The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Resolute 14]

The Venn diagram of when the system has "worked" and when our goaltenders were on a major hot streak is almost a perfect circle.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

God, I am sick of hearing this. The system is good and when the players go out an execute it they are dominant. Rag on his bench management, motivation ability, or what have you that are valid points but the system is not a problem.

Any system that requires perfection by all pieces on the ice is not a good system. When one player misses an assignment or the puck does not move the way anticipated in this system there is zero flexibility in the scheme to cover up for it. The system is grossly flawed.

[Ashasx]

Peter Loubardias‏ @fan960lou
The Flames being put through a practice to reinforce exactly how they are supposed to play. The original plan did not call for a practice at all

-

What does this mean? How do the players still not know how they are supposed to play?

[scotty2hotty]

Exactly.

A good coach tweaks his system to match the strengths of his players.

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Peter Loubardias‏ @fan960lou
The Flames being put through a practice to reinforce exactly how they are supposed to play. The original plan did not call for a practice at all

-

What does this mean? How do the players still not know how they are supposed to play?

It takes a minimum of 5 full seasons to adjust to the Gully System.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

It's painfully clear at this point to me that Hamonic needs to be either injured or ejected for this coaching staff to go back to trying out Brodie-Stone. Which is really starting to tick me off.

You need to get Brodie going, and trying to ram a square peg into a round hole isn't going to accomplish that. Trying out different things might. This is one scenario where having an experiment with someone else or moving him back to the right go disastrously is still better than sitting on your hands and doing nothing.

Out of thanks, but thanks.

I agree completely. Why not try something that looks promising, when the same old is not working.

And earlier in the year the same stubborness with Bennett.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Peter Loubardias‏ @fan960lou
The Flames being put through a practice to reinforce exactly how they are supposed to play. The original plan did not call for a practice at all

-

What does this mean? How do the players still not know how they are supposed to play?

Yeah this is just beyond dumb now.

'This is my system. There are many systems, but this one is mine'

Change your pairings. Change your forward lines. Make a goaltending change mid-period for once. Use timeouts when you're getting shelled.

How are any of these things "the right way to play"

God dammit Glue.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Sounds they had a long ass practice today, despite being a travel day and then playing back to back starting tomorrow...

damned if you do, damned if you don't situation at the moment. This ugly 3 games in 4 nights upcoming could be a back breaker given the 5 games heading into it.

If Gulutzan wasn't sure if his group would come out flat footed before, he's all but guaranteed it. That's called coaching, people.

[btimbit]

Almost noon and no firing yet. Very dissapointed

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Peter Loubardias‏ @fan960lou
The Flames being put through a practice to reinforce exactly how they are supposed to play. The original plan did not call for a practice at all

-

What does this mean? How do the players still not know how they are supposed to play?

Gulutzan is basically telling his players "you're going to bend or break: your choice." Adaptations will not be made, as doing so would be an admission that the coaching staff doesn't know what it is doing. The three Rs are: reinforce, reinforce, reinforce.

I mean what else can be taken away from an impromptu practice where the lines and pairings are EXACTLY the same?

[Toonage]

So what happens if/when they lose back to back here? More re-enforcement?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Peter Loubardias‏ @fan960lou
The Flames being put through a practice to reinforce exactly how they are supposed to play. The original plan did not call for a practice at all

-

What does this mean? How do the players still not know how they are supposed to play?

Is it not knowing, not willing to put in the effort, or just not having the horses to play this system?

Everything we've been told is that Columbus, Pittsburgh, etc play a similar system, and it seems to be working out okay for those teams.

The Gaudreau line is having their best season from a both a production & 200ft game perspective. 3M is not as good as last year but is still a very strong line. Giordano & Hamilton still seem to play good the majority of the time, and both had a really good season in the same system last year. Over the last season and a half those players have excelled in this system - so maybe it's not a system thing.

Really it's just our bottom 6 FWDs, and mostly our second d pairing (hello TJ Brodie), that seem to be having the issue with the "system".

I'm at the point where I'm not sure if the system is too complex for our less talented/lower IQ players, or if GG just isn't a strong enough of a personality to get these guys to work hard every night, and make the smart plays within the system.

It's probably a little bit of both because personally I don't think it was GG's system that told TJ Brodie to just chase nobody up the ice in a 2-2 situation last night.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Toonage

So what happens if/when they lose back to back here? More re-enforcement?

You go Hulk mode on that square peg!

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by Toonage

So what happens if/when they lose back to back here? More re-enforcement?

It's the Gulutzan philosophy taken to it's logical limits. Maybe it circles back around at some point?

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Gulutzan is basically telling his players "you're going to bend or break: your choice." Adaptations will not be made, as doing so would be an admission that the coaching staff doesn't know what it is doing. The three Rs are: reinforce, reinforce, reinforce.

I mean what else can be taken away from an impromptu practice where the lines and pairings are EXACTLY the same?

Right but then the coaches throw out the 4th line players at the end of a game when we need a goal in the worst way. How is that on the players?

[Toonage]

Who was it that mentioned last year's turnaround, how it really started after Burke made a suggestion during an interview that perhaps Gulutzan simplify things? Regardless, maybe that's where this lands if the Toronto/Montreal games go as expected - poorly. Maybe Gulutzan has to loosen the tension on those ropes. Otherwise, what future does he have? What future does the team have?

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Who was it that mentioned last year's turnaround, how it really started after Burke made a suggestion during an interview that perhaps Gulutzan simplify things? Regardless, maybe that's where this lands if the Toronto/Montreal games go as expected - poorly. Maybe Gulutzan has to loosen the tension on those ropes. Otherwise, what future does he have? What future does the team have?

Are you saying Gulutzan has been given enough rope to hang himself?

It is funny how obvious this all is on the outside looking in, but I'm sure Gulutzan has a ways to go before it's staring him in the face.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Gulutzan is basically telling his players "you're going to bend or break: your choice." Adaptations will not be made, as doing so would be an admission that the coaching staff doesn't know what it is doing. The three Rs are: reinforce, reinforce, reinforce.

I mean what else can be taken away from an impromptu practice where the lines and pairings are EXACTLY the same?

Its Brent Sutter all over again. I really can't stand when coaches are so rigid with implementing an air tight system and expect it to be executed perfectly. They seem to enforce the idea of playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Yes, have a strategy, but how can you totally discount the fluidity, creativity and instinctiveness involved in the game?

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Right but then the coaches throw out the 4th line players at the end of a game when we need a goal in the worst way. How is that on the players?

Oh, I agree. Wrong players for the wrong coach.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Its Brent Sutter all over again. I really can't stand when coaches are so rigid with implementing an air tight system and expect it to be executed perfectly. They seem to enforce the idea of playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Yes, have a strategy, but how can you totally discount the fluidity, creativity and instinctiveness involved in the game?

Important to note that once the franchise abandoned Sutter hockey of not to lose they immediately dropped like a stone in league standings to tie their worst franchise finish ever. The guy who preached fluidity creativity and the instinctiveness was an abject failure and now plies his trade in Latvia.

The Sutter years are a cautionary tale.