On Friday the Calgary Flames' search for a new head coach officially came to an end as they announced the hiring of Glen Gulutzan.
While actions speak louder than words I was impressed with a lot of what Gulutzan said.
Below are some notable quotes and thoughts on each.
Gulutzan using the word “connected… when talking about possession. Says there will be a bit of a style change this season. #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) June 17, 2016
When elaborating Gulutzan mentioned working as a five-man unit in all three zones. He wants the team to stay connected moving up the ice and into the attacking zone. That's a smart way to play, I think, as it allows the team to make short passes in quick succession and pick defenses apart rather than relying simply on stretch passes that opposing teams can easily sit on.
Bob Hartley's style clearly didn't work over the last few years so hearing that it will be changed should be music to the ears of Flames fans.
Gulutzan on analytics: “they’re gauges. Sometimes we can get blinded by our perception of players.… #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) June 17, 2016
This is a very encouraging quote from Gulutzan and is the absolute truth.
Sometimes knowing a player, appreciating his work ethic, etc. leads to giving said player more leeway than he should otherwise get.
A perfect example of this would be Kris Russell. Nobody will question is commitment to the team, work ethic, etc. but when he is on the ice the results simply aren't good. Despite that he was constantly spoon fed big minutes in all situations.
Being good in the room or working hard shouldn't mean a player gets a free pass when the on-ice results aren't there. Gulutzan seems very aware of that.
Gulutzan stressing blocked shots are important, but wants to limit how much they’re necessary. Talks about them like a last resort. #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) June 17, 2016
Gulutzan once again hit the nail on the head. If you're in the defensive zone and have the opportunity to block a Shea Weber shot, for example, that's better than letting it get through and on goal. The real problem is when you consistently find yourself in situations where blocking shots is a necessity.
I'll defer to FlamesNation's Kent Wilson on this one.
Blocking shots is like killing rats. Doing it is preferable to not, but if you’re doing it all the time it suggests you have bigger problems
— Kent Wilson (@Kent_Wilson) March 18, 2015
During Gulutzan's introductory press conference he said all the right things. Now he just has to follow through.
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