Here are two ‘out of the box’ theories on playoff hockey to consider this spring:
Historically, thin air in cities with high altitudes (Calgary, Denver) gives the home team a competitive advantage in a 7 game series.
You might think this is a pile of bull, but here’s a quick story. A friend of mine played NCAA hockey in the East, and one season he went to Colorado Springs for a road game at Air Force. The teams were equally conditioned and talented, and played tight first and second periods. Though the third period began with a tie score, the boys from the East were completely out of gas in the final 20 and Air Force put 5 goals on the board. It wasn’t a case of having better legs; Air Force was just used to training and playing in their environment and their opponents were not. Former University of Maine coach Shawn Walsh (God rest his soul) even purchased a specially formulated bottled water with additional oxygen components for his players whenever the Black Bears traveled to the Rocky Mountain region. So, if the home team is highly competitive and skilled to begin with (Calgary ‘89, Colorado ‘96, Colorado ‘01) and has home ice advantage in a 7-game series, it is fair to assume that those teams hold a competitive edge over their opponents.
Aggressive, up-tempo teams wearing red jerseys can not be denied championships.
This too may seem like a stretch and something your mom might say, but consider these teams: the Soviet Union dynasty, the Montreal Canadiens in the 50’s and 70’s, the ‘06 Carolina Hurricanes, and the countless Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils squads of recent decades. It is a proven psychological fact that the color red establishes dominance and inspires fear in competitive situations. Think Tiger Woods on Sunday. Sure, it helps to be the the best golfer in the world. It also helps to have a team with Martin Brodeur, Ken Dryden, or Dominik Hasek. But when a formidable team wearing red is in a position to win a championship, that team is rarely denied*.
(*Exceptions include the 1980 Soviets and the ‘01 Devils. But what beat the latter? THIN AIR!)
Following this model, my 2009 Stanley Cup Finals prediction: Calgary vs. New Jersey
(editors note: so after the first round results, the joke is on me. But look at the teams that beat the Flames and Devils….ALSO red jerseys!)
