Glen Gulutzan-16th Flames Coach

[phoenix66]

I figured it deserved its own thread now.

Good introduction, some good takeaways i picked from the press conference, some direct and some between the lines.

- I love that he sees the need for a mix of styles,,"big guys need to play big...speed guys need to be fast..role players need to play their role" we just saw it win a cup.. no room for just one style anymore

- Stajan isnt going anywhere.. he directly mentioned a bigger role for him as veteran support

- there was obviously some issues with Bennett and Hartley.. I expect Bennett to have a big year

- him and Engelland also have history, expect a bigger role for him..also not going anywhere

- expect jonnys game to expand

As my first real exposure to him, im impressed.. now to see how he backs up the talk

[The_People1]

Some Q&A from the press conference,

 

[manu11]

He sure is a good talker, I'm looking forward to what he can do.

I barely knew anything about him, except him beeing an assistance coach for the Canucks. Looks like he did a good job with the Texas Stars in the AHL. His first NHL experience with Dallas was ok, but he didn't make the Playoffs. Now with more coaching experience, might be the time to show that he is ready for the head coaching job.  

[420since1974]

Gulutzan on Developing Defensemen:

 

[JTech780]

A few of my takeaways from the press conference:

 

I really liked how he talked about building an emotional bank account with his players, build the trust and then when you need a little extra from a player you have that trust that you can withdraw from.

 

I also liked when he was asked about Guadreau, that he said that he wants to work him and make him an even better player and play him against other teams top lines to expose the holes in other teams lineups. Just they way he went here's what we want to do and let me tell you why, that is huge. Just telling players to this or do that because I say so, doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I really liked how he said they want to be a fast team on defense. My biggest complaint with Hartley was that the team was always so passive on defense under him. Take a look at Pittsburgh this year and see what speed can do for you on defense. Attack, attack, attack especially when you don't have the puck. You dictate the flow of the game by how you play when you don't have the puck

[travel_dude]

One thing I liked was his remarks about blocking shot.  They are necessary (as the SCF showed), but he wants them used as a last resort, not the only resort.  Also talked about moving the puck out quickly, while maintaining possession.  And going from D to O in a short period of time.

 

The other thing I took away was the way he was candid about the vets citing the misuse of Bennett.  Whether that was putting him on the wing or lack of PP time or playing on a shutdown line, who knows.

 

Here's a chart that compares Monahan and Bennett.  Think they call it a Warrior Chart.  Food for thought.

 

[The_People1]

It sounds like he's in love with the Flames D, especially the top 4.  It seems he's an expert when it comes to developing D and had success with a young Canucks group of Dmen made up of mostly lesser names.  Here's to hoping he can get Dougie Hamilton to the next level and help guys like Jokipakka, Rasmus Anderson, and Oliver Kylington to reach their potentials.  

 

He mentioned Bennett directly and is impressed with his intensity, energy, and hockey sense.  He mentioned Gaudreau directly and will challenge him with a bigger role against the other team's top lines.  When it comes to the young guys, i get the impression that he won't hold them back or "shelter them".  If the young guys want to go all out, then he's going to be their best cheerleader.

 

Moreover, Hartley failed at developing 5-on-5 team unity and after the Stretch Pass game plan didn't work, he struggled to adapt.  Gulutzan emphasizes 5-on-5 unity both offensively and defensively.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the new X's and O's will work for us. I have a feeling he will really utilize the D to get the 5-on-5 game working and since we have the talent on D to get the job done, i am expecting some good results.

[travel_dude]

^^^^^

 

Yes, I think the transition was horrible.  Two d-men behind the blueline and all the forwards coasting at the opposite blueline, waiting for the puck.  It seemed like the only time they were successful was 1) using the bumpback to Johnny (that worked because he is awesome at zone entries) or 2) Brodie carrying the puck the length of the ice (again Brodie is awesome).  

 

The dump and chase didn't work most times because the forwards were not skating full speed when the puck was chipped in.  The stretch pass didn't work because it's easy to predict.  

[cross16]

I thought he came as advertised. Great speaker and you can see the teaching background when he talks about concepts and al the analogies he was using. So far from what he has outlined he is basically the polar opposite from Hartley. How he wants to play and how he wants to relate to his player is all different which I think is fantastic.

As I've said many times I was not a fan of how they were playing under Hartley.

I'm excited for how they are going to play next year and while km not saying immediate results will happen i do think they will be better. I think the roster is a good fit for the type of game he described. Now just need to see if the teaching and communicator background hold up

[phoenix66]

Gulutzan on Developing Defensemen:

 

 

 

at about the 16-18 min mark he speaks directly to Hartleys defense and his recommendations to make it different

says specifically that our way of defending the rush , not only invites the rush , but always results in your goalie needing to make a save

[MAC331]

at about the 16-18 min mark he speaks directly to Hartleys defense and his recommendations to make it different

says specifically that our way of defending the rush , not only invites the rush , but always results in your goalie needing to make a save

Let the Gulutzan era begin. Go Flames Go

[FlamesLogic]

at about the 16-18 min mark he speaks directly to Hartleys defense and his recommendations to make it different

says specifically that our way of defending the rush , not only invites the rush , but always results in your goalie needing to make a save

And that why Hartley's system only works if you got Patrick Roy or Carey Price back there holding the fort. 

[robrob1974]

I thought he came as advertised. Great speaker and you can see the teaching background when he talks about concepts and al the analogies he was using. So far from what he has outlined he is basically the polar opposite from Hartley. How he wants to play and how he wants to relate to his player is all different which I think is fantastic.

As I've said many times I was not a fan of how they were playing under Hartley.

I'm excited for how they are going to play next year and while km not saying immediate results will happen i do think they will be better. I think the roster is a good fit for the type of game he described. Now just need to see if the teaching and communicator background hold up

Me too! I liked Hartley because of how he activated the D, especially the first few years, but other than that, we never had the puck. It was so frustrating. But I wasn't sure whether it was because of a young team or his system.

I think Hartley did a good job of communication in the beginning when he had to and that all changed when we made the Playoffs.

All I want to see is an improvement in a team game. I don't want to be frustrated and hoping for comebacks almost every night.

It is possible for this team to play as a five man unit. When they did, which was rare and seemed to only be against the elite teams, they looked quite good and competitive.

I want a consistent team game.

[phoenix66]

And that why Hartley's system only works if you got Patrick Roy or Carey Price back there holding the fort. 

Exactly like ive been saying all along i just couldn't describe why .. that made total sense.

 

i think i got a bit of a smile on my face when GG said basically that Shot blocking isnt defending , its what you do when all else has failed  and it is proof you failed.

Bouma might be able to stay healthy now ..

[conundrumed]

at about the 16-18 min mark he speaks directly to Hartleys defense and his recommendations to make it different

says specifically that our way of defending the rush , not only invites the rush , but always results in your goalie needing to make a save

That was a good watch Ari...err phoenix lol  thanx!

I think our first pair are going to be coaching him a bit as well, there's a way to push 50-60+ pts playing D. It's been a lot of leeway so far.

Welcome to Calgary. I wonder who the Associate is now and who BT and Gulutzan will decide who to surround him with.

[travel_dude]

Me too! I liked Hartley because of how he activated the D, especially the first few years, but other than that, we never had the puck. It was so frustrating. But I wasn't sure whether it was because of a young team or his system.

I think Hartley did a good job of communication in the beginning when he had to and that all changed when we made the Playoffs.

All I want to see is an improvement in a team game. I don't want to be frustrated and hoping for comebacks almost every night.

It is possible for this team to play as a five man unit. When they did, which was rare and seemed to only be against the elite teams, they looked quite good and competitive.

I want a consistent team game.

 

I think the "lunchpail" coaching wears on a team.  You ask your stars to constantly block shots and give 110%.  Then your goalie is too useless to stop easy ones and you say the team is only playing 20 minutes.  That may be the case, but I've seen the team start out really good, have a goal against us, then look like crap because they were playing so well just not scoring.

 

You really have to wonder what Sam was thinking when Granlund was his centerman.  Or when he sat on the bench while Colborne got 2 minutes of PP time a night.  Or what Backlund was thinking after getting tossed to the 4th line.

[CheersMan]

 

So we’re going to work as a tight 5-man unit, pressure the opposition in an attempt to get the puck back quickly, and we’re going to back check.  Are these new ideas, were we not doing that before?

​--------
I’m not drinking the cool aid until I see results.  BH, BT and BB have always said “you can’t fall behind in this league, it’s just too hard to climb back into the race”, therefore results had better come quickly.  Anyways, I’m a Flame fan first, ill be supporting the new guy moving forward.

[phoenix66]

 

So we’re going to work as a tight 5-man unit, pressure the opposition in an attempt to get the puck back quickly, and we’re going to back check.  Are these new ideas, were we not doing that before?

​--------

I’m not drinking the cool aid until I see results.  BH, BT and BB have always said “you can’t fall behind in this league, it’s just too hard to climb back into the race”, therefore results had better come quickly.  Anyways, I’m a Flame fan first, ill be supporting the new guy moving forward.

 

 

totally agree , gotta see the results to fully guage.. but as i said earlier, he at least got my attention when he said shot blocking is a back up plan..not a primary means of defense.. now the players gotta buy in .

 

im looking forward to seeing the on ice product, thats for sure.

[The_Argus]

So we’re going to work as a tight 5-man unit, pressure the opposition in an attempt to get the puck back quickly, and we’re going to back check.  Are these new ideas, were we not doing that before?

 

 

Well, none of those ideas are mind-blowing or revolutionary. But I actually think we were not doing a good enough job in those areas. Our defense tended to be more on the passive side, instead of pressuring. (I remember watching lots of games where the other team seemed to have all the time in the world to make plays when they had the puck in the offensive zone, but when we had the puck we seemed to have very little time and make rushed decisions. That tells me that other teams were playing us more aggressively than we were playing them. And then there's the issue of falling back and shot blocking instead of pressuring...). And I think we did not work well enough as a 5 man unit. It's been talked about to death... but we were overly reliant on the stretch pass, instead of having five guys moving up the ice together, supporting each other and making short, sharp passes.

 

I do agree with you, though, that's it's easy to talk a good game. We'll really see what Gulutzan is made of when the season starts. But I, personally, am excited about where it sounds like he wants to take the team.

[travel_dude]

 

So we’re going to work as a tight 5-man unit, pressure the opposition in an attempt to get the puck back quickly, and we’re going to back check.  Are these new ideas, were we not doing that before?

​--------

I’m not drinking the cool aid until I see results.  BH, BT and BB have always said “you can’t fall behind in this league, it’s just too hard to climb back into the race”, therefore results had better come quickly.  Anyways, I’m a Flame fan first, ill be supporting the new guy moving forward.

 

You need to put down the Tang that Bobby was serving you.  It was a great drink back in the 80's before they started coming out with better versions of OJ.  There was nothing progressive in what was being played.  There was one recipe for playing and it didn't include adapting to the game being played that night.  It works only as long as other teams don't know your secrets.

 

Enough with the analogies.  

 

Seriously though, BH had some lasting effect on the locker room.  Gio was a shining example of fitness levels needed to succeed, and the other players took it to heart.  Fitness was one of the reason the Flames were able to come back as much as they did.  It's also not the reason the Flames looked like they were asleep in games.  You have to be able to adapt.

 

TBH, it's going to take all of camp, pre-season and probably a dozen games before the team is where it needs to be with the talent they have.  It's going to take time.  If BH was back next season, you would see the same problem with a better goalie.  And you might actually have a ruined prospect or two.

[cross16]

So we’re going to work as a tight 5-man unit, pressure the opposition in an attempt to get the puck back quickly, and we’re going to back check. Are these new ideas, were we not doing that before?

Not under Hartley they weren't.

[jjgallow]

Not saying anything yet.....biting my tongue.

[darth_henning]

I'm curious to see where things go with him. 

 

With talking about using Stajan as a veteran leader, I'm curious where he's thinking of putting him in the lineup. That suggests he won't be playing 4C next year. 

 

 

He talked up a lot of Gaudreau and Bennett, but did he mention anything about Monahan? (Didn't see the press conference and videos from the flames load at a snails pace for me)

 

Though I'm liking what you guys have quoted about his plans for our D-core and Transitional play. Both sound like steps in the right direction if implemented. 

 

Reasons for optimism, but a lot of curiosity what he has in mind for the personnel.

[phoenix66]

I'm curious to see where things go with him. 

 

With talking about using Stajan as a veteran leader, I'm curious where he's thinking of putting him in the lineup. That suggests he won't be playing 4C next year. 

 

 

He talked up a lot of Gaudreau and Bennett, but did he mention anything about Monahan? (Didn't see the press conference and videos from the flames load at a snails pace for me)

 

Though I'm liking what you guys have quoted about his plans for our D-core and Transitional play. Both sound like steps in the right direction if implemented. 

 

Reasons for optimism, but a lot of curiosity what he has in mind for the personnel.

Never mentioned Monahan, but the Bennett talk intrigued me. He used the term "protected" in terms of what he needs. Not sure if thatnmeans a beefy winger, or just being on a line that suits his talents. It came up that veterans "expressed concern" over how he was being developed..so I think he was big focal point when BT and BB brought up player management in firing Hartley.

Remember this is the guy that turned Sven around, gives me hope we can see the best of Bennett soon if hes actually used right.

In the big picture, I think if nothing else, players will be played to their strengths and given better chances to succeed.

So long as Stajan is on this team making nearly $4m makes more sense to get him off Bolligs line and maybe play him where he can be of use.

Not sure which one, but I figure some player has a comeback year next season

[JTech780]

I'm curious to see where things go with him.

With talking about using Stajan as a veteran leader, I'm curious where he's thinking of putting him in the lineup. That suggests he won't be playing 4C next year.

He talked up a lot of Gaudreau and Bennett, but did he mention anything about Monahan? (Didn't see the press conference and videos from the flames load at a snails pace for me)

Though I'm liking what you guys have quoted about his plans for our D-core and Transitional play. Both sound like steps in the right direction if implemented.

Reasons for optimism, but a lot of curiosity what he has in mind for the personnel.

I think he is looking to build trust with the leaders in the locker room first, which in turn helps him build trust the rest of the team. If guys like Stajan and Giordano get on board early with Gulutzan it makes it so much easier to get the younger guys to follow suit.