Mark Kastelic on Goals Between Now and End of Season Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stutzle has phenomenal speed, puck skill and vision that can sometimes singlehandedly take over NHL games. But as a number one centre, still only 22, there are still some areas he needs to develop. Okay, you're right to ask the question, "Who are we to lob hockey advice at Tim Stutzle?" But these suggestions have less to do with Stutzle's fantastic skills and more about the mental and less tangible parts of the game. In those areas, there are still some important lessons to learn. They've all become coaching cliches, but from where we sit, Stutzle still needs to embrace them before he can truly be the well-rounded number-one centre that helps steer his team into the playoffs. And compared to how hard it is to acquire the sublime offensive talent Stutzle has, this stuff is the easy part. At least it should be. 1. "Never too high and never too low" It’s great to play with emotion, but it needs to be controlled emotion. When Stutzle slams into adversity, he almost always comes away looking like it’s the end of the world. The old adage here applies - never get too high or too low. Adversity and disappointment are super common in every hockey game at every level. Treat it as such. Believe with certainty that your next highlight reel goal is coming shortly. Self-talk matters. Beating yourself up is not only useless, it rips away confidence and might even worsen the adversity or slump. Additionally, if you skate off the ice with an expression you might reserve for the death of a loved one, you give your opponents a mental edge. You’re the star of this team. Don’t empower them by letting them know you’re rattled or upset. Make them think you’re completely in control of what you’re doing out there. Everything is unfolding exactly as you'd planned. By the same token, be business-like and neutral when things go well. A quick celly and a fist bump or two, then it's right back to work. There’s still plenty of business to take care of before the clock hits 0:00. 2. "Don’t Try to Force Things" Take what the other team gives you. Too often, Stutzle tries to force a pass, keep plays alive, or make a risky play in dangerous areas of the ice. No matter how good you are, there’s not always a play to be made. So, sometimes you have to cut bait, dump the puck in, or slide it to a quiet harmless area of the ice so you can reset, make a change, and live to fight another day. It's worth repeating: this is the very best league in the world and no matter how good you are, there’s not always a play to be made. 3. "Don’t Cheat on Defence" Whatever you’re up to in the defensive zone, containing or battling, protect the middle and keep your body between the puck carrier and the net. Too often, Stutzle is on the wrong side of the puck or trying to leave the zone early to capitalize on an odd-man rush the other way. By "early," we mean the Senators don’t have full possession of the puck yet. Sometimes it works and it looks like amazing anticipation, but more often it leaves a wide open offensive lane for the opponent and results in a scoring chance against. Stutzle has probably heard all of this before, and I'm certain he's trying to improve in all of these areas. But as we watched him put a perfect pass on to the tape of Boston's David Pastrnak last week, leading to a breakaway goal, it's clear that it isn't second nature yet. And we're well aware he's not alone in Ottawa with some of these issues. These things are easier said than done, but improving on these basics will make Stutzle a better player, an even bigger star, and help the Senators win more hockey games.
