In hockey, the shift is the period of time when a player is on the ice and not in the coach’s office, thinking or sleeping.
It’s a time for the players to do what they do best – play hockey – and a time when the coach can make adjustments to maximize a game’s outcome.
But it can also be a time for the players to rest and recuperate between periods, or get some much-needed sleep. In today’s NHL, where games can go into triple overtime, a coach’s decision to go with a short rest break rather than a full power play can mean the difference between winning and losing. We’ll discuss a few of the more common shifts in hockey and how they affect the game’s outcome.
Table of Contents
Faceoff
In the faceoff circle, the center-right faceoff is when the coach calls for a defensive faceoff and the center-left faceoff is when the coach calls for an offensive faceoff. Faceoffs are an important part of the game because they determine who has the puck and who doesn’t. When a team is winning, they will frequently win the majority of their faceoffs. When a team is losing, they will frequently lose the majority of their faceoffs. Because faceoffs are such an essential part of the game, coaches will often use them as a way to reestablish their team’s dominance or to try to gain some momentum before the end of the period. Here, the Lightning are defending the puck and Johnson has the option of taking it himself or passing to Stamkos on the right side. Stamkos is a well-known and very good faceoff winner, holding an impressive 74.1% career victory rate. Johnson passes to Stamkos and they both take the draw, winning the faceoff. The Lightning are now up 1-0 in the game.
Television Dead Zone
The television dead zone occurs when a team is on television and the opposing team is not. Because most games are now being televised, coaches can give more attention to maximizing the on-ice product instead of focusing on the game itself. Because of this, the television dead zone has become quite significant. In the 2017-2018 season, the average television dead zone across the NHL was 16 seconds, according to NHL Next Gen Stats. During that time, the puck was in the air for an average of 7.3 seconds before the shot was taken. The importance of this is that it gives the goalie (and the team’s defense) the extra moments needed to make the right play. This can certainly help a team win the game.
Man Down
When a player is injured and cannot continue playing, the coach will often substitute a player of similar size and shape into the game. A man down is common in hockey and can happen for a variety of reasons. Some coaches like to take a conservative approach and wait for the man down to heal before putting the player back into the lineup. Others might choose to go with an offensive-minded line change and try to strike while the iron is hot. Sometimes, a coach might even choose to go with a power play instead of a man down because they feel the man down is a better way to stop the puck. Regardless of the reason for a man down, it usually results in more time for the team’s bench. When a player is substituted for during the game, the team will typically gain a few seconds of delay of game, which is often referred to as a man down penalty. When a team is given a man down penalty, they are given an opportunity to take a quick break and get some medical help for their injured player. Unfortunately, a team will lose any momentum they had built up during that time and will have to start the game fresh once the injured player returns.
Penalty Box
Just like a man down, a penalty box is when a player gets a penalty for an off-ice incident. Unlike a man down, the coach is not required to substitute a player. The penalty box is a place for the player to go after they get a penalty and remove themselves from the game. Some coaches like to keep their star players close and prevent them from going to the box, while others might prefer having their best players out there to maximize their effectiveness. Regardless of the reason, when a player goes to the box, it usually means the coach made a decision – either on the ice or in the video room – that they did not agree with. Perhaps the star player disagreed with the call, or perhaps it was a roughness penalty that the player felt was not justified. Regardless, once the player goes to the box, it gives the coach an opportunity to make a change that could improve their team’s performance. The penalty box is a place where coaches can make big coaching decisions without having to worry about the outcome of the game.
Power Play
The power play is when a team puts more than one player on the ice who can shoot the puck and is designed to beat the goalie with a high-percentage shot. This is a common strategy in hockey and the reason why most teams have a power play is that it’s so effective. Unfortunately, the power play does not guarantee wins. A team can have an effective power play and still lose the game because the opponent scores a goal. Nonetheless, the power play is a useful tool for coaches because it gives them a way to strike quickly and efficiently when the opportunity presents itself. The two main strategies for hockey’s power play are to either shoot the puck high or low. The higher the percentage, the more effective the power play. The power play is a perfect example of how coaching in hockey can be effective because it allows the coach to make quick and easy changes to try to find a way to win.
Kill The Clock
The last thing anyone wants to do is sit and wait for the other team to take a time-out. For those coaches who choose to manage the game by clock rather than players, the kill the clock strategy is often the best option. Using the clock to manage the game is generally accepted among NHL coaches as a way to limit the amount of time a game goes and make it more of a contact sport. In recent years, the kill the clock strategy has become quite popular because teams are simply not allowed as many time-outs as they used to be. When a team is losing by a lot – and I mean a lot – they can also use the time-out to catch their breath and prepare for the next frame. The end result is that coaches can make better decisions with less time pressure. This is a positive for everyone involved. The only potential downside is that because the game is driven by the clock and not the pace of play, it could possibly become less exciting for the fans.
This season, the Minnesota Wild will be using a hybrid strategy and implementing a short bench during the game. They will sit in the middle of the ice and coach the game by clock instead of letting their players take the responsibility and play to the best of their ability. By doing this, the Wild expect to gain an advantage over their opponents and give themselves the best shot at winning the game.
With the shift defined, let’s examine the meaning of the symbols that appear on the ice before each period.