'Tired' Is Not An Option

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue into the Conference Final Series', many people around the game continue to talk about teams being tired. However, in this day in the NHL, tired is just not an option. In order to win the Stanley Cup, it's not about how the players feel mentally and physically, but the will, the heart, and the desire to get to the top and claim something that only few reach. Yes, teams are becoming 'tired' at this point, but that is no excuse because, well, the teams that are still left are all in the same position.

John Tortorella, the New York Rangers head coach, after playing the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final Monday, stated after being asked about his hockey club's energy levels, "I don't know where you guys get all this stuff being tired. If we're tired this time of the year, there's something the matter. We still have a month to play. You might as well not even ask me questions about being tired. We're not a tired hockey club. We are ready to play." That's the bottom line. To go through an entire season and get to this point only to be tired and whither away out of the playoffs, that's just not an option for these athletes. 

For example, the Rangers have played 15 playoff games so far this season, the most out of any of the four clubs still left. After finishing their second game seven in just as many series, the Rangers had another quick turnaround to play the Devils this round. Early in the game Monday, Zach Parise caught a break and looked free and clear against Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Out of nowhere, rushing back to recover, Ryan McDonagh swept the puck away and send Parise crashing into the net with solid body contact. McDonagh, if you don't know, has played every single Rangers game this year; 82 in the regular season and 15 so far in the playoffs. To be able to show that type of speed from a stand still position at this time of year shows the conditioning and strength of these hockey players. 

You are not going to see the Kings, Coyotes, Devils, or Rangers back down because they are tired. When it comes to this time of year, just the thought of the Stanley Cup can get any NHL player excited to play. Once the equipment is strapped on and the game is about to begin, it's adrenaline that takes over these players. Mixed in with again, that will and desire to win, is what separates the winners from the losers. Think the Coyotes were favored to make it to the Western Conference Finals? Think again.....The mentality that has been set in that teams mind is what is driving them to compete. They want to win the battles, they want to play together as a team, and they really want to win the Stanley Cup.

In the end, three of these teams will lose and only one will go onto hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. However, don't ever say the losers were 'tired.' With the conditioning and preparation these players put into their line of work, there is no doubting they are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. The team that ends up on top is the team that has every player on board with the plan. The team that comes out every game with the most heart. The team that will not let anything get in their way. The team that WANTS it most.