Article: Wild On Losing Streak Heading Into Crucial Games

[Thomas Williams]

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[mnfaninnc]

How to change the narrative? Welcome Kaprizov back to the lineup!

Yesterday I had a unique opportunity to watch a live game with no skin in the game. It was a kids day game with the Checkers (Panthers) vs. the Hartford Wolf Pack (Rangers). I will try to describe what I saw, because it was truly interesting.

But, for starters, I've got to mention the audio guys. The Checkers came into this series 2nd in their division and got swept. The score was 3-0, Checkers were down with 3 minutes left in the game and the audio guy before the next faceoff decides to play "Welcome to the Jungle." Could you be more clueless than this? Preset audio tracks are stupid and audio guys need to be far more aware instead of this mail it in mentality.

These 2 teams had 2 different systems. 1 team had a perimeter type of offense with cycles, rims around the board and occasional person skating through the middle. The other team had an offensive system that constantly drove the net, owned the middle of the ice and with timing had a guy who would leave the defensive zone anticipating a breakaway from a stretch pass. The team who owned the middle of the ice was used to checking, open ice contact and getting and giving knocked around. However, the team that played a perimeter system was more of a finesse team and when it came to the checking game, they were not used to it.

The finesse team had to respond to the physical play which they did until 10 minutes were left in the game. However, due to not being used to this, they were penalized heavily, mostly due to wimpy stick infractions. I think the penalties were 3-0 before they got one. 

On one end, driving the net was successful. There was a breakaway goal after a guy came out of the penalty box, a short bad angle shot that went in from a guy driving the net, and a PP goal point shot that was screened well. The finesse team seemed bothered by getting knocked around, but not the other team, they were used to the contact and just kept on playing. 

I'll give you a guess as to which style of game the Wild play?

A couple of things were driven home:

1. The style of owning the middle will typically win more games
2. If you don't get used to finishing checks and it becomes instinctive, you cannot simply flip a switch to turn that on.
3. The finesse team used its sticks to hit the other team resulting in several stick infractions. They simply weren't comfortable using their shoulders to body the opponent. Getting into penalty trouble early in the game was hard for them to overcome. 
4. Both teams had cycles, both teams used the boards, but one team kept trying to send people up the middle, and another team didn't. The team that did and had them stationed there had way more dangerous chances. 

This was a good lesson in systems. The type of system I prefer, and I think that is the most effective offensive system is the one that keeps pushing for that middle ground. I think this is more of a North American system, and, values screens, tips, traffic in the high danger areas.

The other system, I believe to be a more European style where possession of the puck is the most important thing. They play keep away around the boards until an opening presents itself, someone shoots a gap and gets an excellent scoring chance. The hope is you rope a dope the defense into vacating their middle positions causing missed gaps that can be exploited. 

Both of these systems are used a great deal in the NHL. Teams who play a heavier game typically play the North American style. Teams who play a finesse game typically prefer the European style. Both styles have proven to be successful in international play. 

I believe history will show that more teams win Stanley Cups with the North American style of play than the European style, but both styles have won. I'm sure there is probably a hybrid style out there, but I can't think of a team using it. 

In playing hockey the "right" way, I believe the North American system is the way it should be done, but there are multiple "right" ways to look at. The Swedes and Fins play the Euro system very well, and that is where we have a lot of players from. 

With our collection of players, I'm not sure which one would be the most effective, but I certainly prefer watching the North American system which features much more North-South play. There are benefits to each system.