Eric Schumacher
banner
pockecbj.bsky.social
Eric Schumacher
@pockecbj.bsky.social
220 followers 220 following 550 posts
Data Driven Storytelling and Analysis for CBJ and sometimes other teams if there's cool stuff https://pocketcbj.substack.com/
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
HUGE HUGE HUGE Breakdown today, I'm excited about this one.

#CBJ are a surpris team and this is a very long look at the top forces driving that unexpected success! Lots of film and systems tape on Dean Evason, Zach Werenski, Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko!

open.substack.com/pub/pocketcb...
Starpower within Structure: The Player-Skills Driving the Blue Jackets' Unexpected Success
The Intersections of Structure, Identity and Skillset that are driving Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski to new heights
open.substack.com
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey

Shift chart again, still a WIP. Monahan and Marhcenko didn't do well up 2 goals but top-line didn't do well only up 1, perhaps the early 2nd there then.

Fantilli line had a couple of big shift losses but otherwise was consistently good.
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey

Kind of distributed performances. Lots of forechecking attempts from Monahan-Marchenko-Voronkov, lots of rush for 4th line.

Provorov-Severson having a game is great for CBJ. Severson's mobility is one of their biggest weapons against rush teams.
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey

5v5 map brings some clarity. Dallas created a lot more off-pass offense, some really big threats created. For CBJ, it loos like Marchenko, Coyle and Chinakhov finding a way to make 4th line deployment work.
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey
CBJ xG is tainted by EN, should probably remove that from here going forward.

Huge game from WyJo, incredibly fluid and aware player. Same goes for Tyler Seguin who looked very dangerous.

Charlie Coyle had some of the biggest contributions
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey

As far as TOI goes, Werenski did not lead CBJ. Perhaps because they had the lead and Evason is trying to find rest. Otherwise, 4th line got more at 5v5 than normally and the bottom six.

Sillinger, Olivier lead 5v5 TOI for CBJ F.
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey

Here's the actual chart. Dallas with some big shifts and a great PP.

CBJ lots of forechecking, not a lot of danger and a lot of PP scoring. Not much going off the rush for either team which isn't how the game felt. Both a bit wasteful with opportunity.
#CBJ vs #TexasHockey 🧵

Added a little number annotation for the total xG from each situation. You might notice the Forecheck missing for Dallas, I had no recorded shots coming from direct forecheck and the graph doesn't like it.

Going to have to solve EN shots, it's annoying
Something poetic(?) ironic(?) about wearing the skin of the team you killed and celebrating it.

The justification of such behavior perhaps only logically existing in a capitalist, getting money is the purpose, way only drives the point home.
this last one doesn't tell the whole story because Evason reconfigured late and into the empty-net, but perhaps this explains why he consolidated the veterans into two line groups.

Perhaps he should have just let 19-38-91 cook because they didn't lose any shifts when leading.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

A new graph that is still a rough draft, still not sure what information makes it to the final form.

Forward-line shifts by xG differential and game-score-state.

4th line bad with a lead. Coyle and Monahan lines perfect when trailing and tied.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

Didn't re-run the graph after correcting a typo, so those NA situations are actually from Tampa's opening shot. Still, new #CBJ line adjustments looked great in a small sample.

Easy to see why Evason didn't like 4L. Provorov and Severson had a lot of rush.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

Down at 5b5, we can see how it went a little better. Tampa really didn't have much outside of some Hagel grease.

Fantilli had a massive couple of chances, KJ's outrageous goal came from a puck pickup in traffic that is hard to believe.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

All-situations player graphs very tainted by TB's empty net sequence.

Marchenko keeps scoring. Huge night from Jenner and Fantilli and Cole Sillinger was very noticeable as well.

For TB, it was all Hagel-Cirelli-Guentzel though Geekie was interesting.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

Ice time got interesting in this one, perhaps I need some "game state" TOI distributions. Add it to the list 😅

Evason doesn't like Chinakhov or Christiansen, he'll have to figure that one out because we can't just not have callups play.
#CBJ vs #GoBolts

Finished the tracking and clipping, perhaps the most noticeable tactical case study so far this season. CBJ destroyed Tampa off re-entry, especially in the first two periods.

Tampa had huge xG surge from EN which is something we'll look into on substack.
No tracking or charts tonight, hosting a housewarming with my beautiful beautiful wife @meanpomelo.bsky.social
#CBJ vs #GoAvsGo

Charlie Coyle had a quiet game, the CBJ new top-line was not good. Fantilli-Sillinger-KJ were perhaps the best all-around. Fantilli is pushing.

Werenski tried but mostly just high event play, Mateychuk surprise
#CBJ vs #GoAvsGo

at 5v5, we can make a little more sense of things.

That big KJ chance come off of a loose puck and a ton of these chances happened very late in the game. Monahan blanked

Malisnki created a ton of offense with his shots creating rebounds.
#CBJ vs #GoAvsGo

That pesky EN chance going to rear it's head here.

MacKinnon was huge, this is one of the best players in the game and CBJ didn't really have answers, massive rush performance. Malinski and Provorov with some big playmaking performances.
#CBJ vs #GoAvsGo

Time on ice is pretty even, Evason does not like the fourth line or Jake Christiansen.
#CBJ vs #GoAvsGo 🧵

Sorry for the delay, had to restart my computer for nhlscraper to run at a usable pace 🤷‍♂️

The Avs Largely dominated the more important aspects and create tremendous rush volume. The Blue Jackets got a couple of chances in-zone. Note the EN chance.
#CBJ vs #NJDevils

no matchup chart bc my code isn't prepped for 11 forwards and i want to go to bed, so here's a @hockeyviz.com matchup viz instead
#CBJ vs #NJDevils

At 5v5, pretty much only CBJ top line could create any coherent offense. The Devils had a few looks here and there primarily from Hischier and Meier again.

Axes are misaligned bc Halonen has no bar and it trims the cushion, I should fix that.
#CBJ vs #NJDevils

Ton of player charts. Marchenko and Voronkov vs Hischier and Meier. CBJ 4th line got to some pretty cheeky rebounds early which is gonna give them some big xG numbers.

Devils definitely found rush chances but CBJ found much better ones.
#CBJ vs #NJDevils

Players wise, a ton of ice time for Zach Werenski who really sets the axis pretty far. Miles Wood injured early, which will also explain why no on-ice charts. It appears Dean didn't like ZAR or Christiansen much.