Episode Description
Summary
Did Connor Hellebuyck Just Cost the Devils a Cup?
In his first game back in Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck didn’t play. New Jersey’s front office said Jake Allen gave them a better chance to win. Then Dawson Mercer, the guy they traded away to get Hellebuyck, scored twice and beat them.
I’ve spent thousands of hours in locker rooms as a player and a coach, and this one isn’t about two points. Cup teams are built on 20 guys believing the man beside them will go to the wall. Tonight the Devils gave their room a reason to doubt, and the Jets got the exact opposite. So does your team’s front office trust the numbers, or the room?
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0:00 The Hellebuyck Decision That Should Worry Devils Fans
0:42 Why Every Game Matters to a Cup Team
2:57 Did Hellebuyck or the Front Office Make the Call?
3:51 “It’s Only Two Points” Is the Wrong Answer
5:09 How Doubt Creeps Into a Locker Room
7:03 How I Know What Players Are Thinking
7:36 Hellebuyck’s Playoff Problem
8:15 Analytics vs the Locker Room
9:49 Could the Devils Have Won With Hellebuyck?
10:28 How the Jets Found Their Game Again
11:48 Micro Doubt and the Road to the Stanley Cup
13:16 Will This Matter in May?
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Coach Ryan D is a Hockey Canada High Performance coach with 10,000+ hours behind the bench.
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