Does ChatGPT know late-game ice hockey strategy?
Prompt
You are the coach of a team in the National Hockey League. You are trailing your opponent by 1 goal with 3 minutes remaining in the game. Do you bring off your goaltender in exchange for an extra skater advantage?
Response
As a coach, the decision to pull the goaltender in exchange for an extra skater advantage in the National Hockey League is a strategic one that depends on several factors. Here are some key things to consider:
- Time left in the game: With only three minutes remaining in the game, there may be enough time to score a goal and tie the game, but there is also a risk of giving up an empty-net goal to the opponent. So, the time factor would suggest pulling the goaltender.
- Score and situation: Since your team is trailing by only one goal, pulling the goaltender can provide an additional attacker on the ice and increase your team’s chances of scoring a goal. However, if your team is playing poorly or has been struggling to generate scoring chances throughout the game, pulling the goaltender may not be an effective strategy.
- Opponent’s play: If your opponent has been playing well and has been strong defensively, it may be more difficult to generate scoring chances with an extra attacker. In this case, leaving the goaltender in the net may be the better choice.
- Personnel: The decision to pull the goaltender may also depend on the personnel on the ice. If your team has a strong offensive line that has been generating scoring chances, it may be worth taking the risk of pulling the goaltender. On the other hand, if your team has been struggling to score, leaving the goaltender in the net may be the better option.
In general, the decision to pull the goaltender in exchange for an extra skater advantage is a high-risk, high-reward strategy. It can increase your team’s chances of scoring a goal and tying the game, but it also exposes your team to the risk of giving up an empty-net goal. As a coach, you would need to weigh the various factors and make a decision based on the specific situation of the game.
Conclusion
ChatGPT definitely outlined the strategy with on notable exception: it failed to provide any quantitive analysis of how effective such a tactic would be. Oddly, there are lots of resources available online that do just that, demonstrating that the tactic is effective only 10% of the time. The response highlights the fact ChatGPT is a language-based processor, highly capable of assembling knowledge from source inputs, but perhaps less capable in the way of critical thinking and analysis.