What makes Trotz So Good?

 

Someone asked me what makes Trotz so successful? That is not easy to answer because he does so many things right. As I see it, an NHL caliber coach must excel in four areas:

Put the players in the position to achieve greatness

I know that sounds corny, but it is every coach's goal to have his team win the Cup. To do that, he has to massage the players. A coach's job is to know when to be a parent or when to be a friend. Barry does this to a T; no one knows his team better than Trotz. You might notice a pattern with Trotz. He always has one top centre. Cizikas led the team with a 53.5% face-off win percentage. Trotz would put Casey Cizaikas on the ice in the final minute for that reason. He puts players in a position to succeed. 

Play to win, not to lose

Too often, I see teams with the lead in the third period, and then it goes all to heck. They seem to forget what got them the lead in the first place. Barry Trotz has a reputation for being a shark. When he smells blood, he goes for the throat. A lot of coaches do not keep to the plan. Trotz rarely strays from the program. He knows what it takes to win. 

No special treatment for his core players

The number one peeve I have is coaches that put the superstars ahead of the role players. Too often, I see coaches give the core players extra rope and let them play with it. That teaches the players, "if you are a star, you can do anything you want." Trotz is as hard on Barzy as he is any of his players. He disciplines everyone when there is a need. Everyone has to pay the piper when it comes to Trotz.

Every player knows his role

When I see a team disorganized or panicking in the defensive zone, usually it is on the coach. It is the job of a coach to explain to his players what is expected of them. I cannot emphasize this enough to often. I often see players commenting after a coach is fired: "We did not know what was expected of us. We were not focused." In a Barry Trotz dressing room, every player knows his role and is expected to fulfill it. 

Last word

Yes, there is a game 5. But don't panic. The Islanders took silly penalties that cost them the game. Barzal has to play smarter. Not to be too hard on him, but it is time to put away the selfish attitude. He is not alone; there were just too many 'me' players and not enough team players. Trotz is one of the best in the business at getting the ship on course; give him some time to achieve it.