A Big Problem

The offensive players are always going to get their points because they’re put in those situations time and time again, it’s all about opportunity, but what about the character heart and soul grinding type players?

 When your reliable two-way players aren’t having fun or feel appreciated and valued you have big problems. When every player isn’t held to the same standards or accountability you have a big problem. When your heart and soul guys aren’t given an opportunity to shine in key situations you have a big problem.

When there’s little to no structure and every player looks lost out there within their given role on the team, you have a big problem.

Inconsistent play or uncharacteristic play from the core group of the team is an indication something is brewing, and big problems are fast approaching.

When young players are playing nervous, hesitant and apprehensive is another indicator there a big problem.

As mentioned previously, perhaps the biggest indicator of all, is when your heart and soul players are clearly not having fun playing the game and style they love. When that happens the organization and coach have massive problems on their hands.

Clearly when teams struggle there’s a formula that’s often gets used by the superficial or flip-flop analysts. They often look at the numbers or specific players or trends. Goaltending usually gets the blame first, then errors or gaffs defensively. Specialty teams is obviously a close second or third to that, but it’s the big picture stuff that is usually omitted by these prognosticators.

Why are the heart and soul players a barometer for the overall cultural feel of a team?

When those players underachieve, there should be a massive cause for concern because they usually have the most “buy in” and compete. When they struggle the overall team game struggles. When they struggle the entire compete level of the group plummets. Sure, your offensive players still score and generate, but everything gets that much harder, there’s nothing easy about things when skilled players lose their time and space. Actually, they absolutely hate that.

You see those players often rely on the heart and soul gritty type players to get/give them the puck. The entire dynamic of the team gets thrown off.

Another big problem that arises when this occurs is when you have players trying to do way too much, stepping out of their roles even farther.  For example, the solid two-way two zone defencemen trying to be all of sudden an offensive puck mover or transitional defender and we all know that never works.

Obviously, every team goes through a down time or a lull in their play, that’s the nature of the beast, but it’s the subtle nuances of the group that should be setting off alarm bells.

Great coaches always have a pulse on the player and every personality on the team, subpar coaches or coaches that go through the motions or choose to ignore those subtleties will quickly lose the room and that’s perhaps the biggest problem of all.

Skilled teams will win games, but it’s the overall assessment of those victories or subsequent losses, which there are going to be plenty of those given the framework, culture and leadership of the team. The true evaluation, assessment and projection of a team should be firmly entrenched on the team’s style of play based on systems and character that paints a clear picture of the true potential of the group.

It’s not about turnovers or team speed, or how dangerous that player is or that line is, or how potent the power play is, or the penalty kill, it’s not always what the analytics say either. The true indicator of a big problem is in the details, it’s in the character, it’s in the heart and soul of the team. When coaches can’t see or understand that, you have a big problem.