and Gio is not going to work in the short run nor the long run. Gio needs Brodie just as much as Brodie needs Gio. The Gio contract is not looking good , so you might as well try and get the best out of him in the next 2-3 years. I also feel like part of the reason for the split is to try and fit Wideman in. Wideman can't play with England and Hamilton is not ready to cover up Widemans mistakes. Pressbox Widmean and bring in Kulak to play with England on bottom pairing.

Also he has given the top line a long leash that needs to be cut. My gut tells me that Mony is going to take a long time to get going this year. Put Johnny with Bennet or Backlund line.


All that said our best players are playing like crap and you can't blame all of that on the coach.

[Flash Walken]

If Brodie and Gio are on the same pairing, does Giordano hit the net with a minute left?

If Brodie and Gio are on the same pairing, does Giordano not take a double minor for hog-tying and then arguing about it?

Putting Giordano with Brodie could spell disastrous results for Calgary.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

This season is so depressing. I think the last 25 years of following this team has finally crushed my soul.

Hang in there chief. We all share the pain, but I think this group is set to do some great things.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

If Brodie and Gio are on the same pairing, does Giordano hit the net with a minute left?

If Brodie and Gio are on the same pairing, does Giordano not take a double minor for hog-tying and then arguing about it?

Putting Giordano with Brodie could spell disastrous results for Calgary.

So you think Gio's play will improve being with Wideman? I think Gio is trying to do to much covering up for Wideman.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

So you think Gio's play will improve being with Wideman? I think Gio is trying to do to much covering up for Wideman.

Giordano has looked terrible most of the season regardless of who he has been paired with.

His mental game has been terrible, bad timing for penalties, poor shot attempts, poor passing.

I'd roll with Hamilton and Brodie on the top pairing and just see what happens for a game. Giordano is definitely not getting it done.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Giordano has looked terrible most of the season regardless of who he has been paired with.

His mental game has been terrible, bad timing for penalties, poor shot attempts, poor passing.

I'd roll with Hamilton and Brodie on the top pairing and just see what happens for a game. Giordano is definitely not getting it done.

Issue is Brodie has been even worse regardless of who he has been paired with.

Team worst -8 and overall he has been on the ice for 8 Goals For and 20 Goals Against.

Best bet is to put them back together to see if they can find the mojo that has made them a top pairing in the league the last two seasons.