Fish Stink from the Head
Masterclass in Flawed Leadership by Florida Panthers
So that was interesting.
When I penned last week’s item about the lessons from the Western Conferences final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, it didn’t occur to me there’d be a next level Masterclass offered on the topic when we got to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Silly me.
Granted, while game 2 of the Finals didn’t carry quite the fireworks of the Western Conference game 3, it was rather the lesson to witness.
The lesson — a fish stinks from the head.
By that I am not referring to poor skills on the ice. Despite the 7–2 loss by the Florida Panthers it was not lack of talent that brought the result. It was lack of leadership.
The statement “a fish rots from the head down” means that, in addition to being a major contributing factor in an organization’s success, leadership is also the root cause of an organization’s failure and demise. This is true whether that organization is a country, a company, or a sales force. — Anthony Iannarino
Yes, I know. I said that before. This time, it was coming from off the ice.
Paul Maurice.
To be clear — Maurice is a a talented coach. He’s ranked 6th in the NHL for wins. Not too shabby.
You don’t reach a stat like that by being a wallflower. Coaches are passionate and driven. They fire up their teams. They are there to shepherd and energize at the same time.
How that energy plays out, though, is a different story.
Lead with anger, and guess what you get?
Players like Matthew Tkachuk — who at the start of this series was being lauded by all the commentators as shoe-in for series MVP.
Pretty sure after spending the equivalent of an entire period of the game in the dressing room serving not one but two 10 minute major penalty game misconducts, that any chance of an MVP status is as likely as an outdoor hockey game in Vegas in July.
Not like things for Tkachuk just happened in Game 2. In fact his Game 1 of the Finals didn’t go so hot either. When Game 2 rolled around, I think a lot of folks figured that he’d learned a lesson and might tighten things up a bit.
First period went along fairly well, it was in the second period where the Tkachuk’s temper and temperament seemed to get the better of him. After delivering a monster hit to Jack Eichel (which was clean) he followed up with a bit of snarky behavior that led to the first of two 10 minute game misconducts.
I could go on about Tkachuk’s temper and apparent struggle with discipline around it on the ice, but like I said at the start of this … a fish stinks from the head … so back to Paul Maurice.
When he was a hockey player, he was known for a quick temper. After an eye injury ended his career on ice, he shifted to coaching. As noted he’s 6th in the league for wins. He’s also held the record for the most losses — 681.
I’d have to dig into his career and look at footage from those games to see, so I’m hazarding a guess here; because if what we witnessed of him the other night is any indication, I’d say his temper isn’t exactly the most motivating thing.
You did not need to be a skilled lip reader to know precisely what he was saying, or to understand his patronizing eye rolls and “tone” with the referees. And of course there were his post game comments that the only reason there was a rapid response on the challenge he made about a Golden Knights’ goal (a challenge he did not win, therefore incurring a penalty for delay of game against his team) was their favoring the Knights:
“I was really impressed with the speed they came back with a ‘no,’” he said. “I think they were just excited about getting us in the box one more time.” — Paul Maurice on Mark Stone goal in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals 2023
Hmmmm … here’s a thought. Maybe if the team weren’t being led by anger and resentment, they’d be incurring fewer penalties? In that first game, Vegas ended up with seven power plays. They scored on two of them. The Panthers, on the other hand, went 0-for-3 when they had a one man advantage.
I have never coached a team in sports, let alone faced the kind of pressure I can only imagine someone in Maurice’s position does. What I can say, though, is that there is a very big difference between the benches in this series and all I need to do is look at how Bruce Cassidy is handling himself on the other bench to see what discipline and composure look like.
And those things are saturated across the team.
In this season, Cassidy’s first with the Vegas Golden Knights, the team was the least penalized team in the entire NHL.
That ethic carries over to how the Knights players behave off the ice.
After being pelted by popcorn by fans in Dallas during the Western Conference final, Adin Hill merely smiles and noted: “I guess everything was hitting me tonight.”
Thankfully unhurt by the monster Tkachuk hit in game two, Eichel showed his professionalism in his response, taking full responsibility for the position he put himself in.
Eichel told reporters the Panthers star delivered a clean hit. The contact knocked the wind out of him and he was attempting to catch his breath as he skated to the locker room.
“It’s a physical game, you’re going to get hit sometimes. You just kind of move on,” the Golden Knights star continued. “I came (in the locker room) and regrouped. It was definitely a big collision so I got my wits back about me and realized I was fine.” — quote from article by Tristan McKinstry, ClutchPoints.com
Hockey can be a brutal sport. Scratch that. Hockey IS a brutal sport.
Kind of like life.
Things can be out of control. Feel impossible. Insurmountable, even. There can be times when the primitive flight/flight response, the instinct to attack for survival kicks into overdrive.
What makes the difference, is how one chooses to respond.
Winning the Stanley Cup isn’t just about how well you skate, shoot, or even hit. It’s about the intention behind it. How disciplined can you be in honor of the other gladiators on the ice? How does the pressure effect you?
I often hear the phrase that it takes a remarkable amount of pressure to make a diamond. That’s all well and good, but when it comes to pressure that’s not managed responsibly, there’s a different metaphor I prefer. One that amuses me in reference to something like ice hockey.
Butterflies.
The cocoon in which the caterpillar realizes its metamorphosis is applying an enormous amount of pressure. In that pressure some pretty remarkable stuff is happening — the literal crushing down into an amorphous substance from which the most delicate and stunning creature emerges.
Take that pressure off at the wrong time, or if it’s applied incorrectly … and what you get is a gooey fucking mess.
Kind of like what happened to the Panthers in Game 2.
As a fervent Vegas Golden Knights fan, of course I want my team to be victorious; but as a deeply committed fan of hockey and someone equally committed to leadership and transformation, I’m pulling for the Panthers to rise above this gooey mess.
But please don’t do it for game 3 since I’m in Florida for that and would really prefer to be there when my boys win.
Just sayin.
