Should the Flames fire Gulutzan?

[Oling_Roachinen]

Probably the same person who hacked the The Last Jedi reviews that is messing up this poll. FAKE NEWS!

Or, maybe it's because the Flames are out of the playoffs without a 1st or 2nd round pick in the draft while continuously making the same mistakes and facing the same struggles. Doesn't help that their arguably best player in Brodie a couple seasons ago down the playoff stretch has become complete garbage in his system and the coach refuses to try and fix it.

[killer_carlson]

I voted No because I think they should replace Cameron.

Now if GG refuses to replace Cameron, then I think a change has to be made.

[dash_pinched]

I voted Yes, but I doubt any change will be made this season. I would like to see Dave Cameron relieved of his duties at a minimum, though. Better chances of that happening than GG being fired, but that said, the smart money is on management standing pat and riding out this season hoping for the best.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

This kind of poll always attracts the people who want a firing.

Are you suggesting that 500 voters are not a representative sample size? That somehow only people on one side of this issue feel the need to present their opinion?

That is a huge reach, IMO.

[Enoch Root]

The Flames should be top 5 in the west. Yet they are sitting 11th. They are showing the same problems as last year (so no progression under this coaching staff), and they are looking listless while doing it - at least on home ice.

The brand of hockey they are putting on the ice is not all that entertaining, it isn't fast, and it isn't physical.

Regardless of what one believes personally, I can't understand how anyone could be surprised by these numbers.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Are you suggesting that 500 voters are not a representative sample size? That somehow only people on one side of this issue feel the need to present their opinion?

That is a huge reach, IMO.

Yeah everyone in CP can vote so if his supporters don’t are enough to click a box, then that tells you something.

Personally I haven’t voted because I would not fire him today unless I had a superior replacement lined up, a la Darryl Sutter. Although the season is slipping away, I don’t believe a coaching change makes us a contender so may as well see if GG can get something done if no clear upgrade available.

The trading of all of our top picks is all on Treliving.

Next 3 games are a big deal. Flames could really redeem themselves or see themselves off the playoff bubble and in chase mode.

[Erick Estrada]

If anything the “no” vote is being bolstered from Oilers fans and other fan bases trolling.

[transplant99]

I voted no, simply because there is no one else that can come in and do any better with this group at this point in time. I find them not only inconsistent but as soft a team that has ever worn the flaming C. No compete at times, no pushback most of the time, and certainly a long long way from being hard to play against.

People say bring in Darryl again. That's an easy thing to say, but a much much longer shot than most would realize. He was fired already by King which lessens the chances from both sides to a return, this roster is about as far from his kind of team that one could find, and he may not even want to coach any longer, particularly in the fish bowl that this city presents.

See what happens the rest of this season and re-visit it in April/May.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If anything the “no” vote is being bolstered from Oilers fans and other fan bases trolling.

Don’t know about that...scanning the list there is maybe half a dozen votes from fans of other teams

[djsFlames]

I just want to see GG change things up. Teach a more aggressive way of defending, change up some lines and pairings to try and uncover some chemistry. Take a different approach, be more vocal during games. Be more ballsy with his in-game strategies. Cut down that 4th line ice time especially late in a game. And ftlog, to see Cameron figure out how to make an adequate power play.

I lean toward yes but am hesitant to select it until we see if he has anything else up his sleeve. If the montreal game bothered him as much as it did the rest of us then he'll see that now is the time to try something different.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Are you suggesting that 500 voters are not a representative sample size? That somehow only people on one side of this issue feel the need to present their opinion?

That is a huge reach, IMO.

I'm saying a voluntary poll like this always attracts the people wanting change. It's a polling reality, not a reach. Sample size is fairly irrelevant in a non-random poll.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Yeah everyone in CP can vote so if his supporters don’t are enough to click a box, then that tells you something.

Personally I haven’t voted because I would not fire him today unless I had a superior replacement lined up, a la Darryl Sutter. Although the season is slipping away, I don’t believe a coaching change makes us a contender so may as well see if GG can get something done if no clear upgrade available.

The trading of all of our top picks is all on Treliving.

Next 3 games are a big deal. Flames could really redeem themselves or see themselves off the playoff bubble and in chase mode.

Everyone in CP can vote. Lots of people don't bother with poll topics, especially ones which beg the question, because they know who will be posting in it, or at least, what would be argued.

[FiveSeven]

I honestly can’t vote one way or another right now.

[Igottago]

Advanced stats indicate Gulutzan still has overwhelming support on CP and the poll will correct in due time.

[Locke]

The guy has had 18 months to get it together and the only thing he has consistently delivered has been inconsistency.

[Stay Golden]

You are invited to come over to the dark side and fire "Gully"

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

Don’t know about that...scanning the list there is maybe half a dozen votes from fans of other teams

anyone that is critical of the Flames is obviously a troll and/or a fan of another team.

There is a contingent here at CP that think the Flames have 5-6 Gio's playing defense... Gaudreau is the MVP , Monahan the best centre, Ferland a legit #1 RW, Hamilton is not only a top pairing defenseman , he and Gio are the best in the league and Hamilton is the best d-man under 25. Backlund is the best 2 way centre in the league, Tkachuk the best player under 21.

On the other hand Elliot, Johnson, and Hiller basically stopped being NHL caliber goalies as soon as they put on the Flaming C.

There was some shock when Smith stepped in and was the best goalie in the league for the first dozen games and the Flames still were losing as many games as they won.


Now it has to be the coach!!

[Jiri Hrdina]

I also don’t think that is accurate at all.
Not sure why you need to argue with hyperbole and mischaracterizations
Show me one person who feels that way

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If anything the “no” vote is being bolstered from Oilers fans and other fan bases trolling.

I voted NO because there's no candidate who can magically rid this team of their biggest problems which is generally individual player mistakes. The coach doesn't ask the players to turn pucks over, he doesn't tell them to miss wide open nets, he doesn't tell them to take boneheaded penalties, he doesn't tell the 4th line to be completely useless out there. There is no pill that this team can swallow to make them an instant juggernaut to satisfy everyone's expectations.

Can someone explain to me why expectations were so high for this team anyway. What exactly did we do to take ourselves from a team that missed the playoffs in 2016 and then barely made the playoffs in 2017 to an expected cup contender this season? Like, did adding Travis Hamonic who might be a slight upgrade over Derek Engelland somehow put us over the top or something? Sure the goaltending has improved, but Smith has looked human for the last month +. We still have the exact same forward group and this inconsistent team that we had last season is not surprisingly playing inconsistent again. That shouldn't be a shocker. It's a young team and young players are inconsistent. Just look at the wild swing of Sam Bennett's season so far up to date.

I still have not seen anything anyone has written that justifies firing a coach mid-playoff push that will guarantee anything. It's like people have convinced themselves that picking up Darryl Sutter or whoever will just solve all the team's problems and we'll go on a tear. It could just as easily crash and burn this season to the ground. I mean, just look at how well Sutter's old team is doing with out him behind the bench this season as a possible scenario.

[ResAlien]

Coaches in the NHL seem to have an immediate impact or not much of one at all. There’s a reason why their tenures tend to be so short. The message may not be right for this group. Look at Vegas. Is this roster demonstrably worse than Vegas? Not by a long shot yet the Flames continue to wallow in mediocrity.

So the choices seem to be that either the coach is not maximizing the players in which case a new coach needs to be tried or the players are the problem. If it’s the players that’s not a mid season fix and the GM has some major culpability there. So unless you think GG is the next Scotty Bowman it doesn’t make sense to me that you’d keep him around. The coach is the easiest target because it’s also the easiest fix. Change coaches and if nothing gets better the blame has to go up the ladder after the season.