Breaking season into 7 game sets

[l33t_hax0r]

Hartley’s squad pushes for playoffs by breaking stretch into seven-game sets

Hartley has divvied up his schedule into seven-game series, the goal being nine points out of each. (To make the math work, the first set is a six-gamer.)

"We're starting a new segment (Wednesday [[March 6]] against the visiting San Jose Sharks)," said Hartley. "That's going to be a very important segment for us. Because, if we are successful, we are going to join that pack. We can generate confidence, we can generate momentum, out of a good segment."

Here's how we've done so far:

Jan 20 - Feb 2.....1-3-2.....4 pts (5 off pace)
Feb 5 - Feb 17.....4-2-1.....9 pts (5 off pace)
Feb 18 - Mar 3.....3-3-1.....7 pts (7 off pace)
Mar 6 - Mar 18.....1-2-0.....2 pts (TBD)

By my count, we've failed to meet our objective in 2 of 3 series so far and things don't look rosy for our latest stretch unless we rattle off 3-0-1 against LA/DET/NSH/DAL. Maybe we do it, maybe we don't.

Regardless, how does divvying up the season like this motivate players? On the plus side, players can see quite quickly that they need to correct course rather than saying "there's still time!" However, I think a very real negative repercussion is that if you're on your way to making your 9 points in a series then you can take your foot off the gas. Taking your foot off the gas is something the flames are very good at - just watch them when they hit .500.

So what's the point of splitting the season up into series?
Do other teams do this?
What are some other approaches?

[vilzeh]

I guess it's easier to track their stretch, but I think it does not make any sense.

[you got PHANUEFED]

Originally Posted by vilzeh

I guess it's easier to track their stretch, but I think it does not make any sense.

Does any thing this organization does make sence, I think not we are the new laughing stock of the league.

Feaster is going to botch this deadline so bad the paper bag will be the new head gear of every Flames fan in the building.

[ArbourLake]

It's fine at the start of the year but is just a gimmick once you're so far off the overall season pace that you have to get 6 or 7 wins in each remaining segment to make the playoffs.

[bluloc]

It will be the closest this group will get to anything that remotly resembles the playoffs.

[t0rrent98]

Didn't Darryl Sutter do that his first year here as well.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by t0rrent98

Didn't Darryl Sutter do that his first year here as well.

definitely remember them talking about it in 2004.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by t0rrent98

Didn't Darryl Sutter do that his first year here as well.

he did it in 04 for the last 28 games of the season.

If I remember correctly, they won all 4 7-game sets and (obviously) made the playoffs.

[JayFlowmeester]

In theory this is a good plan and goal for the team, try to motivate the boys to try to turn it around. In reality the Flames are just not a good enough team right now to be able to pull that off. It hurts to say but we are no where close to being a playoff contender.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by l33t_hax0r

Regardless, how does divvying up the season like this motivate players?

As someone who has to motivate people who are in the midst of 4-6 year projects, I can tell you that this does indeed help.

In my experience these are three ways that I've noticed:

1) Poor outcomes tend to linger longer in one's head. We usually like to have a "clean slate" to move on from poor outcomes. If those poor outcomes starts piling on, it's very helpful to give someone a point whereby they feel they are restarting.

2) Motivation at the "middle" of something is always hard... whereas people tend to start and finish strong. So if the middle is game 5 of a 10 game stretch, your chance of motivating yourself to finishing strong is more reasonable over a 3-4 game stretch than it is over a 30 game stretch (if the middle is game 40 of 80, for example).

3) It makes it easier to improve. Having manageable blocks of time to perform allows one to more accurately identify strengths and gaps... which can then be focused on with the next short block. Longer blocks make this much harder.

When things go well those 3 points may not seem all that important, but when you're in the midst of struggling I think they pay off especially well. And the Flames are doing just that... struggling.

[JayFlowmeester]

7 game series, something the flames will not be taking part of at the end of the season.

[afc wimbledon]

At some point I suppose Hartley will walk into the dressing rooom and announce they need 21 points from the 7 games and so they will be playing soccer for the remainder of the season.

[Northendzone]

This is pure genius, and illustrates the very reason why we are posters on a hockey chat board, versus coaches of an NHL team.

Hartley is a genius, and should get an award for this line of thinking.

[vilzeh]

^ not sure if serious, but, seriously?

[Poe969]

wow, 7 game series.... I guess that way when the lose they still get to advance to the next round. Maybe he's trying to give them the only kind of playoffs they'll get.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by vilzeh

^ not sure if serious, but, seriously?

not serious, but dripping with sarcasm - this has been done before, it seems like a tired concept.

[vilzeh]

ah, ye, carry on