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Senators' Paul MacLean knows he'll be a factor against Rangers

Ken Warren, Ottawa Citizen, April 12, 2012

The coaching matchup between the Ottawa Senators' Paul MacLean and the New York Rangers' John Tortorella could be labelled the moustache versus the mouth.

While MacLean has no interest in a war of words with the fiery, f-bomb-slinging Tortorella – "All I'm going to do is work real hard to coach my team, and that's what my energy is going be used on," MacLean said Tuesday – he acknowledges in-game decisions can make or break a team.

"In the playoffs, (coaching) is even more of a factor, recognizing what's going on and being able to make adjustments," he said. "It's a big priority, if you can recognize it soon enough. It's about how you handle momentum. When the momentum is swinging, it's what your team does to maintain it or get the momentum back on your side. Those are decisions the coaches make that are vital."

While MacLean is a rookie NHL head coach, he hasn't missed the playoffs since joining Mike Babcock's Detroit staff as an assistant. "I'm confident in my team and coaching staff. I think we have enough experience to give the input our team needs," said MacLean, who spent six seasons in Detroit.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
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