Should the Flames fire Gulutzan?

[Roof-Daddy]

I've about had enough of the mediocre results. Expectations are much higher and it's extremely disappointing.

That said, no point in firing the coach unless a clear upgrade is available and ready to step in, and I'm not so sure there is one at the moment.

Might as well ride the season out and pray something crazy happens, like the Hawks missing the playoffs and then parting ways with Quenneville or something. Boy wouldn't that be a dream...

Also, not sure Darryl Sutter would be a great choice. Yeah, he won two Cups with LA, but they really weren't ever a dominant team and would just catch fire at the right time. Maybe it was coaching, maybe it was luck I dunno, but just look how much better the team is now after a coaching change, despite missing the playoffs 2 out of 3 seasons with Sutter recently.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Because Brad Treliving has failed to build a good hockey team.

Unfortunately, this is a possibility. But if you think Treliving built a bad team, and mortgaged the future to do it, then you should still want GG fired. No way you want a bad GM’s handpicked coach to continue.

I’m still of the opinion that while Treliving has made some mistakes, overall he has been a positive and might be learning from previous mistakes. He didn’t make any bad July 1 signings this year for example.

Tre needs to act soon though. A playoff miss in a year you went all in is either a fireable offence or at least his last mulligan.

[blender]

Originally Posted by Backlunds_socks

Lol those two cause me to get temp banned and labeled an oilers fan

Dude, you own that.

[AustinL_NHL]

The Flames are a top 10 team in CF% (6th), FF% (8th), SF% (9th), SCF% (5th), HDCF% (2nd) and xGF% (6th).

Our 5v5 play has been fantastic this season.

I'm very happy with the progress we've made as a team 5v5 under Gulutzan. Very happy

It's our special teams that will make or break our season.

[Samonadreau]

I was as big of a supporter as anyone last season but have seen.enough IMO that this particular coaching staff can't get enough of the potential of this team to the surface.

Also 0-6 against the Oilers. Not a fireable offence but that one erks me as much as anything else.

[btimbit]

Yes. I'm annoyed it hasn't happened already

[Flamefan1]

At the very least the Flames need to fire Cameron. If the pp is truly his he should have been gone a long time ago. It is not the players so much as the process which looks unnatural and slow.

I am shocked Burke or at least Brad has not intervened yet. I like Brad as a GM, but his hiring of coaching staff has not been good. Was it Gully that hired Cameron or Brad?

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I've about had enough of the mediocre results. Expectations are much higher and it's extremely disappointing.

That said, no point in firing the coach unless a clear upgrade is available and ready to step in, and I'm not so sure there is one at the moment.

Might as well ride the season out and pray something crazy happens, like the Hawks missing the playoffs and then parting ways with Quenneville or something. Boy wouldn't that be a dream...

Also, not sure Darryl Sutter would be a great choice. Yeah, he won two Cups with LA, but they really weren't ever a dominant team and would just catch fire at the right time. Maybe it was coaching, maybe it was luck I dunno, but just look how much better the team is now after a coaching change, despite missing the playoffs 2 out of 3 seasons with Sutter recently.

There is something funny about this.

Meh, 2 cups in the last decade. Big deal. (!)

Plus, taking the team from this very city to the finals (and... it was in).

Yeah, maybe it was luck, not coaching.

[DeluxeMoustache]

^ I’ll say this.

Let’s look at the last sequence of coaches
D. Sutter - took the team to the finals (and again, it was in)
Playfair - experiment, a promotion - didn’t work out
Keenan - previous cup winner - had his best players delivering, but got bounced in the playoffs when they had a ridiculous rash of injuries. We can go over them if we need to.
B Sutter - the guy frankly hadn’t made Jersey any better or worse. I get the idea. If he can tighten up the D without stifling offence - profit! He made the team play stupid uninspired hockey and took a perennial playoff team off the dance floor for 3 years. (And got to ride out his contract!)
Hartley - had the blow it up year, then the inspired year where the team overachieved, won a playoff round (with Gio out!) and he got the Jack Adams. Got an extension (perhaps grudgingly) from the new GM, who then handed him the 3 goalie monster, while Dougie was new, Gio back from long term injury and Brodie hurt (so massive adjustments), and they were getting in a groove with steady tending when Ramo’s knee was blown - a disaster year for a fragile team that had overachieved.
Gully - Whew! Lucky BT. Of course not related to BT at all, things went to crap for a yes for Hartley. Great for the GM (whose guy Hartley was not). Now they take a flier on a guy who was mediocre in Dallas, and an assistant on a crappy Canucks team.

Frankly, if Gully rides out his contract, there is the risk of a disturbing trend.

The team has winning coaches, throws out extenuating circumstances when a year goes awry, and takes a flyer on a guy who has proven nothing in terms of being a difference maker.

Gully is underachieving with a healthy team, 2 goalies, including a decent starter. A way better roster than Hartley had.

Just my opinion but I just don’t see any chance this guy can get the job done. His adversity is the performance of a normally staffed, healthy, quality roster.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by jayswin

DazzlinDino, your opinions have been well thought out and respectful, you're great to debate with even if you're on the other side.

I know you were responding to another poster, but my personal frustration with some of the Gulutzan supporters is that they were quite condescending and dismissive of criticism towards Glen, yet now that they have started turning they're pointing out the same flaws that a lot of us have pointed out for a long time.

I guess the feel of their posts is basically "When you idiots were saying it you were being negative and needlessly critical, but now that us level headed posters are starting to turn there's actually some merit because we're patient and level headed".

I quite agree with your post, GG would make an excellent assistant much like Playfair is to Tippett. I still think GG hired the wrong assistants for the job. Instead of making certain transitions easier they seem too do things the hard way, "even if it is clearly not working". At the end of the day it is what it is, the team is just too inconsistent.

On GG Supporters: It can get harsh sometimes both ways it is the nature of the beast on the forum but those GG supporters are passionate Flames fans. Pretty sure if we were winning they would be saying the same things about some of us . Your point stands, some comments get needlessly critical of other opinions.

[madmike]

The results just aren’t there. And if Treliving keeps GG in place and the team misses the playoffs, Treliving should go too.

[Deegee]

I'm sick and tired of this team no showing important games. He has to go.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Deegee

I'm sick and tired of this team no showing important games. He has to go.

Opening day and a then 5th straight loss to the Oilers had me pissed off, now after loss #6 in a row it's apparent he has zero clue how to even come close containing the speed of McDavid and doesn't even seem to try.

[nemanja2306]

First of all, Merry Christmas you guys. Have fun and enjoy spending time with your families.

Many GG supporters claim that we should question the players motivation and effort, the coach has very little to do with it.

However, this is pretty much the same core as the one we had three years ago under Hartley, when they were lauded as one of the most hard-working teams in the league with a never say die attitude. So, did the players just decide to stop giving a damn? Possible but unlikely.

Gulutzan needs to go. His infuriating decision to roll 4 lines AT ALL TIMES regardless of the score and situation, the crappy special teams (I'm aware it's the assistants job to set up the special teams, but in the end it's the HC's job to overlook), the inconsistency (not just game by game, but sometimes period by period), his lack of emotion behind the bench, his stubbornness and unwillingness to change (ie Brodie - I get the LH-RH idea, but let's try putting Brodie back on his natural side to see if it will make a difference and try to get him going. Maybe? Perhaps?)..are some of the reasons why he needs to be shown the door.

I like Treliving. However, if he refuses to acknowledge his mistake then maybe it's time for him to go as well.

[icecube]

Gulutzan's approval ratings are hovering around Donald Trump levels and similar to the Trump situation I'm completely mystified how that percentage is still in the double digits. Who likes this buffoon?

[GullFoss]

It was obvious after the first 15 games of this season that gg had to go. He should have had a short leash to begin the season.

And yet here we are. What an utter waste of a season.

Franchise centre? Check
Solid 2c and 3c? Check
Solid top-4 defense? Check
Franchise winger? Check
Solid top 9 forwards? Check
Above avg goaltending? Check

On paper this team is amazing. Even if the flames were in a wildcard spot firing GG would be warrented.

[CliffFletcher]

Is it a bad sign that I have no strong feelings either way?

[icecube]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Is it a bad sign that I have no strong feelings either way?

That should count as a yes vote.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Is it a bad sign that I have no strong feelings either way?

It indicates you are as old as I am. Merry Xmas!

[gallione11]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Is it a bad sign that I have no strong feelings either way?

That’s pretty much where I am. A combo of years of mediocrity, the absolute joke that is the state of NHL officiating and just an overall unexciting product league wide and I’m just at a who cares state. Think I’ve only fully watched about 7-8 games this year; the rest of the time the game is on but my focus is on other things