FLAMES FIRE HEAD COACH

GULUTZAN AND ASSISTANTS RELIEVED OF DUTIES

Flames missed playoffs after winning just twice in final 11 games

Glen Gulutzan bore the brunt of the Calgary Flames’ shortcomings this season with his dismissal Tuesday. With a year remaining on his contract as head coach, Gulutzan was sacked along with assistant Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard less than two years after they were hired.

A weak home record, a wretched power play and a late-season swan dive contributed to Calgary finishing out of the playoffs with a 3735-10 record.

“Accountability lies with all of us,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said at a hastily-called news conference at Scotiabank Saddledome.

“As a manager I lead that charge. Our hockey staff leads that charge and also our players. When you make a decision (like) I made today, there is lots of blame to go around.”

Gulutzan coached Calgary to the playoffs in his first season, but the Flames were dispatched in four straight games by the Anaheim Ducks in 2017.

The addition of veteran goaltender Mike Smith and blue-chip defenceman Travis Hamonic were considered to be the pieces of the puzzle that would get the Flames further into the playoffs.

Riding a seven-game win streak and sitting second in the Pacific Division in January, the Flames lost six in a row coming out of their bye week and continued to fray coming down the stretch.

The team held down the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot Feb. 25, but managed just two victories in its final 11 games of the regular season.

Smith’s performance dropped late in the season after missing a month with a lowerbody injury.

Top-line centre Sean Monahan played through multiple injuries that required surgeries when he was shut down for the season March 21.

“We relied too much on too few,” Treliving said. “Certainly the lack of depth, or the lack of contributions by many, was a big part of the problem we had.”

A 17-20-4 record at the Saddledome and a power play that ranked 29th in the league at 16 per cent were a drag on Calgary’s playoff aspirations.

Gulutzan, 46, was Treliving’s first headcoaching hire.

Treliving extended the contract of Gulutzan’s predecessor, Bob Hartley, in December 2014, but fired him 17 months later and brought Gulutzan on board.