GDT: Stars vs. Flames, 7:00 PM MT, SNET360

[Johnny Hoxville]

We should bring in Ruff, if anyone.

 

[DFF]

No worry at this rate BT will be fired at the end of the year when the NYI come up to make our lottery pick

Hopefully he gets rid of GG and his lifeless coaching before then also

 

[FlamerForLife]

We need to spread the wealth among 3 lines.. enough of this "if it ain't broke don't fix it" bs. It is broke and we need to fix it.
This team has no drive and desire besides 3 players: Smith, Tkachuk & Giordano.
This team needs to wake the **** up. Imo Gully needs to be on a short leash, if in the middle of November this is still the case, can him.

 

[Baxterman]

I think GG has had way too much criticism, starting before he even coached a game, but i am starting to wonder if he shouldn't be shown the door. My biggest concern is that there has been a lot of change within the organization lately already and if you can GG and the new guy doesn't work that likely means a switch in GM and coach within 1.5 years from now again and I really think we need some stability.

However, if right now the best defense for GG is that I want stability and nothing based on his actual ability that is a pretty damning comment about him as the head coach. I think he is a giant upgrade over Hartley but at the same time I think there are multiple coaches out there that make this a better team if they are brought in to replace GG.

In a perfect world it is Sutter. And I am not saying that only because of nostalgia and because he is my favorite coach of all time. I do believe that he is the right kind of coach this team needs. Someone to install an effective defensive system that will force the forwards to stop cheating and actually track back to help the d. I think he would hold guys accountable for their selfish plays, whether in terms of penalties or offensively. I think he comes in and provides this team with direction and an identity both things they are missing now.

I don't think that GG is a bad coach or nearly as bad as many on the internet would have you believe but I am really struggling to see him as the best fit for this team and really finding it hard to understand a lot of the choice he makes in terms of line-ups, lines, line usage and PP units.

 

[FerklundCGY]

I would love to see the amount of anger and hatred Flames fans would have towards our next head coach and/or GM if GG and/or Treliving were fired.

We weren't used to having quality people in these positions for the last number of years and now that we do, some of us take them for granted.

 

[Baxterman]

Also not sure where all the lottery pick, Svechnikov panic is coming from.

We have had a pretty bad start to the year and we are still right there for a play-off spot. We are lucky to be in the parity/3 point era where basically everyone but the horrible teams (and even some of them have a shot) are in the play-off race until the end.

Sure there are concerns but I think it is a long ways away from worrying about missing the play-offs at this point.

 

[Zirakzigil]

This team needs to cut the deadwood, a shake up of core, and another impact forward. Stajan and Brouwer need to go, waste of money for 4th liners and extra forwards. The core needs to wake up, the only forward line that has shown anything is the 3M line that its not acceptable. And the right side is still incredibly weak, that needs to be fixed with an impact forward.

 

[Mobiandi]

The way things are going 5-10-1 isn't all that far away from 5-6-0, and I don't think we'll save ourselves again from that

 

[Bounces R Way]

Firing the coach is such a lame response, hasn't this franchise offered enough sacrificial lambs at that particular altar. Jagr will be the Flames' grey bearded Gandalf, in their troubled time. I say Gully takes him under his wing and makes him Assistant Coach. Put him in charge of the Special Teams

 

[Ace Rimmer]

The unfortunate thing about tonight was it took 55 minutes for the team to realize they needed to dump & chase to enter the o-zone instead of standing still at the blue line.

Also, 9864 passes aren't required prior to a shot. I get you want to shoot from high percentage areas but garbage goals count too. Don't think we even have one of those kinds of goals this year. Well maybe one, but not many.

 

[Body Checker]

Gulutzan just seems so stubborn about some things. Why is Lazar in and out of the lineup? He brings speed and intensity out there; kind of what the bottom 6 needs. Also we have Dougie Hamilton, elite offensive dman, and GG still keeps Versteeg on the point on first PP unit?

I actually wouldn't mind Brouwer with a couple of kids in bottom 6. But Stajan and Glass need to be sitting. Even F. Hamilton is a better option. It just seems Gulutzan doesn't want to upset Treliving by having money in the press box.

This org just seems stale right now.

 

[lightstorm]

GG is a lame duck coach who probably wont get a head coach gig in the NHL ever again, but this is a fundamentally flawed core. Gaudreau and Monahan arent leaders and its kind of unfair to expect them to lead the charge. Forget Crosby/McDavid/Malkin, they arent even on the Getzlaf/Kopitar/Toews level. They are on Scheifele/Barkov level and their teams arent going anywhere anytime soon.

We desperately needed Bennett to be better than Gaudreau/Monahan but....

Then you have overpaid deadweight bloating the bottom of the roster, contributing virtually nothing. Recipe for a disappointment.

 

[DFF]

The system was proven to work last year.

.

You should have added "for a short time"

The team was garbage at the end. Some of it was Elliot's but not all

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Also not sure where all the lottery pick, Svechnikov panic is coming from.

We have had a pretty bad start to the year and we are still right there for a play-off spot. We are lucky to be in the parity/3 point era where basically everyone but the horrible teams (and even some of them have a shot) are in the play-off race until the end.

Sure there are concerns but I think it is a long ways away from worrying about missing the play-offs at this point.

I agree. But last year was kind of a fluke year where everyone in our division was basically playing like poop. This year the Kings look very good. The Knights won’t sustain the way they’re playing but they’re still a team ahead of us at the moment and the Nucks actually look okay.

The Ducks will come on at some point like always and I’m betting the Oilers do as well. The Flames got in last year because the Pacific was the worst division in the league. It might be again, but I actually think it’s not and the Flames will legitimately need to be a top team pretty all season in order to make the playoffs.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Gulut

Gulutzan just seems so stubborn about some things.

Exactly what it is. He is stuck on past success instead of basing his decisions on present competency. He was supposed to be our "Jon Cooper" so to speak but he simply hates changes or riding skilled young players in any role that might allow them to succeed. There were some things needing identifying as far back as our big win streak last year that he still refuses to acknowledge.

 

[Anglesmith]

You should have added "for a short time"

The team was garbage at the end. Some of it was Elliot's but not all

I would advise you to go back and re-watch the playoff series against Anaheim. The skaters on the Flames were as cohesive and fluid in transition as I've ever seen them. They played really, really well. Literally the only reason we lost that series, let alone getting swept, was Brian Elliott, and that just sucks.

After November 15, the Flames went 40-23-3 last year. Something like 20-6-1 in the stretch that led to clinching. That's not in any way a short time. If that's a short time, then the Flames have only been playing poorly this year for a barely-noticeable blip.

 

[Baxterman]

I agree. But last year was kind of a fluke year where everyone in our division was basically playing like poop. This year the Kings look very good. The Knights won’t sustain the way they’re playing but they’re still a team ahead of us at the moment and the Nucks actually look okay.

The Ducks will come on at some point like always and I’m betting the Oilers do as well. The Flames got in last year because the Pacific was the worst division in the league. It might be again, but I actually think it’s not and the Flames will legitimately need to be a top team pretty all season in order to make the playoffs.

Perhaps but I think the division is just as bad as it was last year. I don't think Anaheim is as strong. Edmonton is certainly no stronger and needed big years from Draisaitl and talbot that I am not sure they will get again. LA looks good early but that roster doesn't look great. Vancouver is absolute garbage no matter what the record is right now that is not a talented team. SJ definitely took a step back.

I think outside of Chicago, Anaheim and maybe St. L the west has a bunch of teams from 4-11 (Arizona, Winnipeg, LV and Vancouver exempted) that are all about the same and it will come down to a small margin of who makes it and who misses.

 

[Mobiandi]

Literally the only reason we lost that series, let alone getting swept, was Brian Elliott, and that just sucks.

I totally disagree with this. This team was let down by Elliott, sure, but didn't generate anything 5v5. Our best line was Versteeg-Bennett-Chiasson...

 

[Anglesmith]

I totally disagree with this. This team was let down by Elliott, sure, but didn't generate anything 5v5. Our best line was Versteeg-Bennett-Chiasson...

What? We generated a ton 5-on-5. But more than that, the thing that really stuck out was that the Ducks basically generated no quality chances after Game 1. The team had virtually no breakdowns, but kept getting undone by hopeful, weak shots from bad positions that found their way in against the flow of play.

 

[Mobiandi]

What? We generated a ton 5-on-5. But more than that, the thing that really stuck out was that the Ducks basically generated no quality chances after Game 1. The team had virtually no breakdowns, but kept getting undone by hopeful, weak shots from bad positions that found their way in against the flow of play.

Huh? The team had 2 ES goals while the rest were on the PP and one lucky SH goal on the breakaway. And it's not like Anaheim had some great goaltending either.

In a crucial 3rd period, up by two in game 3, the team folded like a house of cards and decided to absorb pressure the whole period. The goals were bad, but the Flames were playing with fire and got burned (pun semi-intended). Hell you look at all 4 games, and the Flames were outclassed in every single 3rd period, which ended up deciding each game.

No matter how you slice it, this team deserved to get swept. They looked good on the powerplay and in some spurts on ES because of our third line but that's it.

 

[Volica]

Teams struggling to score?
Make sure Stajan, Glass and Brouwer play more minutes than two first round picks with offensive talent.

#logic

 

[Dack]

Huh? The team had 2 ES goals while the rest were on the PP and one lucky SH goal on the breakaway. And it's not like Anaheim had some great goaltending either.

In a crucial 3rd period, up by two in game 3, the team folded like a house of cards and decided to absorb pressure the whole period. The goals were bad, but the Flames were playing with fire and got burned (pun semi-intended). Hell you look at all 4 games, and the Flames were outclassed in every single 3rd period, which ended up deciding each game.

No matter how you slice it, this team deserved to get swept. They looked good on the powerplay and in some spurts on ES because of our third line but that's it.

The team didn't fall apart. The coach kept putting our awful 3rd pairing out there and between them screwing up and a shaky Elliot we never stood a chance. But seriously did anyone realize that Engelland and Bartkowski were on the ice for three goals against in game 3 despite only playing like 14-15 minutes, why did Gulutzan keep putting them out there when all they're good at is getting trapped in their zone.

Bart in particular was a -5 in about 50 minutes of ice time...

But I'm starting to wonder about our shooting percentage it's low right now but certain teams in the past (LA) have sustained a low shooting percentage because of the way they play and who their roster is comprised of. I mean watching the game last night I didn't think we generated much Backlund had some good chances from Tkachuk and we had a few net front scrums on the power play but really they didn't challenge Lehtonen even though we had 30 shots.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I don't think Gulutzan is an incredible coach, but if anyone needs to be fired here, it's Gerrard.

 

[lightstorm]

The "Flames lost the Anaheim series because of Eliott" is now the biggest Calgary myth ever. Sure he didnt help, but the skaters in front of him got zilch 5-on-5 against Anaheim defense with their best players injured.

 

[DFF]

I would advise you to go back and re-watch the playoff series against Anaheim. The skaters on the Flames were as cohesive and fluid in transition as I've ever seen them. They played really, really well. Literally the only reason we lost that series, let alone getting swept, was Brian Elliott, and that just sucks.

After November 15, the Flames went 40-23-3 last year. Something like 20-6-1 in the stretch that led to clinching. That's not in any way a short time. If that's a short time, then the Flames have only been playing poorly this year for a barely-noticeable blip.

LOL I do not think I am the one with the short memory

They had a great stretch that clinched the playoff.....outside of that, they were substandard...I would say the winning streak is not the norm.

GG has had problem motivating the team. Mostly because he is unable to adapt to change. Sticking to familiarity in expense of changes and improvement.