Barry Trotz
Barry Trotz
Barry Trotzis the head coach of the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals and the former head coach of the NHL's Nashville Predators. He was previously the coach of the American Hockey League's Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates, with whom he won an AHL championship in 1994. That same year, he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is awarded to the outstanding coach in the AHL as voted upon by the AHL Broadcasters and Writers. On February 20, 2013...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth15 July 1962
CityWinnipeg, Canada
I thought our whole roster played well. That's how you win in this league. You need 20 guys to contribute. We played a real smart game in terms of puck management. We did a real solid job with the puck. We had no blind or hope passes. I think we managed the game well.
We dug ourselves such a big hole early on. I always say that mentally and physically, you have a bank account as a team, and we had to go to the bank account real early. At the end of the season, we overdrew in some areas. When you dig yourself in a hole, it's tough to get out of. Hopefully what you saw in the 55 to 57 games in the middle stretch is more of what you'll see from the Predators. We're going to have to be more resilient.
That was probably a really big momentum swing, because we had just tied the game and fought back. If they score that goal and it lasts, that could have killed a lot of momentum. And it got called off, which was the right call because the net was off.
He made a great pass on ( Scott Walker 's) goal (last Sunday). That's what experience brings. He sees the game at a little slower pace than some of the young guys.
We frustrated them, and they took a lot of poor penalties. We knew their game plan. They wanted to bang, have a lot of energy and come out and prove a point. There wasn't much of a point at the end.
We scored early and we were very fortunate when they countered and tied the game up. We responded right away.
Every game has been a one-goal game and a nail-biter, if you will, but we'll take it. They don't ask how, just how many.
Paul does not feel pressure. He keeps his emotions in check. He thinks and prepares for the game very intelligently. It was a storybook ending with him winning the shootout against his old team.
I was more concerned about how we came out, our attitude and our preparation following the break. And I was happy with all of those aspects. I think every element of our game was showcased tonight.
In Tennessee, it's a non-traditional sport. The casual fans are coming and saying, 'You know what? I've never had so much fun at a sporting event.' And now they're coming back. That's how you build a base for any sport. That's how you get fans to come to the games - they've got to have a good time.
I just said to the guys, 'When certain things end you've got to get back on the horse and start all over again. That's over with, that's a nice chapter. Let's do something now through the next 73 games. The next 73 games are as important as the first nine.
His game shot up to a higher level. He started slowly, but he built up until he got hurt. I'm hoping he can start the year like he finished it when he was still healthy, and maybe even take it to the next level.
But he thinks the game so well, and you don't have to skate as well if you're a real intelligent player. And we found out he was a real intelligent player, and he's been quite productive to this point. He's probably exceeded any expectations that we have.
I don't know if it was a Detroit hangover, but we were not ready to go. I thought we lost the game in the first period.