BSJ Q&A: Bruce Cassidy 1-on-1 on increasing influence of analytics, removing stigma of sports psychology & challenges ahead

With the Bruins’ 2019-20 season opener just a day away, BostonSportsJournal.com caught up with Bruce Cassidy to discuss the challenges awaiting his club, the increasing role that analytics can play in the game of hockey and much more: 

Q. For all of the talk about a short summer this year, when comparing this training camp to last season and all of the travel involved with the trip to China, do you feel this camp has the team more prepared to hit the ground running?

"I do. Last year, some of the depth players I did not get a good look at. By the time we got back, we had to get down to our numbers. I remember hearing about a young kid like (Jakub) Lauko, who wasn't going to make our team, but (Zach) Senyshyn wasn't on the trip — did (Anders) Bjork stay behind because of an injury? So there was a little bit of that going on where I lost — you know, you hear stuff and you talk to Joe (Sacco), but sometimes it's nice to use your own eyes and ears to watch a player. See what he has to say, the feedback you get from him. So that part was a little disjointed. Didn't seem to hurt us. I think we started fine. There's Opening Night obviously, but it was a positive in the long run. 

"I think the guys enjoyed themselves once it was kind of over and done with. Like, we lost some time over there. It's tough on your body, but it's good memories. You know, some guys got to bond with some of the younger guys that maybe they wouldn't have at another training camp. You always try to take the positives. This year, we're a little more structured in terms of every day, we're around each other. Had a better plan of who's going to play, how much — knowing we didn't have a lot of turnover. So we'll see how it plays out. Didn't hurt us last year in training camp, long training camp, the extra travel and Winter Classic, a lot of stuff going on. So we'll see how it plays out. 

Q. When you look at some of the regulars in the lineup, has anyone really made significant strides in their game based on what you’ve seen in the preseason?



"Training camp is tough. You don't want to overanalyze. The competition is different every night, who you're playing with will affect how you play sometimes. But if you're looking at a guy just sticking out, I think Jake (DeBrusk) does look good. He's got his legs, he's attacking the net. (Charlie) Coyle, obviously has been very good. Brandon (Carlo), a little behind at first because he missed some time, but hopefully he's — he is trying to play with more confidence and be up the ice so hopefully that translates this season. I think that's something that's not going to be a one-week thing, all of a sudden it'll happen. I think it's going to be his career — he's going to have to build on that every year. I think (Matt Grzelcyk) looks more comfortable right away this year, knowing he can play at a high level, hopefully (Connor) Clifton's the same way as the year starts. These guys that got some good solid, meaningful games under their belt. It will help their confidence."

Q. When you look at this crop of younger players on the roster — McAvoy, DeBrusk, Carlo, Grzelcyk, Pastrnak — what do you hope is their main takeaway from last year’s playoff run? 

"Well, hopefully, they enjoyed it and they want to get back there and do it over again. You know, finish it off, so to speak. I hope that they understand what it takes to play at that level. The details that are built into your game, it's not a switch you can turn on and off. So hopefully that's part of the growth of these players that our older guys do have — with the Bergys (Patrice Bergeron) and the Zees (Zdeno Chara). They know it's not easy, it's not automatic. These are things, it's an everyday process to get there and then you need a few breaks along the way. So hopefully that's what they've taken from it. And they've got a hunger for more."

Q. You mentioned last season how analytics can give the coaching staff an ‘unbiased opinion’ in multiple areas of the game. What do you hope to draw from the league’s emphasis on things like player and puck tracking and what specific things do you think can kind of help fine-tune your operation?

"I think some of the analytics we need, we get internally. And if we don't, we ask. We try to create some stats. So I think this is going to be more for fans, to be honest with you. I think with some of the betting coming into hockey, there's more stats they can go on. I think it's just part of the process of technology evolving. But until we see it, maybe I'll be wrong in that. But, you know, shift length we already know, maybe not so much in game, but we have the ability to call upstairs and our assistant coach in between periods, we always look at it.

"So we might not get it in the moment as much as some of these stats that are coming in. And I just think as a head coach, you've got to be a little bit careful that you're not losing your focus on what the hell's going on right in front of you, who's playing well, who's not and trusting your gut. And I think the stats kind of back up what you're seeing in analytics. Maybe they give you an avenue into how you could improve on where you've missed some things and where you think maybe you're doing a good job and it's like, 'Well, you're not, according to this.' So we try to marry all those stats that we're playing with. But in the moment — stats, real-time stats, I think as a culture you're focused on what's going on at hand. And the assistant coaches would probably get more benefit from that, as far as that stuff."

Q. Is there anything in-game when it comes to hockey that analytics has changed your thinking on? 

"For us, defending the blue line when we wanted the stats to back it up, because we did change that when I took over to be more assertive there on entries. It was out there that controlled entries lead to more scoring chances. So, well, let's try to minimize control entries. But right now, rebound recovery last year was down for us in the offensive zone. I think that's why we didn't score as much five-on-five. Why is that? Is that personnel, because we're not maybe as big as we need to be or we're not as quick enough to get in there? What is it? We're not shooting enough? So there's different things that you can analyze once you get those numbers.

"But it was definitely down and showed in our five-on-five. So we continue to work on that as the year went on. Some of it was offensive blue line — are we getting our defense involved enough? In the second half, we did and then some of the numbers went up. So I think there's absolutely value in analytics. I think you do have to be a little bit careful. No team is going to excel in every area, or typically, they won't. You're always going to have some level of deficiency that you'll have to keep working on. You can't sort of forget about — what is your identity? Because there's an area of analytics that shows that you're not as good at it. So there's usually a trade off somewhere along the line."

Q. With all of the influx of new analytics and stats year after year, do you feel as though there’s sometimes too much to process — or is the onus on the organization to parse through the important information that the data presents? 

"I think that's it, right? You decide what you want to use, and we do that now. Analytics gives us lots of stuff. Some of it is in one ear and out the other or you read through it, and it's gone. You just can't use everything. This week, we play Dallas Thursday and then we play Arizona (Saturday). So we get a bunch of stuff on Arizona on Friday, but we're not changing the way we play overnight just because Arizona's in town. You take what you need, the chunks of it that the players could adjust to, or we can adjust to, without, like I said, reinventing the wheel. 

"So I think some of it is more long-term data, as well over the course of time. How are we trending? Are we doing these things well? I think you need a large sample size for a lot of stuff, and that's what analytics typically will dictate. I just think in the short term you gotta be real careful,  that you don't look at puck possession one night and all of the sudden — 'Oh boy, you had the puck a lot that night, but you lost — Well, that's probably why, the other team got a lead and they just chipped it out. So you don't want to sit there and fool yourself either. 

"'Well, we played great because we had a better Corsi than the other team.' There's always stuff that you've got to be really be mindful of — 'Well, what did happen in the game to, to lead to some of these numbers?'"

Q. League-wide, have you seen more teams start to shift to more of a zone defense as opposed to a man-to-man style? What are generally the pros and cons of instilling a zone defense?

"I know a couple of teams have switched because they've talked to our staff a bit about how we play. I think it is a copycat league if you see something you like. We've done it with teams and certain areas of the game. So I think there is a little more going towards zone — until we see every team this year and see exactly what everyone's doing. We'll find out. Like I think (Los Angeles) played a lot of hard man-to-man defense. They won some Cups, so that started the process a little bit. I think with defensemen being more involved, forwards walking up — (Patrick) Kane, his ability to walk up and away from pressure, people had to adjust to when Chicago's winning. I think that's where it started a little bit more. I mean it used to be man-to-man a lot years ago and the zones came in. We're not changing. We like our layers. I think the guys that have been here a long time are good at it. 

"They understand it. The new guys coming in, there's a teaching process. So that is the challenge. I don't think you can just all play man-to-man and then the next day figure out a zone defense, because there are some reads and there's some switches that need to become second nature and there's a process there. So that's where we have to come in as a staff and make sure we're coaching them and build it into practice and video so that they understand. That's the challenge. When you do switches, I think there will be an adjustment period." 

Q. Sports psychology is becoming more and more of a key part of an NHL franchise and an important resource for these players. How have you seen that become more of a resource that these players can use from when you first started off as a player to now?

"When I started, it was more of an outside thing. You went outside the team and saw someone on your own if you felt that you needed that and people thought you were weird if you did. Now, it's become commonplace. We have two people that work with us — one's more individual, one is more team-oriented. So I think nowadays it's helpful — especially with everything we know about concussions and depression. So first of all, dealing with it as an individual is great. As a team, players are a little more open than they used to be, society is too. 

"So players are allowed to talk about their feelings or what makes them feel good amongst their teammates, et cetera.  So how do you balance all of that as a coach with the right time? I think the players have come to me and dictated their schedule in that we allow them time to do that. And it's not mandatory. I think that the players that go, they feel that it's helpful and others would rather just do their own thing. So that's how it's progressed from the time I started. As I said, it was unheard of back then. You did it on your own. Now I think it's commonplace that most players use, somebody in the organization." 

Q. When it comes to entering a new year and establishing a collective goal and collective message for this group, what's the main message and how do you tackle it this year when reaching that ultimate goal ended just one game short in 2018-19?

“Well listen, the first message is — 'If you're talking about last year, turn the page, we're moving on.' Pick your term. And then it's how we build our game and that's what we do around here. We try to build our game as the year goes on. I think we've been pretty successful at doing that. We've had streaks both the last two years in the middle of the year where we went long stretches where we got points in every game. That's usually when you know you're on, you're on top of things with different lineups and that'll be our challenge again this year. 

"I think younger guys now are a little more  — and myself included — just a little more aware of what it takes to win in the playoffs. And now that we've been through a long run — the McAvoys, Carlos that play a lot — and Tuukka (Rask) and Bergy and that older group. They've been there before and now we've got the whole group that's kind of aware of what it takes. So we've just got to be mindful that we don't get ahead of ourselves and assuming you're going to get right back there. I think that's the challenge for a coaching staff, for the players. Our leadership group's terrific. I don't see that taking place here. They're hockey players. They like coming to the rink every day to play. So I don't think they're going to be assuming anything or worried about what happened last year.”