Brian Lawton On The Stanley Cup Final, The Influence A Coach Can Have On A Team & The Under-utilization Of Analytics In Hockey.

The Bob McCown Podcast

Brian Lawton returns to the show today for some hockey talk with Bob and John as we approach Game 1 of the Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers.

Being at the forefront of the NHL’s integration of analytics into everyday hockey operations, and having a Stanley Cup preview scheduled for the end of the week, the three take a different approach to the conversation by focusing on the use of analytics and why it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Oilers and Panthers in the Final. Brian shares why he thinks there aren’t nearly enough teams taking advantage of the number crunching and gives Bob and John his opinion on how to use them, what to pay attention to, and when it gets to be too much.

After the break, with Bob’s distaste towards the effect a head coach has on a professional sports team, the three get into the overall impact one has, with Brian expressing the importance and influence the man behind the bench has on the team, especially in the playoffs.