FlamesNation · Nov 22, 2017
Glen Gulutzan loves shot-balanced defensive pairings
Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsWhen Glen Gulutzan became the head coach of the Calgary Flames prior to the 2016-17 season, everyone braced for big changes. Aside from making a few tweaks to systems and deployments, Gulutzan didn’t exactly throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater compared to what Bob Hartley did as coach. If something worked, Gulutzan seemed content to stick with it.
One big thing he’s largely avoided is playing left-shot defensemen – such as Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie – together in a pairing, opting almost exclusively for pairings with shot balance. Left-shot players have almost entirely played the left side, right shot players the right side.