As the sport of hockey gains more and more ways to evaluate and educate players it sometimes can be tough keeping up with everything. We now have a better understanding of the physiological aspects, we understand better strategies to achieve on-ice success, we also have way better data driven methods to analyze past play as well as predicting future outcomes.
The latest addition has come to the NHL in the form of real-time video analysis during the games via iPad. The current defending champions took advantage of this latest technological advancement during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
#Penguins coach Mike Sullivan reveals one of the biggest keys to his team's Stanley Cup defence.https://t.co/C4kjYVcjwE pic.twitter.com/230QZIKd2y
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 20, 2017
Specifically, Sullivan pointed to how his staff utilized the addition of the iBench system during the 2017 playoffs in their efforts to repeat as champions, telling The Boston Globe‘s Fluto Shinzawa the league’s new iPad system had a significant impact on Pittsburgh’s playoff strategizing.The 2017 playoffs marked the first post-season in which teams were allowed to use this iBench system, putting iPads with real-time playback capabilities on the benches of each of the 16 playoff clubs. Whereas teams were previously forced to wait until the intermission to review video and instruct players about in-game adjustments, the new approach allowed coaches to do so in the moment, while the stakes were still high, reviewing on-ice events with their players immediately after said events occurred.
One of my former coaches always said "you can't hide on film" and he was right. When we would go over game tape via VHS (lol) sure enough when you messed up there it was. Although, you had to wait a few days for the parent to give the VHS tape to the coach. Then the coach had to reserve a classroom. Then finally you would get to watch a tape from the last game about a day before the next one. To be able to show players in real time not only their mistakes but their successes this can be a great on the fly teaching tool that allows players to fine tune their game in the now instead of waiting until the entire game is over.
We know that puck possession correlates very strongly with winning hockey games. On the team level it remains one of the best indicators of future success.
TSN: The death of Corsi% seems rather prematurehttps://t.co/W4fRPpSJyE
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) August 21, 2017
What is sometimes lost in the entire advanced stats discussion is that coaches should never be talking about Corsi or Fenwick or any other stat driven jargon to the players. They don't have to. They need to be speaking their language. In a modern organization the coach should be able to understand the data, but also have the ability to communicate the benefits of the data in a way that the player can easily comprehend the information and not feel bogged down with math. I never bring up Corsi with my players. Instead, I focus on areas of the game that contribute positively to puck possession.
For example: Explaining to a winger that they need to come down lower on the breakout in order to discourage a defenseman from pinching down on them. This creates time and space to make a controlled play. Controlled exits have a better chance to lead to controlled entries, which lead to better offensive chances and would ultimately be tracked by that data as better possession. On the flip side you can point out to one of your defenseman that their gap control is way too loose in the neutral zone leading to more entries for the other team. You can show the F3 where to be in order to support the defenseman so that they have more confidence in holding the line instead of being afraid of getting burned. Teams can have their players in concert with one another when running systems and planning their attack.
By having iPads on the bench the coaches can point out these intricacies in real time to the players in order to get better results. Pittsburgh seems to be embracing these modern teaching opportunities
Again, from the Sportsnet article:
“I’ve always felt strongly that this is such a robust program,… Sullivan said. “But my experience of being around the game is that most coaching staffs use the tip of the iceberg. So my feeling has always been that, ‘Hey, if we can get better at this stuff than the other guys, then this could be a real competitive advantage for us.’“On our staff in Pittsburgh, we spend a lot of time learning this stuff.…
Perhaps a team that is known for one thing throws a wrinkle in their forecheck or how they defend, this happens at all levels of hockey. You used to have to struggle with the whiteboard, or even worse wait for intermission back in the old days to use a chalkboard of some kind to make adjustments. With live video accessible in-between shifts you can visually show your team what adjustment was made by the other team and what you plan on changing on your side. You can show that specific player exactly where they were and where the puck was on the ice and where they need to go the next time. It's a wonderful thing.
Who knows when this kind of technology will trickle down to lower levels of hockey, but it is a great example of how you can marry data with strategy in real time and in a language the players understand in order to obtain better success.
NEW PODCAST: Draisaitl is signed, Hornqvist soon? JJ in Calgary? AA to KHL? #Oilers #NHL #Penguins #RedWings https://t.co/6q4CT5x1JQ
— Hockey Hurts (@Hockey_Hurts) August 23, 2017
Thanks for reading!