Panthers coach Peter Horacek (Eric Bolte, USA TODAY Sports)

No deep drilling is required to unearth the reason why teams make coaching changes mid-season. The truth is that coaching changes seem to have short-term benefit more often than not.

That certainly has been the case this season with the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers

The Panthers were 3-9-4 when Kevin Dineen was fired and Peter Horachek was hired. They are 9-8-1 since then, and take a three-game winning streak into tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After starting 0-3, the Flyers are 14-12-3 since Craig Berube replaced Peter Laviolette. Like the Panthers, the Flyers seem more focused. They have points in six of their last 10 games going into tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Flyers coach Craig Berube (Douglas Bovitt, (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post)

Even the downtrodden Buffalo Sabres seem sharper since Ted Nolan took over for Ron Rolston, even though their record is only slightly improved. They were 4-15-1 when owner Terry Pegula fired GM Darcy Regier and Ron Rolston.  They are 3-8-2 since then. However, they do have points in four of their last 10 games. That actually seems like progress, given the state of their roster.

If you are the New York Islanders’ Jack Capuano or the Winnipeg Jets’ Claude Noel, you certainly don’t like hearing that coaching changes have benefit.  There is no indication that the two coaches are in immediate danger of being fired, but history tells us that they are vulnerable because their teams are near the bottom of the standings.

The three coaching changes this season didn’t mean that Laviolette, Dineen and Rolston were poor coaches. Let’s not forget that Laviolette has a Stanley Cup ring, earned in Carolina. It’s not as if he is an inferior coach. Remember also that Dineen took the Panthers to their first playoff appearance in a decade before the slide began.

Here is why coaching changes have benefit short-term:

New voice, new energy:  Players grow weary of hearing the same coaching sermons over and over. After a while, especially if the situation is stressful, they begin to tune out the man in charge. That’s human nature. Everyone grows weary of a boss telling them what to do. Players are no exception. A new person in charge changes the dynamic. There’s excitement in the air.

Back to basics: The approach with a new coach is often a return to the basics, a greater focus on the small details that really matter. With a new man in charge, every aspect of a team’s game is re-examined. Usually, that reminds everyone of the value of playing the game the right way.  Bad habits can disappear. Players start to take fewer chances.

Players aim to please: There’s a new sheriff in town, and players aim to please that new sheriff. Their ice time depends on the new coach, and everyone on the roster views a coaching change as an opportunity to change their status on the team for the better. It’s a clean slate, a fresh start. Players go on their best behavior and they work hard to impress the new coach. That’s usually pays dividends for the team.

Winning stars with D: Usually, there is greater emphasis on defensive play because coaches know that is the fastest way to improve a team. You can’t make your team score more goals, but you can force them to improve defensively. You can teach defense and you can demand better defensive play, and new coaches usually do. That certainly has been the case in Philadelphia and Florida.

Your games tonight

Calgary at Boston, 7

Winnipeg at Buffalo, 7

Florida at Toronto, 7

Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7

Phoenix at Montreal, 7:30

Anaheim at Detroit, 7:30

Washington at Philadelphia, 7:30

San Jose at St. Louis, 8

Chicago at Nashville, 8

Vancouver at Minnesota, 8

Colorado at Dallas, 8:30

Edmonton at Los Angeles, 10:30

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