Glen Gulutzan-16th Flames Coach

[tmac70]

Grabner from Rangers. Whats the cost?

[Thebrewcrew]

14 hours ago, DirtyDeeds said:

Martin Gélinas - 1989-90 has a SC Ring.

True, now that he is in the press box for the games, he's sorta outta sight outta mind for me I guess

[travel_dude]

Quote from Frolik about his mistake that resulted in a goal:

 

Very interesting take from one head coach on the Michael Frolik mistake that started Vegas’s ridiculous comeback in Calgary last week: “Twenty years ago, he throws it off the glass into a safe place and Calgary wins the game,” he said. “Now, no one is allowed to throw it off the glass.”

[conundrumed]

5 hours ago, travel_dude said:

Quote from Frolik about his mistake that resulted in a goal:

 

Very interesting take from one head coach on the Michael Frolik mistake that started Vegas’s ridiculous comeback in Calgary last week: “Twenty years ago, he throws it off the glass into a safe place and Calgary wins the game,” he said. “Now, no one is allowed to throw it off the glass.”

Assuming that would be Gallant, myself. He was the next closest coach, lol.

Have to agree though, we're in the possession era to the point you almost put it in your own net rather than lose possession.

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, conundrumed said:

Assuming that would be Gallant, myself. He was the next closest coach, lol.

Have to agree though, we're in the possession era to the point you almost put it in your own net rather than lose possession.

 

My bad on that.  I misread it.  It's from Friedman's 31 IIRC.  It could be any coach he talked to this week

[redfire11]

With Versteeg out and now Brouwer GG is going to have a difficult time screwing up the lines. Unless of course he decides to play Bart 25 min a night.

[Carty]

20 minutes ago, redfire11 said:

With Versteeg out and now Brouwer GG is going to have a difficult time screwing up the lines.

 

Unless of course he decides to play Bart 25 min a night.

   

• 

[ABC923]

4 minutes ago, Carty said:

   

• 

 'GG sees comment board, moves Bart to wing and plonks him on first PP unit'.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, redfire11 said:

With Versteeg out and now Brouwer GG is going to have a difficult time screwing up the lines. Unless of course he decides to play Bart 25 min a night.

 

We have the guys that can play, but maybe shouldn't.

I think even Gully learned the lesson about playing Bart, otherwise he plays tonight.

 

Lomberg vs Hrivik vs Lazar vs Hathaway - I would call it a draw.  Each brings different skills.

I wish that we had another option to use on the 3rd line RW.  Lazar didn't win the spot outright.  Hathaway has been hot and cold.

 

The bigger issue is with the individual D-men usages.

Brodie plays 25 minutes a night, and OT if it goes there.

Hamilton usually plays 3-5 minutes less.

Brodie gets top PP time, while Hamilton gets at best 2nd unit time (even though he is our top offensive D-man).

Hamonic is similar in minutes to Hamilton, but only PK's.

Stone is usually 15 minutes, including PK time.

 

I think it's safe to say that the PP is broken.  Not once has Hamilton been used on the top unit; it's either Brodie or Gio or both.

This isn't really a Gully thing, but he sees that it's not working.  He should take a stand.  There's enough video and stats available to see what leads to better scoring.  Use it.

[Carty]

2 hours ago, ABC923 said:

 'GG sees comment board, moves Bart to wing and plonks him on first PP unit'.

 

and then Gully will no doubt use Bart for 3 critical faceoff's in a row when the game is on the line...

 

Oh well, Bart's FO % can't be any worse than Brouwers...

[redfire11]

Nashville Game: Well coached GG.

You actually matched lines as best you could on the road

You showed some excitement on the bench

You doubled shifted JG and Tkachuk

You actually put out the correct defensive line in the last minute of the game

You actually called a perfectly timed TimeOut

 

That"s what we need in a coach!!! Well Done GG

[JustAFlamer]

1 hour ago, redfire11 said:

Nashville Game: Well coached GG.

You actually matched lines as best you could on the road

You showed some excitement on the bench

You doubled shifted JG and Tkachuk

You actually put out the correct defensive line in the last minute of the game

You actually called a perfectly timed TimeOut

 

That"s what we need in a coach!!! Well Done GG

That is because both BT and BB were upstairs.

It why i say he never gives a crap till his job on the line, kinda like some players that step it up on contract year.  For a player that a bad thing, for a coach is a heck of a lot worse

[phoenix66]

ya Know , I am usually not that guy.. Ive never been a big believer in "Fire the coach " to fix your problems. 

I agreed with the Hartley Firing , still do 

But Man , if we miss the playoffs? I do not see how he keeps his job 

 

I like the Guy , I really do. I love the fact we are no longer a dump-it-in-and-go-chase it team. I like that we don't see shot blocking as the #1 defensive skill

His vision of what the team should play like is bang on , and the way we should play (its winning cups in Pittsburgh)

But what I'm seeing is he has ZERO ability to manage players 

50 games  , and forced by injury to think of actually putting one of your best weapons on the 1st powerplay

Constantly playing players with almost no goals in "desperately need a goal " situations

Nearly 2 seasons done and this team has no identity 

No sense of earning your ice time, always Given

Treats games and overtime like a playoff season (Just get in , then anything can happen !)

 

Thats what it comes down to, lack of player management skills . I totally see why BT hired him, his vision of what this team should play like is bang on , but he has no ability to put the right horses in that system 

This team should be battling Vegas for 1st , not mired in a playoff lottery

 

Again , I don't believe Hartley would have done much better , so not regretting the Hartley firing , but at least under him we had an identity.. we busted our humps each and every night 

 

BT has to answer the higher ups, he has given us a goaltender , he has given us on paper one of the best blue lines in the league , he's given us a farm team that actually has available call ups.. so when he's getting ripped a new one by Murray Edwards, how can he not be saying coaching is the issue ?

 

if we miss the playoffs ? I dont think BT has a choice ..there's a very good chance Joel Quenneville is done in Chicago, and if he is , GG's phone should ring minutes after thats announced with an invitation to come to the office for a chat .

 

[MAC331]

12 minutes ago, phoenix66 said:

ya Know , I am usually not that guy.. Ive never been a big believer in "Fire the coach " to fix your problems. 

I agreed with the Hartley Firing , still do 

But Man , if we miss the playoffs? I do not see how he keeps his job 

 

I like the Guy , I really do. I love the fact we are no longer a dump-it-in-and-go-chase it team. I like that we don't see shot blocking as the #1 defensive skill

His vision of what the team should play like is bang on , and the way we should play (its winning cups in Pittsburgh)

But what I'm seeing is he has ZERO ability to manage players 

50 games  , and forced by injury to think of actually putting one of your best weapons on the 1st powerplay

Constantly playing players with almost no goals in "desperately need a goal " situations

Nearly 2 seasons done and this team has no identity 

No sense of earning your ice time, always Given

Treats games and overtime like a playoff season (Just get in , then anything can happen !)

 

Thats what it comes down to, lack of player management skills . I totally see why BT hired him, his vision of what this team should play like is bang on , but he has no ability to put the right horses in that system 

This team should be battling Vegas for 1st , not mired in a playoff lottery

 

Again , I don't believe Hartley would have done much better , so not regretting the Hartley firing , but at least under him we had an identity.. we busted our humps each and every night 

 

BT has to answer the higher ups, he has given us a goaltender , he has given us on paper one of the best blue lines in the league , he's given us a farm team that actually has available call ups.. so when he's getting ripped a new one by Murray Edwards, how can he not be saying coaching is the issue ?

 

if we miss the playoffs ? I dont think BT has a choice ..there's a very good chance Joel Quenneville is done in Chicago, and if he is , GG's phone should ring minutes after thats announced with an invitation to come to the office for a chat .

 

I think there is a lot of versions of where this team is at and why. You mention PIT but you don't mention that they have a level of experience within the player group that makes their way of playing work. On the end you mention Quennville could be done in CHI, ask yourself why is that ? I will tell you why is because they have been forced to subtract the experienced support players from the equation. Here in Calgary we are not yet out of the mentorship program nurturing our young core to the experience level enough to fully take over. I think we are getting close and next season we will see a huge shift for the identity of this team. Out with the old and average players and in with the new core and better players. This could mean we see a new coach but I'm thinking not.

[travel_dude]

^^^^^^

Phoenix

While I agree with some of your observations, I also think that BT is failing to make the tough decisions on the roster.

We have a choice of one D-man to come into the lineup.  Maybe it was smart during the long stretch of the season, but Bart should never been on the roster this long.

He's not a valid replacement for anyone.  Could have waived him and called up someone you could actually use on occasion.  Mow he has a limited number of callups available.

 

BT can take a more active role in managing the team by having a better dialog with the coach.  Let him know that Brouwer may not be the best choice for PK.  It took 50 games to get Hammy on the top PP unit.  The 2nd unit has been a mess.  

 

Anyway, just ranting.  Prefer that the hockey people get their crap together and take a hard look at the lines, usage, and options to get better.

 

 

[MAC331]

15 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

^^^^^^

While I agree with some of your observations, I also think that BT is failing to make the tough decisions on the roster.

We have a choice of one D-man to come into the lineup.  Maybe it was smart during the long stretch of the season, but Bart should never been on the roster this long.

He's not a valid replacement for anyone.  Could have waived him and called up someone you could actually use on occasion.  Mow he has a limited number of callups available.

 

BT can take a more active role in managing the team by having a better dialog with the coach.  Let him know that Brouwer may not be the best choice for PK.  It took 50 games to get Hammy on the top PP unit.  The 2nd unit has been a mess.  

 

Anyway, just ranting.  Prefer that the hockey people get their crap together and take a hard look at the lines, usage, and options to get better.

 

 

You really need to get over this Bartkowski thing, if anything we have seen Kulak get exactly what he needs now. Wotherspoon is the next best defenseman for the LS we have and management likes him playing with Andersson in Stockton. So long as Kulak doesn't experience an injury I fail to see why the worry.

BT should not take an active role trying to second guess coaching decisions or use of players.

Hamilton in the first half of this season was doing nothing but occupying space out there while Giordano did all the work. As someone else pointed out he didn't come alive until after the got rid of his brother. Maybe he was talked to about picking up his game at the same time.

I am sure there will be repercussions surrounding the lack of an effective PP this season come the offseason. I also think we need to address the teams weaknesses and for me that means moving Brodie and Stone this offseason.

[phoenix66]

11 minutes ago, MAC331 said:

I think there is a lot of versions of where this team is at and why. You mention PIT but you don't mention that they have a level of experience within the player group that makes their way of playing work. On the end you mention Quennville could be done in CHI, ask yourself why is that ? I will tell you why is because they have been forced to subtract the experienced support players from the equation. Here in Calgary we are not yet out of the mentorship program nurturing our young core to the experience level enough to fully take over. I think we are getting close and next season we will see a huge shift for the identity of this team. Out with the old and average players and in with

the new core and better players. This could mean we see a new coach but I'm thinking not.

 

In Pittsburgh, no disputing they have way better horses.. but Sullivan came in mid season because the previous coaches had those same players  playing Dysfunctional.. he implemented, the players bought in , and most of all he put the right people in the right places

 

Quenneville had a good run , but he started with what we have now .. a very young core, couple of hot shots and a system due to the cap that meant he had 5 great players and 18 plugs.. their demise is all to do with the road coming to an end ..they got 3 cups out of it .. again he knows how to manage players 

It should not take 3 years to establish an identity.. the identity is forged at the very beginning , not at the end 

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

^^^^^^

Phoenix

While I agree with some of your observations, I also think that BT is failing to make the tough decisions on the roster.

We have a choice of one D-man to come into the lineup.  Maybe it was smart during the long stretch of the season, but Bart should never been on the roster this long.

He's not a valid replacement for anyone.  Could have waived him and called up someone you could actually use on occasion.  Mow he has a limited number of callups available.

 

BT can take a more active role in managing the team by having a better dialog with the coach.  Let him know that Brouwer may not be the best choice for PK.  It took 50 games to get Hammy on the top PP unit.  The 2nd unit has been a mess.  

 

Anyway, just ranting.  Prefer that the hockey people get their crap together and take a hard look at the lines, usage, and options to get better.

 

 

you're correct  that the coach should be coaching the team , I believe in most cases its the coach who decides who plays , who doesn't , and who gets sent down , but really , how much more can BT do ?

I agree our Top 6 D are the ones who should be dressed , 7 is a floater , but  We have Andersson, and others who can be here instead ..any of those others would have had him in lineup at least once with TJ benched just to drive home the point .. who is it that has the love affair with Bart, likely GG.. Andersson was here and he ate popcorn.. BT likely sent him back down because GG wouldn't  play him ..assuming BT controls the call ups, GG has a reluctance to play them. On most nights our best players are in the lineup , so for the most part I dont have an issue with who the dressed players are.. its what gets done with those players that is annoying 

Brouwer constantly drawing in to the top PP

Overworking a 35 yr old goalie ( i get it when we had Lack, but Rittich could/should have played more than just back to backs) 

Giving high minutes to a Dman (TJ) that is clearly struggling 

overall wrong players in wrong situations 

 

its like I said , Ive been trying to pinpoint the issue for awhile, because  his system and vision are good, I like what hes trying to do .. but he either a) cant manage players , or b ) cant manage his coaching personnel..or both ..  and unless he can fix that , that will be his downfall

[cross16]

For Quenville, I would be all for making the move. I've always liked him and the opportunity to get a coach with his resume doesn't come up often. I don't think he is a cure all, but I would like adding that type of resume to a team like this one, especially so young. Outside of him though i'm not really excited by anyone out there and I think it looks like a pretty mediocre crop. I think if the Flames did decide to move on from Gulutzan you are likely hiring a coach with a really similar resume. 

 

I approach this differently though, and I know i'm basically alone here, I don't think much of this is due to coaching. The Flames 5 on 5 game is very good and for the most part really consistent with some dips here and there. Special teams is very inconsistent and some of that is coaching (ie Hamilton not getting more PP time) but some of it is players too. There are some bad roster decision and bad coaching decisions but that is true of all coaches. Check out a Leafs forum or some Leafs people on twitter and see some of the things they say about Babcock. I recall some calls for Jon Cooper to be removed last year and the Lightning seem to be fine now.  I also do not understand the idea that people think this should be a division contending team, there are some very significant holes on this roster. Going into the season I had the Flames pegged in that playoff battle area, the 12-16 range in the NHL. So for me they are in 16th, maybe 2-4 points behind where I would have thought they would be but I don't agree with the notion that this team is playing far below their potential.

 

I know people think I really like Gulutzan but the reality is that is not quite the truth. I do like his philosophy on players, I like the way the Flames play, and I like his background and most importantly I do really think the players like to play for him. I do have some concerns about some player usages decisions and I do wonder about his ability to motivate but I'm starting to think a lot more big picture about that and wonder about the team/franchise more. If you move on from Gultuzan you are talking about your 7th coach in 14 seasons and that is just a flat our brutal track record so I think we need to get past the idea that coaching is a fix all. Not only that, Gulutzan is not the first coach who has a team that once expectations were raised the players couldn't meet them. This is a team that basically since 04 has had high expectations (save for a couple years under Hartley) and they have yet to find a group of players that collectively can stand up and meet them. Hartley had a great year with no expectations, expectations were raised and that team fell flat the next year. This is not only a Gulutzan problem for me. 

 

I think the organization needs more patience. I didn't realize this until yesterday but take a look at the bottom 5 of the NHL last year. Colorado Avalanche and Devils were both there, didn't make a coaching chance, and now are both battling for playoff spots. It's a very tight and competitive league so i also don't think its fair to point to coaching so much if a team doesn't meet expectations. You need to go deeper. 

 

 

[MAC331]

6 minutes ago, phoenix66 said:

 

In Pittsburgh, no disputing they have way better horses.. but Sullivan came in mid season because the previous coaches had those same players  playing Dysfunctional.. he implemented, the players bought in , and most of all he put the right people in the right places

 

Quenneville had a good run , but he started with what we have now .. a very young core, couple of hot shots and a system due to the cap that meant he had 5 great players and 18 plugs.. their demise is all to do with the road coming to an end ..they got 3 cups out of it .. again he knows how to manage players 

It should not take 3 years to establish an identity.. the identity is forged at the very beginning , not at the end 

 

 

 

you're correct  that the coach should be coaching the team , I believe in most cases its the coach who decides who plays , who doesn't , and who gets sent down , but really , how much more can BT do ?

I agree our Top 6 D are the ones who should be dressed , 7 is a floater , but  We have Andersson, and others who can be here instead ..any of those others would have had him in lineup at least once with TJ benched just to drive home the point .. who is it that has the love affair with Bart, likely GG.. Andersson was here and he ate popcorn.. BT likely sent him back down because GG wouldn't  play him ..assuming BT controls the call ups, GG has a reluctance to play them. On most nights our best players are in the lineup , so for the most part I dont have an issue with who the dressed players are.. its what gets done with those players that is annoying 

Brouwer constantly drawing in to the top PP

Overworking a 35 yr old goalie ( i get it when we had Lack, but Rittich could/should have played more than just back to backs) 

Giving high minutes to a Dman (TJ) that is clearly struggling 

overall wrong players in wrong situations 

 

its like I said , Ive been trying to pinpoint the issue for awhile, because  his system and vision are good, I like what hes trying to do .. but he either a) cant manage players , or b ) cant manage his coaching personnel..or both ..  and unless he can fix that , that will be his downfall

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment fully on Sullivan's contribution for getting PIT turned around and heading in the right direction. Having the experience level makes changes easier to make especially when using an incorporated system. This is just my opinion but we are in a flip position where as our core is being driven by average playing veterans while the core gains the experience to take over. My point was we are close and next season I see that shift being more possible but right now its a bit of a mess.

[MAC331]

10 minutes ago, cross16 said:

For Quenville, I would be all for making the move. I've always liked him and the opportunity to get a coach with his resume doesn't come up often. I don't think he is a cure all, but I would like adding that type of resume to a team like this one, especially so young. Outside of him though i'm not really excited by anyone out there and I think it looks like a pretty mediocre crop. I think if the Flames did decide to move on from Gulutzan you are likely hiring a coach with a really similar resume. 

 

I approach this differently though, and I know i'm basically alone here, I don't think much of this is due to coaching. The Flames 5 on 5 game is very good and for the most part really consistent with some dips here and there. Special teams is very inconsistent and some of that is coaching (ie Hamilton not getting more PP time) but some of it is players too. There are some bad roster decision and bad coaching decisions but that is true of all coaches. Check out a Leafs forum or some Leafs people on twitter and see some of the things they say about Babcock. I recall some calls for Jon Cooper to be removed last year and the Lightning seem to be fine now.  I also do not understand the idea that people think this should be a division contending team, there are some very significant holes on this roster. Going into the season I had the Flames pegged in that playoff battle area, the 12-16 range in the NHL. So for me they are in 16th, maybe 2-4 points behind where I would have thought they would be but I don't agree with the notion that this team is playing far below their potential.

 

I know people think I really like Gulutzan but the reality is that is not quite the truth. I do like his philosophy on players, I like the way the Flames play, and I like his background and most importantly I do really think the players like to play for him. I do have some concerns about some player usages decisions and I do wonder about his ability to motivate but I'm starting to think a lot more big picture about that and wonder about the team/franchise more. If you move on from Gultuzan you are talking about your 7th coach in 14 seasons and that is just a flat our brutal track record so I think we need to get past the idea that coaching is a fix all. Not only that, Gulutzan is not the first coach who has a team that once expectations were raised the players couldn't meet them. This is a team that basically since 04 has had high expectations (save for a couple years under Hartley) and they have yet to find a group of players that collectively can stand up and meet them. Hartley had a great year with no expectations, expectations were raised and that team fell flat the next year. This is not only a Gulutzan problem for me. 

 

I think the organization needs more patience. I didn't realize this until yesterday but take a look at the bottom 5 of the NHL last year. Colorado Avalanche and Devils were both there, didn't make a coaching chance, and now are both battling for playoff spots. It's a very tight and competitive league so i also don't think its fair to point to coaching so much if a team doesn't meet expectations. You need to go deeper. 

 

 

A team is the sum of all its parts and we are missing quite a few parts while some fans expect the likes of a 20 year old Tkachuk to make all the difference. Ever forward line we have is incomplete in some way or the other. Brodie and Hamonic have not been the perfect combination like everyone expected. BT has work to do and so does GG however right now we are where we should be in the standings.

[JTech780]

First of all, using Pittsburgh as a model is tough, because they have 2 elite centers in Crosby and Malkin, add to that that Crosby is one of the hardest workers in the game and pushes his team to keep up with him. We don't have that leader that will push the rest of the team to be better. I think that is the first stumbling block for this team.

 

Secondly this team doesn't have the forward depth and required skill and speed to play high pressure uptempo game. I think we have a solid top 6, but it's not the fastest group of skilled forwards making it difficult to put pressure on teams. I think we are missing a sniper in our top 6. The bottom 6 is a mess, Bennett and Jankowski are good players but they are inconsistent and they don't have a good running mate. The 4th line plays with little energy, Stajan and Brouwer lack speed, physicality, skill and energy. 

 

I think those questions need to be solved before the coach, but GG isn't without his faults, as others have stated player usuage is puzzling to say the least, but he gets a bit of a pass because of the roster construction. I think if a more respected, experienced coach becomes available, you look at it. Guys that might be available that I would be interested in are Quenneville and Vigneault, if for some unknown reason the Caps fire Trotz, I would be giving him a call as well. I think if we do move on from GG it needs to be veteran coach.

[MAC331]

Just now, MAC331 said:

A team is the sum of all its parts and we are missing quite a few parts while some fans expect the likes of a 20 year old Tkachuk to make all the difference. Ever forward line we have is incomplete in some way or the other. Brodie and Hamonic have not been the perfect combination like everyone expected. BT has work to do and so does GG however right now we are where we should be in the standings.

BTW cross I agree about Quennville if he ever became available because once you have built a successful team you have the experience and knowledge to do it again.

[JustAFlamer]

one of my biggest concerns is that a lot of the big names (core) are having career years and yet it looks like will miss playoffs.

- Gaudreau points (on road too!)

- Monahan goals

- Tchachuk all around

- Ferland, for half season

- Hammy getting close to career year

- Smith was unbelievable for 1/2 season

- Gio has been a beast defensively all year long

etc.

so what happens if we get normal smith (just above league average), and normal johnny (10th-15th in scoring) etc.

Seems to be same scenario Oilers are in this year,

 

A lot of the holes have been covered over by the stellar years individuals are having.  IF nothing changes are we going to fall to bottom of stack next year?

(my concern is a lot of missed points in games where can specifically point to coaching decisions in game [bizzare player usages, ice times, line matches, etc])

if was not able to point out specific "WTF" moments on GG then i would agree but as have stated before GG is good/great Assistant Coach, BUT cannot handle the Head

[cross16]

15 minutes ago, JustAFlamer said:

one of my biggest concerns is that a lot of the big names (core) are having career years and yet it looks like will miss playoffs.

- Gaudreau points (on road too!)

- Monahan goals

- Tchachuk all around

- Ferland, for half season

- Hammy getting close to career year

- Smith was unbelievable for 1/2 season

- Gio has been a beast defensively all year long

etc.

so what happens if we get normal smith (just above league average), and normal johnny (10th-15th in scoring) etc.

Seems to be same scenario Oilers are in this year,

 

A lot of the holes have been covered over by the stellar years individuals are having.  IF nothing changes are we going to fall to bottom of stack next year?

(my concern is a lot of missed points in games where can specifically point to coaching decisions in game [bizzare player usages, ice times, line matches, etc])

if was not able to point out specific "WTF" moments on GG then i would agree but as have stated before GG is good/great Assistant Coach, BUT cannot handle the Head

 

For sure if the Flames miss the playoffs it's going to be one of the more disappointing season in recent memory I would say. As much as I think there are issues this should be a playoff team.

 

For me though you've highlighted exactly why I have a hard time putting so much of this on Gulutzan. Half the team is playing well/having career years (I would add Kulak and Janko to your list who I think have both played well in their roles) and the ones that aren't are ones I just view as bad fits for this team and in some cases in the NHL. I'm not sure what coach you want that is going to get the most out of Brouwer, Lazar, Stajan, Stone etc as I think most of those guys would not even crack the roster on a team that is supposed to be contending. 

 

 

 

 

[redfire11]

17 minutes ago, cross16 said:

 

I think the organization needs more patience. I didn't realize this until yesterday but take a look at the bottom 5 of the NHL last year. Colorado Avalanche and Devils were both there, didn't make a coaching chance, and now are both battling for playoff spots. It's a very tight and competitive league so i also don't think its fair to point to coaching so much if a team doesn't meet expectations. You need to go deeper. 

 

 

Bednar with Colorado was thrown in when Roy quit so really there was 0 expectations last year. Sakic with a great draft and trades this year has built one of the better younger teams in the league and it is being utilized correctly by Bednar. Next year I guarantee a play off spot for Col.

Hynes hired 2015 to the NJD's team that was one of the oldest and slowest. They did a complete face lift last year so again 0 expectations last year. Hynes has shown how to get the most out of his young team.

So why is NJD and COL better this year they are both younger and faster with coaches that excel with that skill set.

 

BT has made numerous moves and to some degree has made the Flames younger and faster but really missed it with Brouwer, Bart, Jagr and Versteeg and to some extent Stone. GG so called system does not utilize the faster and younger players. Similar to Deboer's system in New Jersey before he was removed. If the Flames want to keep up with the changes happening in the NHL; speed, high energy fore checking, mobile defense, strong center ice play and solid back checking, and youth;  WE WILL NEED A DIFFERENT COACH.