Milwaukeehockey.com

Time for a timeout

January 6, 2008

I've had a pet peeve for several years that comes out to piss me off from time to time. It has to do with the strategy of when to call a timeout in a hockey game.

Now, I do not pretend to be smarter than a hockey coach, and perhaps some things can be explained to me, but I gotta believe it's one of those things that is not given much thought by the coaching fraternity.

Why do almost all timeouts get used in the final few minutes of a game? Each team gets one to use in regulation, and it's fairly rare to see it used in the first 3/4 of a game.

I've heard it's good to use late in the game to give exhausted players a break before a last ditch effort to tie a game... but if you always save it until then, you may either be in too far of a deficit for a comeback, or on the winning end with no reason to slow down the game. I really believe it can be used effectively earlier in a game to turn the tables in a game that is not going your way.

In the game against Chicago last night, the Wolves scored three goals in less than four minutes in the second period. In my head, I'm screaming at Lane to use the timeout and get the team to regain it's composure... point out their flaws... or perhaps come up with a new game plan to stop the bleeding. Didn't happen.

Sure enough, it was used in the final minutes of the game as the Admirals yanked the goalie and attempted a panicked comeback attempt from a two goal deficit, ultimately resulting in an empty netter. Way too little, way too late.

------

One thing I liked about the pre-game Goo Goo Dolls concert arrangement was the on-ice tickets sold for twenty bucks to people who wanted an up-close view of the concert.

That created a less awkward experience for the band, who is used to having people in front of the stage. In past concerts, you can sense that many acts were uncomfortable in playing towards an empty sheet of ice.

And as those tickets did not gain admission to the game, that also results in a more pleasant experience for the hockey fans in attendance. I've seen friction in past crowds by non-fans making it a miserable night for the people who are there to see the game... people from upstairs moving down to sit in the lower level... people constantly getting up from their seats while the game is underway... people who generally show the sport no respect.

The team sold out of the on-ice passes (I'm guessing about two hundred). I hope that more on-ice passes are available for future concerts. Heck, fill the rink if possible. It's money in the bank.

------

A request was made for my opinions on the outdoor NHL game held on New Years Day between Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Held at the Buffalo Bills football stadium, a crowd of over 70,000 people braved a cold windy day with snow and sleet to see this much anticipated game.

As a native of the Pittsburgh area, I've been a Pens fan since the mid-80s, so I was geared up to see this game, even though the Pens wore the powder blue colors of the team's darkest era.

While I was watching it, I made a short mental list of positives and negatives of how this game affected the league...

On the plus side
- Great national TV exposure on a holiday can lure in some new fans
- The game created a buzz within sports media outlets that normally ignore hockey
- It was a rewarding experience for existing fans, especially for those of the teams involved

And the negatives
- the winter weather slowed down the play and resulted in a game that would not impress non-fans of the sport
- there were several unfortunate delays due to problems with the temporary ice surface, as well as the extra stoppages to switch sides at the 10:00 mark of each period... the broadcast lasted about four hours

The uncertainty of winter weather makes this a gamble by the league if they choose to make it an annual event, and I would hope they can guarantee a better ice surface in the future, as it's also a gamble for the players to avoid injuries on less than ideal ice conditions.

A few suggestions
- Instead of having the players walk a mile in their skates from the locker rooms to the rink, they should have created an icy path for the teams to skate in on (as seen in "Mystery, Alaska")
- Play the game in a more intimate venue... football stadiums have plenty of seats to sell (ch-ching), but I'd prefer to see fans sitting closer to the action... perhaps using a baseball field, where the rink could rest along the infield wall, allowing for rinkside seats, and temporary grandstands can be set up along the far boards

Of course, I was happy Pittsburgh won. Appropriately, the face of the league, Sid the Kid, was the hero of the game in the shootout. Besides, they need every point they can get this year if they want a realistic shot in the playoffs.

posted by Todd # 11:20 PM

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

Archives