Carbonneau Doesn’t Need to Defend Line Tinkering; It Just Makes Good Coaching Sense
March 8, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles
In any sport a coach would be a fool to ignore personnel match-ups. Ignoring individual and unit slumps or chemistry would be just as ignorant.
Hockey is no different.
And contrary to Guy Lafleur’s inference a few weeks back when he said that Scotty Bowman never tinkered with the Shutt-Lemaire-Lafleur line, Bowman was a master at doing that sort of thing.
Lafleur claims a lot of things. But, and due respect to the old master, the game has changed. And Lafleur’s memories may have been glossed over with the passing of time.
Perhaps the Lafleur line was never touched though I find that hard to believe. But it is certain that Scotty Bowman tried various combinations of players from game to game in an effort to get the best possible matchups on the ice. Or to find the right chemistry to change the motivational mapwork and mood of the team’s individuals and units.
On some nights maybe it’s better for the young guys to have a few shifts with Koivu. Or maybe a plugger can join a dancer to confuse the opponent. Or perhaps you go with a Kid Line for a prove-it-to-the-world energy.
Line-tinkering goes on to varying degrees and with a depth that reflects a coach’s philosophies and preferences. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s an art as much as it is a science. And it’s one of the few areas where an NHL coach can be creative and directly influence the outcome of a game.
Critics say that chemistry can be affected by breaking up lines. That can and does happen. But in football, where unit to unit matchups are central to strategy, there is no concern expressed about the chemistry between, say, a given running back and the offensive tackle assigned to block on a screen for that back.
Both players just do their assignment. If the chemistry, in this case, the timing, is consistently poor involving those players, perhaps a coach will set up the screen differently. Or run a different back through the area.
Of course, it makes sense for players to be ready for changes in linemates.
Another, older example is one which sees units broken up for use in the power-play. Scotty Bowman would often use different combinations on the power-play than for five-on-five play.
Again it’s about who is on the ice and who they match up against. Do you have an aggressive chance-taking penalty-kill unit out against your power-play? Maybe put a few of your zero-to-sixty guys to counter. Or maybe you have a line struggling to get the puck deep and keep it there. Put a plugger on that line and see what happens.
There are countless permutations.
It’s not a strategy that is deeply analysed by the TSNs and CBCs of the world. But it is a reality for today’s NHL coaching staffs.
Every NHL team uses video. Every NHL team grades its players. The formula is different than in 1975 when only a small handful of teams were using the newer innovations.
Carbonneau is just using one of the many tools available to him to put his team in a position to win. To give them an increasing muliplicity of chances and situations where they can succeed.
Maybe it’s time for some of the critics to start reviewing tape of the games and to take a closer look at the game inside the game.
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