The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[The Fonz]

Aside from opening night, I think the start to this season has been a success and I'm happy overall. Imagine a dream world where we could just change the outcome of game #1 to a Flames win... our record would be 13-7-0, and we'd be 1st in the division. The general consensus would be "Gulutzan for Jack Adams!".

My biggest beefs are... why does that 4th line get TOI when we're trailing/protecting by 1? I struggle to comprehend that one. Also, why does our PK suck so bad, despite the Smith over Elliott upgrade?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Uh, ties?

How many points were handed out in tie games?

How many points are handed out in shootout games now?

Care to rethink that argument?

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

So...

If the Flames win a game, it's in spite of GG.

If the Flames lose a game, it's because GG is awful at his job and should be fired.

If the Flames make the Playoffs, it's because our players ignored every thing GG tried coaching into them.

If the Flames lose in the Playoffs, it's because GG is awful at his job and should be fired.

If the Flames win the Cup, it's because our roster is full of legends who didn't need a coach to listen to.

If the Flames lose in the Finals, it's because GG is awful at his job and should be fired.

Am I doing this right?

I tend to think GG wont help this team take the next step, but then again they had a great game last night, and if they keep that up I will gladly eat my words.

However, remember that we won in Philly in OT, but had to first kill off a PP taken by Stajan who was inexplicably played with two minutes left in a tied game. That to me was a clear coaching mistake, and it could have easily lost the game. We harshly judge players for making bad decisions in a split second, but give GG a pass for some reason.

Today we haer that GG's favorite in Bartowski is now getting a game in for no discernible reason after last nights lineup played its most complete game of the season. Kulak stayed out later at practice, so he's likely not hurt.

Nothing would make me happier than GG being the next Scotty Bowman, but until he does better than a first round sweep I am going to be critical of dumb decisions.

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

How many points were handed out in tie games?

How many points are handed out in shootout games now?

Care to rethink that argument?

That's a good point, instead we can just look at straight Win%. GG is behind only Crisp for that.

Even ignoring Coaches that didn't have the shootout to guarantee a winner per game, that still puts him ahead of Playfair and Keenan who had arguably better teams to work with.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Fact is, there are cap consideration and roster limits which impact all asset decisions.

Cutting him out right at the start of the season doesn't make sense if it means taking on a cap hit of 2.2 million while he plays in Stockton. Maybe sometime in the back half of the season when you have a better idea where you stand with the cap would make more sense. Right now it doesn't.

- Sending Stajan down and bringing up Hathaway, Hrivik or Mangiapane would save cap space, not waste it.

- This is not the season start anymore, we're at the quarter pole and we want all the points we can get from the other 3 quarters, because every point matters. We came very close to losing in Philly because Stajan couldn't keep up and took a bad penalty, and it wasn't just the one time.

At the start of the season I really wanted to see Stajan hit 1,000 games, but honestly I don't anymore, at least not in a Flames jersey.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by smiggy77

It is interesting. GG is 4th all time in points % for coaches who have coached over 100 games.

Not bad.

As other said, context, plus that's out of Flames coaches. Ex-Flames coaches are generally not a sought after commodity in the NHL

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by belsarius

That's a good point, instead we can just look at straight Win%. GG is behind only Crisp for that.

Even ignoring Coaches that didn't have the shootout to guarantee a winner per game, that still puts him ahead of Playfair and Keenan who had arguably better teams to work with.

Win% dies for the same reason. In fact, the issue is more extreme.

And I think both Playfair and Keenan were terrible coaches, so at best, you're damning Gulutzan with faint praise.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Win% dies for the same reason. In fact, the issue is more extreme.

And I think both Playfair and Keenan were terrible coaches, so at best, you're damning Gulutzan with faint praise.

I think calling Keenan terrible is very unfair. I'm not saying he was great, but he did get results.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Keenan did get results. More of a creative offense and less focus on defense. I think people often forget how beat up the flames were durng the 2009 playoffs before he got relieved of his duties. I think he got the shaft.


From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008..._Flames_season

The Flames revealed the true extent of their injury situation following the loss, noting that Dion Phaneuf, who missed game six, was playing with broken ribs, while Cory Sarich was playing on a fractured ankle. With Rhett Warrener, Mark Giordano and Robyn Regehr all sidelined for the entire series, the Flames had five defencemen either out or playing hurt the entire series. In addition, Craig Conroy, Rene Bourque and Daymond Langkow were all playing despite various ailments.[35] In spite of the Flames' injury situation, the team's fourth consecutive first round defeat led to new demands that head coach Mike Keenan be replaced as the team's head coach.[36] Keenan was fired on May 22.[37]

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

I tend to think GG wont help this team take the next step, but then again they had a great game last night, and if they keep that up I will gladly eat my words.

However, remember that we won in Philly in OT, but had to first kill off a PP taken by Stajan who was inexplicably played with two minutes left in a tied game. That to me was a clear coaching mistake, and it could have easily lost the game. We harshly judge players for making bad decisions in a split second, but give GG a pass for some reason.

Today we haer that GG's favorite in Bartowski is now getting a game in for no discernible reason after last nights lineup played its most complete game of the season. Kulak stayed out later at practice, so he's likely not hurt.

Nothing would make me happier than GG being the next Scotty Bowman, but until he does better than a first round sweep I am going to be critical of dumb decisions.

I've said before, some of GG's player usage decisions drive me as crazy as the next guy. I literally scream at my TV and call for GG's head whenever I see our 4th line matched up against opposing 1st/2nd lines or when our 4th line is out there in the final 5 minutes of a tie or close game.

But also like I've said, no coach is perfect. Every fanbase has their own issues with their coach, which is why we should be happy about the fact that we only have a couple things to complain about with Gulutzan. He's not the best coach, but he's certainly not the worst and I'd take him over half of the coaches in the NHL today.

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Win% dies for the same reason. In fact, the issue is more extreme.

And I think both Playfair and Keenan were terrible coaches, so at best, you're damning Gulutzan with faint praise.

Sure but it's not like that can't be accounted for. Using preshoot-out years as a baseline compared to post shootout years there was about 88.5% of games that ended in a win compared to 100% now. So there are about 13% more wins awarded last year compared to pre-shootout years.

Reducing post 2005 wins by 13% to normalize for the extra wins awarded puts GG 4th all time for winning %. Just behind Risebrough and ahead of Darryl Sutter.

[BruceCody]

Originally Posted by BruceCody

Wes Gilbertson‏ @WesGilbertson

Flames D Brett Kulak stays in the lineup tonight. So I guessed wrong based on his lengthy skate yesterday.

[Robbob]

LOL. Okay that is pretty funny. I guess GG is a good coach again.

[Wyguy]

Janko and vertseeg in OT? Gone. Get out of here

[TheScorpion]

Seven.
Two.
And one.

Before anyone posts any silly anecdote about player deployment or how they hate looking at that godawful silver tie of his, just know -- that's the Flames' record in the last ten.

This is a good team, for ####'s sake.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Wyguy

Janko and vertseeg in OT? Gone. Get out of here

There's nothing wrong with Janko and Versteeg on OT, they just need to play with a more veteran D.

[Wyguy]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Seven.
Two.
And one.

Before anyone posts, any silly anecdote about player deployment or how they hate looking at that godawful silver tie of his, just know -- that's the Flames' record in the last ten.

This is a good team, for ####'s sake.

Do you have a thing against context? Or, just like to look at things in one dimension? Stats don't say everything, most people know that, so what is your problem?

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Wyguy

Do you have a thing against context? Or, just like to look at things in one dimension? Stats don't say everything, most people know that, so what is your problem?

What's your point?

[Wyguy]

Originally Posted by the2bears

What's your point?

I am not going to spell everything I am saying out to you. Worst come to worse, pull out a dictionary and figure out what I was saying.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Wyguy

I am not going to spell everything I am saying out to you. Worst come to worse, pull out a dictionary and figure out what I was saying.

So why post all this GG hate in this thread? There is a Fire GG thread for that.