NHL '09 - '10 Thread

[mithrilG60]

The other factor is that offense sells tickets while defense wins games. The regular season is about filling rinks and making the team owners money so ever team plays a different kind of game, which is why entirely offensive orientated teams like the Caps end up in 1st overall. In the playoffs teams tend to play much more a much more defensively cautious style which tends to shut down freewheeling offenses. If your team can't switch from offensive to defense they ll never do well...... and let's face it, both Ovechkin and the Caps are all offense all the time. There's no off switch or defensive fallback there.

I grew up in Montreal and even though I've seen some amazing games in my lifetime, that win last night really was something special...another amazing chapter in a storied franchise.

Great goaltending paired with some incredible defense...wow...just wow...

No Marleau for the Sharks tonight...not good! He's the one guy on that line that busts his butt to get to the puck.

[yourchoice]

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

The other factor is that offense sells tickets while defense wins games. The regular season is about filling rinks and making the team owners money so ever team plays a different kind of game, which is why entirely offensive orientated teams like the Caps end up in 1st overall.

Along this same thought, teams play differently at home than on the road during the regular season...at least the Flyers do. I think it has to do somewhat with "putting on a show" for the home fans, but when they're on the road, they play a safer/tighter game. Not sacrificing themselves like they do in the playoffs, but safer.

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by yourchoice

Along this same thought, teams play differently at home than on the road during the regular season...at least the Flyers do. I think it has to do somewhat with "putting on a show" for the home fans, but when they're on the road, they play a safer/tighter game. Not sacrificing themselves like they do in the playoffs, but safer.

This, and the regular season is these guys day job. Like every job it's easy to get caught up and being putting in just enough effort to do a good enough job to earn the pay cheque and not the full 110% required for a phenomenal job. The playoffs on the other hand are why they choose to pursue careers as pro-hockey players so the extra effort is a given.