“The model for an NHL without fighting is right there in front of us. The [playoffs are] the time of year that fans love best; when the best hockey is played... [The] enforcers don't play. Even mini-enforcers... remain on the bench. Teams and coaches can't afford anything stupid and unpredictable... With no one to fight back for them, players go harder into the corners, more determinedly to the front of the net. If they want to fire up the crowd and their teammates, they have to do it themselves. And in the playoffs, they do.” IfsWantInspirationalYearsPlayMotivationalFightingLove IsFirePlayerTeamFansFrontsStupidModelsHarderCrowdsCornersCoachesHockeyUnpredictableTeammateNhlBenchesPlayoffsBest Hockey Author:Ken Dryden
“Because the demands on the goalie are mostly mental, it means that for a goalie the biggest enemy is himself. Not a puck, not a opponent, not a quirk of size or style. The stress and anxiety he feels when he plays, the fear of failing, the fear of being embarrassed, the fear of being physically hurt, all symptoms of his position, in constant ebb and flow, but never disappearing. The successful goalie understands these neuroses, accept them, and put them under control. The unsuccessful goalie is distracted by them, his mind in knots. His body quickly follows.” FeelsMindMeanPlayBodyHurtAcceptingEnemySuccessfulFailingStylePositionDemandAnxietyFlowStressConstantSizeDisappearOpponentsHockeyEmbarrassedSymptomsDistractedKnotsNeurosisUnsuccessfulPuckQuirksEbb And FlowFear Of FailingGoaliesStress And Anxiety Author:Ken Dryden