The Teach Me About Hockey Thread

MassHavoc

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I have gathered much from watching hockey to the point I understand a lot of the strategy, but two things have been bothering me and I'd rather ask you guys than google it.

1. What is a circus trip? Through its use I have guessed it is the longest road trip of the season? Is it a division trip where you can ride a lot of buses? Or is it the first long trip of the season?

2. I don't quite get how the "last shift" is important. It seems to me teams shift when they can, but last shift gets talked about like the coach has some control over and its somehow better at home? Why is this?

I assume you mean the last substitution on the shift? Meaning the home team gets to put their guys on the ice last at puck drops which allows them to match the line the want better to the line that is on the ice for the other team?
 

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I can actually answer the first question!

The Circus trip is when literally the circus comes to the UC and kicks the Bulls and Hawks out for about a week or so. The schedulers usually send them out West during this time. It happens around this time every year so it is aptly named the annual Circus trip.

ahhh...I was grasping for metaphors and its actually elephants and clowns. lol

And now I see about the coaches matchup thing. The corollary question was important to understand that. I didn't realize players didn't take the ice simeultaneously and you could manipulate a matchup and it was determined who took ice last. That makes sense so teams don't get cute and waste a bunch of time taking the ice.
 

MassHavoc

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I'm surprised I haven't been able to tell by watching games, but what is considered a "long shift" for a line? I assume it's different for the defensemen rotations than for the forwards.

You can look at it this way. Kane, 461 shifts over 18 game is almsot 26 shifts a game. Average time on Ice is 21.02 I don't do math but I believe that is about 48.5 seconds a shift? Now, there are other factors that, but before I looked it up I always had it in my head that about 45 seconds is an average shift for forwards, but I don't know where that comes from. Keith and Seabrook probably average at closer to a minute if not more.

EDIT: Seabs averages 23 minutes and 30 shifts so there you go.

Keith 24:44 minutes and 28.6 Shifts(8 games)
 

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Yeah it seems like Keith is on the ice forever...but he's inhuman so...
 

MassHavoc

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ahhh...I was grasping for metaphors and its actually elephants and clowns. lol

And now I see about the coaches matchup thing. The corollary question was important to understand that. I didn't realize players didn't take the ice simeultaneously and you could manipulate a matchup and it was determined who took ice last. That makes sense so teams don't get cute and waste a bunch of time taking the ice.

This is especially important when you are deciding which players to put out on the ice for the faceoff. And since we're talking corollaries Another home advantage is who has the shorter side line change two times instead of one. (Bench positioning).
 

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This is especially important when you are deciding which players to put out on the ice for the faceoff. And since we're talking corollaries Another home advantage is who has the shorter side line change two times instead of one. (Bench positioning).
Does that mean they literally have a shorter distance to get to the ice?
 

Ares

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Does that mean they literally have a shorter distance to get to the ice?

Closer to your own zone twice.... 1st period your bench is next to your zone, and 3rd period same deal.... when you are at home.

Opposite on the road.
 

MassHavoc

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Does that mean they literally have a shorter distance to get to the ice?

They have a shorter distance to change from the defensive zone yes. So if they need to get it out for a change, it's not as hard to flip guys in and out as it would be if they had to go down ice to the other bench.
 

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They have a shorter distance to change from the defensive zone yes. So if they need to get it out for a change, it's not as hard to flip guys in and out as it would be if they had to go down ice to the other bench.

A PK change is much easier when your bench is right at your own blue line... if its the long change you gotta make sure your clear gets all the way down so you can change and have guys back on D before the rush comes at you.
 

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Suddenly all that terminology makes sense...
 

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A PK change is much easier when your bench is right at your own blue line... if its the long change you gotta make sure your clear gets all the way down so you can change and have guys back on D before the rush comes at you.

These issues are very important for Blackhawks fans as they help us understand why we fucking suck in the final minute of periods and give up goals every second period.

Like every godamn second period we lose, cuz of ill timed shifts. Its sickening.
 

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These issues are very important for Blackhawks fans as they help us understand why we fucking suck in the final minute of periods and give up goals every second period.

Like every godamn second period we lose, cuz of ill timed shifts. Its sickening.

Q has some terrible changes.... drives me nuts... he gets change happy at times and it does hurt us.

But he has also won 3 Cups in 6 years, so I give him a few derp changes.
 

LordKOTL

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I have gathered much from watching hockey to the point I understand a lot of the strategy, but two things have been bothering me and I'd rather ask you guys than google it.

1. What is a circus trip? Through its use I have guessed it is the longest road trip of the season? Is it a division trip where you can ride a lot of buses? Or is it the first long trip of the season?

2. I don't quite get how the "last shift" is important. It seems to me teams shift when they can, but last shift gets talked about like the coach has some control over and its somehow better at home? Why is this?
Already answered, but for #2 there's a few ways this give the home-team an advantage:

1) Making sure that, based on the scenario, you can match up against the opposition best per the scenario. It's not necessarily as simple as line v line, but your end, opposition end, and neutral zone can be taken into consideration. I.E. if the opposition ices their "energy" line that's merely okay in terms of defense and attack, while you may want to ice your top scoring (if they're not gassed) in the attacking end, but in your defensive end you may play a line that's good for getting and maintaining control of the puck.

2) Face-off issues. If you have a face-off wizard on your team (Yannic Perrault comes to mind--those who remember him), and your team *needs* possession, if they ice their best guy you'd want to match them up. However, if the opposition ices the equivalent of Andrew Shaw, you might might not need to go guns-blazing face-off wise and can put in someone who has a mere statistical advantage. It can also mean that if you're up against a faceoff wizard and are not under a scoring threat, you may stack up on players that can get control of the puck and be willing to concede the draw. Plus, you can play statistical anomalies--like if, say, Kero is rested and is just winning everything at the right attacking blue-line dot. You might want him there at that point in the game.

All in all it depends on how the coach wants to control the game at the dot given the scenario. When you're the away team, once you make the "final" change, you have to react to whatever the opposition throws against you. That can either mean trust in a "weaker" line, or frantic changes post-faceoff to get the "best" match.

Q has some terrible changes.... drives me nuts... he gets change happy at times and it does hurt us.

But he has also won 3 Cups in 6 years, so I give him a few derp changes.

There are times when Q matches and it completely out-coaches the other coach (like Anaheim). There are other times where Q outcoaches himself.

Fortunately the former is more common.
 

Raskolnikov

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Sorry I've been a pill lately guys. I'm struggling adjusting to sobriety.

2 things.

1. Has any team ever scored 3 shorties on one power play? Did Gretsky ever get two on same PP? Or Hossa/Toews?
2. What is the date and rule for playoff roster call ups? April first? Does Svedberg qualify no matter what for his early contributions or we have to roster our 22 April 1st? Or how many more can be eligible from what pool of players?
 

LordKOTL

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See below
Sorry I've been a pill lately guys. I'm struggling adjusting to sobriety.

2 things.

1. Has any team ever scored 3 shorties on one power play? Did Gretsky ever get two on same PP? Or Hossa/Toews?

Quick google search says that yes, 3 is the record.
2. What is the date and rule for playoff roster call ups? April first? Does Svedberg qualify no matter what for his early contributions or we have to roster our 22 April 1st? Or how many more can be eligible from what pool of players?
I may be wrong, but I believe once the regular season is complete, a team is only limited by the amount of total players under contract, which is 50 I believe. I think a caveat is that juniors (CHL, etc.) have to finish out their season before coming to the pros or it counts against their eligibility--but I could be wrong on that.

The thing is: (a) in most cases the best players are already on the big club. (b) There are cases where playing more minutes in big games at a lower level is better for a kid's development than them playing limited minutes in the playoffs at the top level. (c) Player slotting comes into play. If a playoff regular goes down for whatever reason, whatever "hole" is ultimately created by shuffling lines, etc. has to be filled by the right kind of player. If the hole that needs filling is, say, Hjammer, you're not going to stuff a Runblad in there, you're going to want someone defensively responsible. Ditto if you lose, say, a Kruger. You're going to want someone that can take a faceoff and is good defensively. You wouldn't replace him with a 'hawks-era Stalberg.

I believe that when it comes to the "black aces", it's the players that the 'hawks feel are the best fits for who they may need to use in the playoffs while simultaneously not tanking Rockford's chances.

Again, I could be wrong.
 

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