Darren Haynes interview with Baertschi ...

[Bingo]

great article as always ...

Haynes (Apologies for spelling your name wrong!)

really points to the mental side of the game for Baertschi and how he thinks. Clearly this is a guy that gets too wound up and needs success to get the hamster off the wheel in his head.

Get this guy to a sports psychologist stat!

"If you get points and you're out there for goals for, it gives you a certain kind of comfort and allows your mind to just play the game and not think too much," said Baertschi, who had the primary assist on both of Paul Byron's goals.

"Especially as an offensive guy. I've always relied on those things," said Baertschi, who had zero points in his first four games after being recalled from Adirondack during the Flames last road trip. "We all want to be out there for goals and it gives me a certain kind of swagger that I need in my game. Sometimes all it takes is a goal and the rest of the game looks different."

[FlamesAddiction]

I don't like the sound of that. Goals for shouldn't be the only thing he is out there for and it shouldn't be the only thing to give him swagger.

I hope that if they can't change the way he thinks, that he at least goes on a hot streak to raise his trade value.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Bingo

great article as always ...

Hayes

really points to the mental side of the game for Baertschi and how he thinks. Clearly this is a guy that gets too wound up and needs success to get the hamster off the wheel in his head.

Get this guy to a sports psychologist stat!

I couldn't agree with you more. I recall than Backlund consulted with somebody before he upped his game. Perhaps Sven should talk with Backs about it.

[Frequitude]

I see him trying out there, I really do. But he just looks like someone who's struggling to play at the level of intensity Hartley has these guys playing at.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

I couldn't agree with you more. I recall than Backlund consulted with somebody before he upped his game. Perhaps Sven should talk with Backs about it.

Backlund consulted with his former coach who knew him better than his current coach at the time. Those discussions had more to do with how he was playing the game, not so much how Backlund mentally viewed the game. They looked at footage and his coach critiqued his play.

This is a much different situation. Honestly I'm not too worried about it as the Flames no longer play the tight defensive game of the past. This is a skilled possession team that's determined to spend very little time in their own zone.

That said, I honestly think the best thing for the team is to have Baertchi raise his trade value and be packaged at the deadline for a blue chip D or RW prospect. He's a great player and I've always been high on him, but he doesn't seem like a key piece of the puzzle anymore.

[flamesfever]

Somehow I don't like the word, swagger.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I don't like the sound of that. Goals for shouldn't be the only thing he is out there for and it shouldn't be the only thing to give him swagger.

I hope that if they can't change the way he thinks, that he at least goes on a hot streak to raise his trade value.

I think that's a poor way to interpret what Sven is saying. Confidence is big for athletes - and for a guy like Sven he has been an offensive player his entire career.
Look at this way.
There are things we all do well at our jobs. There are things we do less well.
Let's say I'm a guy at a construction site.
All my career I've been really great at hammering nails.
But I've not been as good as - say - using a saw.
So I work at the saw to improve - but I'm still always good with the hammer.
Suddenly we switch construction sites and all of a sudden not only am I still not that great with the saw - but now I also suck using the hammer.

That's basically what's happening with Sven. All his life he has been great at being an offensive hockey player. There are other parts to hockey that he was less good at but working on - but suddenly in the last 12 months he isn't even a good offensive player.

So he's probably thinking if I'm not a good offensive player then what the heck am I?

He's not saying goals are the only thing that matters. He's saying that it what feeds his confidence.

Which is perfectly understandable.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Somehow I don't like the word, swagger.

Moi aussi.

I'm troubled by a player who, talented or no, seems so fragile confidence-wise. And I don't think it's been done to him by coaches etc.

It suggests to me that he will be really streaky and not in a good way. I think this team wants be built on the consistency of guys like Gio and now it seems Monahan can be added to that type.

I don't mind streaky where a guy has consistent effort but results come in spurts. At the end of the day that evens out. I don't like streaky where the actual play is inconsistent.

Sven may take his one good game and turn the corner for good. If not, keep working with him and see what he garners at one of his high points.

[Lanny_McDonald]

All pro athletes need confidence, but with Baertschi is is getting to the level of a neurosis. There is a mental block somewhere that he needs to get past. He definitely needs some hours working with a psychologist to believe he can play in the team concept the Flames embrace. The kid will never find that confidence if he doesn't believe that he can be successful in that framework. Paging Dr. Paskevich! Paging Dr. David Paskevich! Please report to Sven Baertschi's stall, STAT!

[devo22]

The guy was -3 against Florida and played 7 or 8 minutes in that game. Of course he wants to be out for goals for. He knows that others have passed him (Jooris, Granlund) and that he's one of the first to go back to Addy if he doesn't produce. They guy has had a cold streak at the worst time (= when injuries piled up and spots got available as a result) and now is desperate to turn it around, that's all.

[Enoch Root]

Wow. Guy answers honestly and a bunch of internet psychiatrists call him neurotic.

When it comes to playing well offensively, confidence is everything. Baertschi says that scoring would help his confidence. Shocking!!!

This is hardly news, nor is it a reason to criticize him. However, no surprise that people do anyway.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Backlund consulted with his former coach who knew him better than his current coach at the time. Those discussions had more to do with how he was playing the game, not so much how Backlund mentally viewed the game. They looked at footage and his coach critiqued his play.

This is a much different situation. Honestly I'm not too worried about it as the Flames no longer play the tight defensive game of the past. This is a skilled possession team that's determined to spend very little time in their own zone.

That said, I honestly think the best thing for the team is to have Baertchi raise his trade value and be packaged at the deadline for a blue chip D or RW prospect. He's a great player and I've always been high on him, but he doesn't seem like a key piece of the puzzle anymore.

Here's the guy who worked with Backlund. I wonder if Baertschi should consult him.
http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/02/01...ikael-backlund

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Wow. Guy answers honestly and a bunch of internet psychiatrists call him neurotic.

When it comes to playing well offensively, confidence is everything. Baertschi says that scoring would help his confidence. Shocking!!!

This is hardly news, nor is it a reason to criticize him. However, no surprise that people do anyway.

Speaking for myself, it's not just this answer. Even Sven's big boosters say he lacks confidence (though to them it's a matter of the coaches beating him down and they see it as a very temportary thing - if he just gets on a roll it will be a permanent fix).

Confidence is big in hockey. It's what happens when adversity occurs, and how the player responds that's key.

Sven is a points guy, suer. But when those aren't coming, what should he do? Think about how he isn't confident, or be a Byron?

[saillias]

I don't get the reactions here. The article was basically "Here were Sven's past couple years in hockey. Here's a quote from him about feeling good after getting 2 assists last night." and the posts in this thread are reacting like he's had a mental breakdown.

[Wammer]

Hate to be that guy, but it's Haynes not Hayes. He use to coach me so I felt obligated to say something

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by saillias

I don't get the reactions here. The article was basically "Here were Sven's past couple years in hockey. Here's a quote from him about feeling good after getting 2 assists last night." and the posts in this thread are reacting like he's had a mental breakdown.

I get the reactions, which are not over the top IMO.

It's like Warrener was talking about last week. If this is a guy who constantly needs confidence boosts, is he right for the Flames?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I get the reactions, which are not over the top IMO.

It's like Warrener was talking about last week. If this is a guy who constantly needs confidence boosts, is he right for the Flames?

Maybe he doesn't need constant confidence boosts, maybe he's just a kid in his early 20s figuring things out, maybe he had his confidence shattered and is building it back up again, maybe it's not a constant ongoing problem?

And yes, some reactions have been over the top, like they've been towards Baertschi since his recall.

Josh Jooris had zero goals when recalled - Nothing mentioned
Max Reinhart had 1 goal in 12 games when recalled - nothing mentioned
Sven Baertschi had zero goals when recalled - "Has he earned !?!?!?!?" x100

[saillias]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I get the reactions, which are not over the top IMO.

It's like Warrener was talking about last week. If this is a guy who constantly needs confidence boosts, is he right for the Flames?

I don't agree, I think it's become a confirmation bias for the Flames world at this point. We decided Sven was fragile and now every time he speaks to the media you get a bunch of people jumping on his comments "yup super attitude/fragile."

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Maybe he doesn't need constant confidence boosts, maybe he's just a kid in his early 20s figuring things out, maybe he had his confidence shattered and is building it back up again, maybe it's not a constant ongoing problem?

Maybe. I hope so. But the impression of many is that he's a guy who takes things hard. His boosters have said as much.

The problem is that some people think that it's the Flames' job to boost his confidence by playing him on top lines, with or without effort and production. I say he builds confidence through effort, which will be rewarded by Hartley with or without production (like with Byron and Bouma). In other words effort leads to time and production. Not Time leads to production and then effort.

[flamesfever]

I think there's a difference between having confidence, and having swagger. Swagger conjures up the image of an arrogant, cocky jock. If this is how he comes across, when he has a degree of success, then some of the things that have happened to him make sense.