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

[zukes]

I can't believe that I am going to support this, but I do. You can say all you want about the players not performing, but something is not right with the structure of this team. That is on the coaches. The players look like they are thinking way too much.

If I'm Gulutzen right now, I think I tell them to just go out and play hockey, don't worry about the system, just go out and play pond hockey for a game and see what happens, what works. Strict man on man on defense. Rush the puck, dump it in, deke or pass when you get pressure, your choice. Cover up for guys who rush. 4 man collapsing box on the PK, Just get shots on the PP. Simplify EVERYTHING and see what happens.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by zukes

I can't believe that I am going to support this, but I do. You can say all you want about the players not performing, but something is not right with the structure of this team. That is on the coaches. The players look like they are thinking way too much.

If I'm Gulutzen right now, I think I tell them to just go out and play hockey, don't worry about the system, just go out and play pond hockey for a game and see what happens, what works. Strict man on man on defense. Rush the puck, dump it in, deke or pass when you get pressure, your choice. Cover up for guys who rush. 4 man collapsing box on the PK, Just get shots on the PP. Simplify EVERYTHING and see what happens.

You want Mike Keenan!

[Justin]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

I know a certain diehard Czech fan who gets up at 4am to watch the games and he is questioning his decision to do so too. After last night he's decided he's going to just sleep instead. When the committed fans like you and CB start to pick sleep over frustration that's telling.

I have been an east coast Flames fan since the Dave King days in '93. And since the day NHL Centre Ice debuted I have rarely missed a game. The start to this season is the most disarrayed that I have witnessed yet.

Like I said, it is very difficult to be motivated to stay up all hours of the night to watch this team play right now.

Hope the ship is turned around quickly.

[cannon7]

Wonder if Giordano still finds Gulutzan's coaching approach "refreshing"...

Gulutzan and Cameron are both below-average coaches at the NHL level, period. Treliving looks like a dolt with these hires. A Phil Housley type coach is starting to sound pretty good about now.

[Rtown]

Wait.........

Glen Gulutzan

Greg Gilbert

frick, should have seen this coming miles ago.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by zukes

I can't believe that I am going to support this, but I do. You can say all you want about the players not performing, but something is not right with the structure of this team. That is on the coaches. The players look like they are thinking way too much.

If I'm Gulutzen right now, I think I tell them to just go out and play hockey, don't worry about the system, just go out and play pond hockey for a game and see what happens, what works. Strict man on man on defense. Rush the puck, dump it in, deke or pass when you get pressure, your choice. Cover up for guys who rush. 4 man collapsing box on the PK, Just get shots on the PP. Simplify EVERYTHING and see what happens.

He should've done this after game 3-4. At the very least loosen the leashes a bit. Instead it appears to be a battle of wills.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

You want Mike Keenan!

Keenan would coach circles around Gulutzan. Keenan was two for two getting his Flames rosters into the playoffs.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

No. His name is:

Glug Glug

Because you'd have to be drinking to think his system make sense.

What is his system?

Please detail it for the rest of us.

[Reign of Fire]

Damn thanks for getting my hopes up

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Can we fire Gaudreau, Monahan, D. Hamilton, Brodie, and Giordano? Because when your best players are in fact your worse players, you ain't winning squat.

The coaching definitely isn't exempt, but ultimately it's your players on the ice that keep the puck out of your own net, and put it into the other. And right now the players that are suppose to be carrying the team are contributing goals against rather than goals for. Just how they perform on the power play alone...they've had their Halloween costumes on this whole time because whatever that thing is, is giving me the jitters.

This. Monahan's line was -4.

That means three other lines last night were all + or even.

Your "best" players can't be a disaster.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Keenan would coach circles around Gulutzan. Keenan was two for two getting his Flames rosters into the playoffs.

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I actually like Keenan. Not sure if he would work here now, but he handles skilled players and strong personalities well.

And I hate to be the guy living in the past, but Darryl Sutter is probably what this team needs. Get back to basics and hard work. Hold everyone accountable. And he also had a knack for knowing when to press his team and when to bring some levity. If LA somehow lets him go, I hope we take a good look. It's virtually a different team than when he was here last with only Gio, Backlund and Stajan remaining.

Hartley was decent looking at his body of work with the team. There is no reason to think that last season wasn't just growing pains and that what the players really needed was continuity to get better. I said it at the time he was fired that this season would be a write off no matter who they brought in.

[MarkGio]

People trash on HFboards a lot around here, but it's threads like these and the Treliving thread that are on a whole new level of knee-jerk and fanaticism.

It's been 6 games. Do people also think Anahiem, New York, and Nashville will continue to rot in the basemen while Vancouver, Montreal, and Minnesota will be among the best at the end of the year? Besides, anyone who thought this team was a play-off club is a homer

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

And I hate to be the guy living in the past, but Darryl Sutter is probably what this team needs. Get back to basics and hard work. Hold everyone accountable. And he also had a knack for knowing when to press his team and when to bring some levity. If LA somehow lets him go, I hope we take a good look. It's virtually a different team than when he was here last with only Gio, Backlund and Stajan remaining.

Not to mention he's won 2 Cups and has 3 SCF appearances as a head coach. I don't like living in the past either, but I'd be perfectly ok with Sutter coming back to Calgary.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by spuzzum

With Hartley being paid by the team, would he have to report if they called him to coach? If he didn't report, could the Flames then stop paying him?

He would give his right nut to be coaching the team right now.

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

I think there are vanishingly few coaches who significantly improve their team's performance. The large majority of coaches are in the mushy middle, where they don't have much impact one way or another. And there's a few coaches who are actually a hindrance to their club's performance, but I think that's quite rare.

So I don't agonize over coach selection, as it's not usually a big deal who you choose as long as he's not one of those last kind of coaches.

Gulutzan has absolutely been one of those coaches that hurts his team's performance so far. That's a rare thing, but this is what it looks like.

I'm inclined to give him little to no rope when it comes to playing this out. He's making questionable decisions, those decisions are not working out, the team looks bad visually, they are not improving, and the results are absolutely abysmal.

I've rarely supported a Flames coach being fired, and I've never wanted to see one fired mid-season.

But this is ridiculous. This is exceptional. Gulutzan may indeed be a good coach, but it is clearly not working out here, and it is not working out in a very dramatic and convincing fashion.

If I were GM, I'd be doing the leg work to find a replacement coach ASAP, and I'd be looking to pull the trigger within the next few games unless things dramatically improve.

Exactly. I'm usually the last person to say "we lost because we got outcoached," and there are so few head coaches who are actually difference-makers.

As bad as last year's team was, this edition is astonishingly horrid. Maybe it's the two losses to Edmonton that make this so unpalatable, but I don't recall seeing these guys look so lost. Usually during a team slump you'll still see some bright spots. Now there are almost none.

And it's the helplessness of cornerstone players that's the most disheartening. Monahan might be playing hurt, so I won't be too critical of him just yet. But if this is supposed to be a development year, it's off to a terrible start. It's hard to fathom what the players are learning when they look clueless.

Who knows, maybe Gulutzan was always meant to be a placeholder until someone with a better record comes along? That wouldn't explain the hiring of Cameron, though. Barring a major turnaround, it'll be crucial for Treliving to take a hard look at what's best for the franchise not just this year, but especially for the duration of the core players' contracts.

[OzSome]

Wow it took 6 games before someone started a 'Fire Gulutzan' thread. I am 50-50 in Treliving hiring Gulutzan but I guess we should give the guy a little more time. We have to remember our top 2 forwards Gaudreau and Monahan wasn't on training camp. Monahan did but on limited games. The 3rd player on the 1st line Kris Versteeg was at the Oilers' camp. I guess I am one of few who thought Flames would it kept Hartley and get rid of some of the assistant.

As for Dave Cameron, I am not a big fan of him at all. I don't think I ever seen this guy smile while he was a Sens HC. Power play this season is just disorganized no wonder they are very unsuccessful. Flames are trying to cute with their passing on the power play and most of the time they lose the puck. Doug Hamilton on the point is not working at all. Him and Gio does not sync in so maybe put Brodie or Wideman on the point with Gio. I would even try Jokipakka on the 2nd pairing.

Not sure what is wrong with the Flames early this season. Last season we blamed the goalies, this early season, defense, goalies, power play and even the forwards are having are off and need to get it fix it soon.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Can we fire Gaudreau, Monahan, D. Hamilton, Brodie, and Giordano? Because when your best players are in fact your worse players, you ain't winning squat.

The coaching definitely isn't exempt, but ultimately it's your players on the ice that keep the puck out of your own net, and put it into the other. And right now the players that are suppose to be carrying the team are contributing goals against rather than goals for. Just how they perform on the power play alone...they've had their Halloween costumes on this whole time because whatever that thing is, is giving me the jitters.

Sorry, but tired of reading this. A team, any team, in any sport, profession, industry, needs someone at the helm to guide them to success and make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction. That's why coaches exist. Sure if 1 or 2 guys were off you could point to their performance. When the entire team shows a complete lack of cohesion and looks confused its not the players. Its not like all these guys suddenly forgot how to play hockey.

Unless you believe this core just isn't that good...then you should be pointing your finger at the GM.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by zukes

I can't believe that I am going to support this, but I do. You can say all you want about the players not performing, but something is not right with the structure of this team. That is on the coaches. The players look like they are thinking way too much.

If I'm Gulutzen right now, I think I tell them to just go out and play hockey, don't worry about the system, just go out and play pond hockey for a game and see what happens, what works. Strict man on man on defense. Rush the puck, dump it in, deke or pass when you get pressure, your choice. Cover up for guys who rush. 4 man collapsing box on the PK, Just get shots on the PP. Simplify EVERYTHING and see what happens.

I think they are already playing pond hockey, say what you want about the coach but the effort overall is piss poor and that's on the players. When Gio showed up in the 3rd last night it was reminiscent of a couple years ago he would inspire the team to play at a higher level. Where has that effort been over the last few games. It's up to our best players/top-line to take the leadership and lead the team similar to the way Crosby and P.Kane can take over games and dominate.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Sorry, but tired of reading this. A team, any team, in any sport, profession, industry, needs someone at the helm to guide them to success and make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction. That's why coaches exist. Sure if 1 or 2 guys were off you could point to their performance. When the entire team shows a complete lack of cohesion and looks confused its not the players. Its not like all these guys suddenly forgot how to play hockey.

Unless you believe this core just isn't that good...then you should be pointing your finger at the GM.

You may be tired of this. But I'm equally tired of fans who blame coach after coach and excuse bad play from guys paid top dollar to deliver.
Blaming the coach is just too easy

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

You may be tired of this. But I'm equally tired of fans who blame coach after coach and excuse bad play from guys paid top dollar to deliver.
Blaming the coach is just too easy

We've seen these players deliver. When have we seen GG deliver? What indication is there that he will?

Also, I can't speak for everyone, but I never thought Hartley was to blame. He did a great job as a coach here.