Why the Ottawa Senators Will Beat the Pittsburgh Penguins

On paper you see the 7th place Ottawa Senators squaring off against the 1st place Pittsburgh Penguins, and you feel sorry for the slaughter the Senators are going to go through. But the best part about the NHL playoffs is what's written on paper doesn't matter once you hit the ice. Just ask the Penguins how their easy round one with the 8th place New York Islanders panned out.

The Senators are not your typical 7th seeded playoff team. When you look at the final Eastern Conference playoff standings just 2 points separated 8th from 5th. The Senators were one win shy of 5th place and a match with the Boston Bruins and just one point up on 8th and a first round match with the Penguins. Since the East was so close and the Sens were just one point out of 5th you have to treat the Senators like a 5th seeded team.

After a hard-fought series with the Islanders, the Penguins must be ready for another hard-fought series with the Sens. The Sens are a very young and skilled team. They don't just rely on one guy to get the job done, it's a combined effort from everyone. The Senators easily dispatched of the number 2 ranked Montreal Canadiens by forcing them back on their heels and getting them off their game. If the Sens can do that again, it could be another long series for Crosby and the Pens, one that could see them eliminated.

While the Senators are nothing like the Philadelphia Flyers or Boston Bruins when it comes to physical play, the playoffs require every team to raise their level of physicality and the Sens have done that. Remember the big hit Eric Gryba laid on Lars Eller? Or game 3 when both teams barely had enough players to ice 2 lines after a line brawl?

The Senators, a much tougher team, baited the Canadiens into a physical battle. If the Sens manage to draw the Pens into that physical battle and force them off their game plan, it'll be lights out for the Pens who will be wondering what hit them.

The Ottawa Senators are also not the same team as they were 3 months ago. Erik Karlsson is back in the line-up and is beginning to look like the Norris winning defencemen he was a year-ago, Craig Anderson is back between the pipes and has been lights out posting a .950 Save Percentage and the Sens could be getting another boost should Jason Spezza return to the line-up.

The Senators are a young team that has been relying on the youthfulness of Erik Karlsson, Mika Zibanejad, Cory Conacher, Kyle Turris and Jean-Gabriel Pageau to lead the team. While the Pens rely on the skill of Sidney Crosby, James Neal and Evgeni Malkin to lead the way. The Penguins are a much older team than the Sens and use their veteran leadership and depth throughout the line-up to their advantage. But their age truly showed in round one against the Islanders. They were slow and lost battles for loose pucks all series, the Sens should be able to exploit that with their younger quicker players.

The two things that make the Senators a very scary threat in the East is their goaltending and defence.

The Penguins got lucky having to face a weak goalie in Evgeni Nabokov who allowed them to keep pace with the goals the Islanders were scoring. The Senators have one of the best netminders in the league in Craig Anderson. If the Penguins go back to Marc-Andre Fleury and he falters early on, the Sens will jump all over it and Anderson will shut the door.

Anderson is boasting a 1.80 Goals Against Average and a .950 Save Percentage while only allowing 9 goals throughout the first 5 games of the playoffs. The Sens don't let a lot of goals in, the Pens will need to score 1 or 2 garbage goals and then rely on their goaltending to squeak out close games in this series.

Then there's the whole matter of defence, before you even get to the brick wall that is Anderson. Their defence was the 2nd best in the NHL during the regular season allowing just 2.08 goals a game. Their penalty kill was the best ranked in the league killing off an outstanding 88% of their penalties. Plus they have one of the best defenceman in the NHL back on their blue-line with Karlsson who isn't afraid to rush the puck and pick up the slack by netting some goals himself.

The second round match-up between the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins is going to be a tough series and perhaps one of the closest in the playoffs. All the pressure will be riding on the Penguins a role reversal from 2007, the last time the Senators beat the Penguins in the playoffs. The Penguins are the team that everyone was and is expecting to challenge for the Stanley Cup and the Senators are just a speed block on that journey. The Senators have nothing to lose in this series, they've already come farther than most expected and have shown just how good a team they have.

After their tough series win over the Islanders the Penguins are a team that is down on the matt and now is the perfect time for the Sens to jump quickly and kick them while they're down. The Senators may be the Penguins toughest opponents in this years playoffs, the question becomes can they survive two series' where the underdog teams give them all they can handle?

At the end of the day this series is likely going to come down to goaltending. The Senators have no issues with Anderson and know he can get the job done. The Penguins have a number one goalie who can't stop a beach ball and is rattled, while their back-up is capable. Do the Penguins let Tomas Vokoun have a shot or do they go back to Fleury? Whoever the Penguins choose to go with will have to come up big in this series.

With Craig Anderson leading the way, the Ottawa Senators have all the tools to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact the Senators pose a very real Stanley Cup threat, not bad for a team who was decimated with injuries in March.

Why Eric Gryba Shouldn't Have Been Suspended

By now I'm sure you've seen the Eric Gryba hit that left Lars Eller unconscious and lying in a pool of blood. It was a nasty hit to watch, as Eller was unconscious before he hit the ice and a hit you knew the NHL was going to take a look at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNOwP3fUW6c

After contact Eller's body flew violently through the air and he landed face first on the ice. He lay unconscious with blood pouring from his face. He lay motionless for several minutes and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He was released from hospital and is said to have suffered a concussion, multiple facial fractures, and he lost some teeth.

Immediately after Eric Gryba laid the hit, debate broke out about the legality of the hit and whether it was a head shot or a suspendable offence. League disciplinary Brendan Shanahan decided that the hit did deem a suspension and handed Eric Gryba a two-game suspension.

While the NHL saw the hit as suspendable there is still some serious debate about the hit; Is this really the type of hit the NHL is trying to take out of the game or was this just the Shanahan appeasing the fans?

It's never a good scene to see a player unconscious and lying in a heap of blood. Your heart breaks for the player and his family as there's no guarantee he'll ever play again or be the same. But at the same time this is playoff hockey and with playoff hockey comes hard, bone crushing hits.

Gryba was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct, but the hit wasn't interference. I'm okay with Gryba receiving a game misconduct right after the hit. It's best to get him off the ice after that huge hit. Emotions are running high and the Montreal Canadiens would have had a bounty on his head. But the referees need to at least get the call right, this was in no way interference.

Eric Gryba delivered the hit while the puck was on Eller's stick. Interference is called when a player hits an opposing player who isn't in possession of the puck. Eller had the puck on his stick making him fair game for a big open ice hit. If anything, the better call on the play would have been a major for elbowing.

This was a horrible suicide pass from Rafeal Diaz, but I'm sure he already feels bad enough so let's not harp on him. Plain and simple this was a hockey hit gone horribly wrong. It's a collision you see virtually in every NHL game and a play that the Ottawa Senators use in their game plan.

Take a look at Jared Cowen levelling Jeff Skinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2A4Z2ikaHU

This is in essence the same hit, but Cowen wasn't suspended. The reason Cowen wasn't suspended as opposed to Gryba is due to the extent of the injury. As much as the NHL doesn't want their suspensions to be based off the extent of the injury on the play, sometimes that's the way it works. After seeing Eller unconscious in a pool of blood there isn't anyway you can't suspend Eric Gryba, it looks bad.

When you fully look at the hit and dissect it, Eric Gryba didn't leave his feet, he didn't land a flying elbow and Lars Eller's head wasn't the principal point of contact. Which makes this a clean hockey hit, anytime you take the puck up the middle of the ice you open yourself up for a big hit. The blood that was pouring from Eller's face was from the impact of his face hitting the ice, not the hit.

The toughest thing about this play is Eric Gryba had to lay a hit there in the neutral zone, it's his job. What if Gryba chose not to hit Eller and Eller passed the puck to another player or takes the puck himself and scores? Gryba read the play perfectly and wasn't going to pass up the hit, after all he's in the NHL because of his physical play. The injury to Eller was unfortunate but Eric Gryba's hit was the right play.

This is the prime example of how the NHL deals with borderline hits and suspensions. If there's a player lying on the ice unconscious or in a pool of blood, or if the player leaves the ice on a stretcher chances are the player who laid the hit is going to get suspended. If you look at the elbow Andrew Ference laid on Mikhail Grabovski, there's more intent to injure in that play yet Ference only got a one-game suspension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Aq5kTC2XpY

The NHL needs to take a long hard look at the way they're handing out suspensions before the NHL turns into the no hitting league. Eric Gryba laid a clean, hard hockey hit that any defenceman or player would step up to make. It's the type of hit players anticipate in their sleep, a big open ice hit.

Aside from the injury to Lars Eller, there is no way Eric Gryba should have suspended at all. In fact if Eller had not been injured and skated off under his own power there's no suspension. This was a clean, big, hockey hit that unfortunately went wrong. The suspension was the NHL's attempt to please people who thought this was a dirty hit and to make up for Eller's injuries.

Ottawa Senators Eastern Conference Underdogs

Last season the Ottawa Senators made a cinderella run to the playoffs, surprising everyone and nearly upsetting the favourite New York Rangers in 7 games. Much like last season at the beginning of this shortened season everyone counted the Senators out but once again they're proving that they shouldn't be taken lightly in the Eastern Conference.

With 14 games to play the Senators are sitting 5th in the Eastern conference nine points up on the 9th New York Islanders, once again a big surprise to most. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Senators strong play is that they've been able to overcome significant injuries to some of their best players.

The Senators were dealt a serious blow when they lost Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen two of their best defenceman to injuries. On top of that they're without two of their best forwards in Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. If losing your two best defencemen and forwards isn't bad enough the Senators number one goalie and shoe-in Vezina candidate Craig Anderson also went down with an injury.

For most teams losing a player of Spezza's caliber alone would be enough to end their season, let alone losing five of your best players. But for the Senators losing those players doesn't seem to have slowed them down.

Most expected the Senators to crumble, to count this season as a wash due to key injuries- I mean who would blame them if they packed it in and aimed for a high pick? Instead the Senators that were left standing, lead by captain Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Neil bonded together and have put together arguably the strongest Senators team we've seen in years.

I had the pleasure of watching the Senators absolutely shutdown the New York Rangers last Thursday evening. The Senators were the stronger, better and faster team, the Rangers were unable to generate anything and when they did have a spark Ben Bishop shut the door. I watched in awe at how good the Senators played even without Karlsson and Spezza and Anderson. They had total confidence in themselves and each other, the chemistry was remarkable.

The last key player to be injured for the Senators was goaltender Craig Anderson who had been the backbone of the team after other key players went down. Anderson was 8-4-4 on the season with an .952 Save Percentage and 1.49 Goals Against Average- which still leads the league and he hasn't played since February 21! The Senators were relying on Anderson to come up big every night to win those close one-goal games and he hadn't disappointed allowing only 22 goals against all season.

When he went down there were some serious doubts about whether or not Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner would be able to hold down the fort like Anderson
had been doing. But both netminders have stepped up and given the Senators the goaltending they need. Bishop has held down the fort appearing in 13 games winning 8 and posting a .922 Save Percentage. He's making an argument that he's ready for a full-time gig between the pipes which is great news for the Senators moving forwardIn addition to the goalies stepping up to the plate Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad have both stepped up proving they can handle bigger roles. Turris leads the team in scoring with 8 goals and 22 points, while Zibanejed has begun to find his comfort zone in the NHL putting up 6 goals and 15 points.The rookie Jakob Silfverberg has also made a big splash putting up 8 goals tying him for the team lead in goals and leads the team with 97 shots. The Swedish rookie is turning heads and already drawing comparisons to the Senators legendary captain.

“He can play in all situations. I liken him to Milan Michalek and Alfredsson.” ~ Senators coach Paul MacLean.

Speaking of the captain, Daniel Alfredsson has done a fantastic job keeping the team together. With 8 goals and 20 points he's contributing on the ice. But this year it's his contributions off the ice that mean the most. He's been able to keep the players together and motivated, the Senators fully believe they are a top notch team.

The Senators have had no choice but to rush some of their AHL top prospects into bigger roles in the NHL earlier than expected- but as a result they've answered the call and have helped the Senators to win games. Playing a basic fundamental style of hockey which focuses on defence, blocking shots and being physical allows the younger Senators to adjust and find their games. Lucky for MacLean the players- especially the younger rookies - are buying into his system.

Even without their four best skaters and number one netminder the Senators are still going to make the playoffs. It's remarkable how they've been able to band together to play such a high level of hockey night after night and speaks volumes to the character in that dressing room.

The Senators may not be the best team in the Eastern Conference or have the flashy players that the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Rangers have but the Senators have had consistent success and are proving they're not to be taken lightly. At the end of the season the Senators are likely to finish between 4th and 7th place in the East and they'll be up against some tough competition. But the way the Senators have been playing and getting production from younger guys there's no telling how far this team can go and I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a deep playoff run.

With Anderson coming back soon, Spezza possibly returning in the post-season, Alfredsson leading the way and the young rookies stepping up the Senators are the "wild card" or underdogs in the Eastern Conference this season.

While the odds may be against them they are a team that believes in themselves and as a result are the Eastern Conference underdogs heading into the post-season. Look for the Senators to make a major splash in playoffs.

3 Ottawa Senators That Need To Step Up In Erik Karlsson's Absence

The Ottawa Senators were dealt a huge blow on Wednesday evening when they lost their best defenceman Erik Karlsson after an awkward collision in the corner with Matt Cooke in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators are now without two of their best players in Karlsson and Jason Spezza, but the loss of their Norris Winning defenceman and arguably the best defenceman in the game right now will be extremely difficult to overcome.

Cooke's skate lacerated Erik Karlsson's achilles which will result in the defenceman undergoing season-ending surgery. Was the "stomp" intentional or accidental? The NHL saw it as un-intentional as Cooke will not be suspended. In my opinion it was a routine hockey play that went horribly wrong, Cooke was just trying to keep his balance and his foot came down on the back of Karlsson's leg - complete accident with horrific results. Now before you freak out over saying  Cooke did it on purpose, ask yourself this- If this was anyone other than Matt Cooke would you be calling this an accident or intentional?

Whether you believe it was a clean play or not, it's a huge blow to the Senators who were having a very good start to the year. Now with both Karlsson and Spezza out of the lineup they have some big shoes to fill in order salvage the season. Which Senators will step up in Erik Karlsson's absence and help lead the team?

Daniel Alfredsson

There's a reason Alfredsson where's the "C" on his jersey, he's expected to lead the Ottawa Senators. What better time to lead this young Senators team than when two of their best players are hurt? Alfredsson has always been a solid leader for the Sens, often rallying them in close games, scoring the key goal. Right now he's 3rd on the team in scoring with 8 points, but he'll need to pick up that pace without the scoring of Spezza and Karlsson. In what may be Alfredsson's last season this is the perfect chance for him to go out as a hero, come in and rescue the team when their two key players go down and help guide them to the playoffs one last time.

The Senators have never needed their captain more then they do right now, everything they know and count on is falling apart they need their captain to step up and fill the gap for the season or until they can get reinforcements. Over the next few months we will see the true leadership skills of Daniel Alfredsson.

Kyle Turris

Turris all but gave up during his time with the Phoenix Coyotes demanding out as he no longer felt he could develop further. He got his wish when the Ottawa Senators came to his rescue and brought him in to play with Jason Spezza. Turris enjoyed playing on a line with the skilled Spezza and reaped the benefits by putting up 29 points. But now without his linemate Turris needs to start making his own luck and help the Senators who helped him out of Pheonix.

"I've got to come through with creating more opportunities for myself and my linemates and be more offensively productive." ~ Kyle Turris

With Spezza out, Turris will be called upon to take up the offence that is missing. After being dubbed as a "draft bust" it's time for Turris to put all his skills together and produce like the Senators are expecting him to. Turris currently leads the team with 11 points and will need to keep up his strong play and help elevate the game of his teammates if the Senators have any hope of persevering through the injuries.

Craig Anderson

As good as Anderson has been to start off the year he now has to be even better. With Karlsson going down (who was leading the team in goals) and Spezza one of the best natural goal scorers on the shelf, goals will be hard to come by for the Senators which means Anderson needs to be near perfect. Posting a .949 Save Percentage and 1.58 Goals Against Average with 7 wins through 12 games, Anderson has been one of the best goalies to start off the year. He'll need to keep standing on his head and shutting down the opposition as the Senators may find themselves in a lot of 1 goal games.

With their best defenceman, and future captain out indefinitely, things are not about to get any easier for the Ottawa Senators who need to buckle down and grind out some tough wins. Daniel Alfredsson, Kyle Turris and Craig Anderson will all need to bring their "A" game to lead the Senators through the rest of the season without Erik Karlsson.

Not Easy To Call It Quits

The toughest thing for a hockey player to do is hang up the skates and walk away from the game they love. It is becoming more and more frequent to see a player sticking around into their late 30's or early 40's. The scary thing is with the education about health, fitness and nutrition players today have we may see players playing into their 50's in the future. If players are able to keep their bodies in top shape, why stop?

On Tuesday it was announced long time Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson would be returning for at least one more season. There was talk that last season would be Alfredsson's last year in the NHL, but he's decided he's ready for one more.

"I've had the motivation of playing from the beginning" ~ Daniel Alfredsson

Alfredsson said he needed to "Test out his body" to see if it could withstand the rigours of training for the NHL. He had back surgery last year to fix his back pain, so he needed to see where he stood after the surgery.

"It was my body that had to make the decision more than anything. If I have my strength I know I can play and contribute." ~Daniel Alfredsson

Alfredsson is returning for his 17th NHL season. Remarkably he has played all 17 seasons with the same team, never jumping ship and staying loyal to end. He has been the captain of the Senators since 1999 and has been with the team through the ups and downs.

He holds team records in goals (416), assists (666) and points (1,082). But his value to the Senators goes well beyond the scoreboard. He helped mentor Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and played a huge part in developing Jason Spezza's game. He's been in the league so long he's experienced almost everything, so he's able to give advice and leadership to younger players.

Alfredsson joins the elite group of players to continue playing in their 40's. (He will be 40 in December). Other players in the same category include Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur.

Who inspired players to play for so long? Obviously there have been many trend setter who have played into their "later years", Gretzky played until he was 38 or how about Chris Chelios who played until he was 48! But I believe the real trend setter was Gary Roberts who played until he was 43. Roberts initially retired at age 30 but returned the following season to play 12 more seasons. How did he do it? By taking care of his body. He ate the proper foods, trained hard and most importantly listened to his body when it cried "uncle". Roberts knew when give his body a rest and when to push it to it's limits. Through his 22 seasons he single handily changed the way players think about the game. Why not play till your 40? If you have the proper resources why not take proper care of your body?
While Roberts is not playing in the NHL anymore he is still training and eating the proper way. A major factor in performance is food, if you eat the right stuff you're good to go.

In honour of Alfredsson coming back for another season, I've compiled a list of three reasons why it's so difficult for players to walk away from the game.

1. Money
When the players stop playing they stop making millions of dollars every year. While it's nice and dandy for players to sign a 10 year deal in which they make $10 million each year, once those 10 years are up and they stop playing that comfy $10 million stops rolling in. While it may be tough to think of someone blowing $100 million, it's a reality for a lot of NHL players. During their careers they spend money on big houses, fancy cars and all the latest gadgets and are able to do so because they're getting more money next season. But once the money stops coming in it becomes more and more difficult to stop spending the money even though it's not being replenished.

Hockey players usually don't have a high level of education. Some players enter the NHL right out of high school, while others do a year or two of college. What job would they be able to get after their hockey careers? Whatever job they get it wont pay nearly as well as the NHL.

2. "The Boys"
I know that sounds like a silly saying, but it's a very common saying in junior and minor hockey. The players always talk about hanging out with "the boys" or how they'd do anything for "the boys". It's no different in the NHL. The players are even closer, they travel together, work together, fight for each other and many even live together. On hockey team everyone has their tight nit group of "boys" they hang out with on road trips and even on off days. It becomes a life style, these guys are your best friends and often times the people you go to when you need help.

While many of the players may be married and some even have kids, hanging with their families is much different than hanging with "the boys". Believe me when I say this: There is nothing better than hanging out with your teammates.

When a player steps away from the game, they lose that connection with their teammates and friends. Sure they still text each other and come to the odd game. But they no longer hang out with them on road trips and you're not battling with them to win anymore. You become alienated from the only world you've ever known and it's a very tough adjustment.

3. Better nutrition and training
In the older days of hockey, the players used to drink and smoke after games. Heck some even did it between periods. The players also didn't train nearly as hard as today's players. While todays players still drink more and more of them are becoming aware of the proper nutrition needed to allow their bodies to compete at the top level. Players that consistently drink and smoke just won't cut it in today's NHL. The game moves so fast that you have to be in the best shape or you're a step behind.

Due to the fact players are learning how to properly train and take care of their bodies, they're finding they're able to play longer in their careers. When you eat and train properly you avoid the little injuries that slow players down. With people like Roberts offer training and nutrition programs, nutrition has become just as much part of the game as training or skating.

The players know, take care of your body and you can play at your best for as long as you want.

Yes today's players (or should I say yesterday's) are making their careers last a lot longer. If you can take care of your body you can get another pay check so why not? But with the awareness and knowledge around preserving your body right now, we could see players playing well into their 50's in the future.

What do you think, do you like seeing players play into their 40's?

Not Easy To Call It Quits

The toughest thing for a hockey player to do is hang up the skates and walk away from the game they love. It is becoming more and more frequent to see a player sticking around into their late 30's or early 40's. The scary thing is with the education about health, fitness and nutrition players today have we may see players playing into their 50's in the future. If players are able to keep their bodies in top shape, why stop?

On Tuesday it was announced long time Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson would be returning for at least one more season. There was talk that last season would be Alfredsson's last year in the NHL, but he's decided he's ready for one more.

"I've had the motivation of playing from the beginning" ~ Daniel Alfredsson

Alfredsson said he needed to "Test out his body" to see if it could withstand the rigours of training for the NHL. He had back surgery last year to fix his back pain, so he needed to see where he stood after the surgery.

"It was my body that had to make the decision more than anything. If I have my strength I know I can play and contribute." ~Daniel Alfredsson

Alfredsson is returning for his 17th NHL season. Remarkably he has played all 17 seasons with the same team, never jumping ship and staying loyal to end. He has been the captain of the Senators since 1999 and has been with the team through the ups and downs.

He holds team records in goals (416), assists (666) and points (1,082). But his value to the Senators goes well beyond the scoreboard. He helped mentor Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and played a huge part in developing Jason Spezza's game. He's been in the league so long he's experienced almost everything, so he's able to give advice and leadership to younger players.

Alfredsson joins the elite group of players to continue playing in their 40's. (He will be 40 in December). Other players in the same category include Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur.

Who inspired players to play for so long? Obviously there have been many trend setter who have played into their "later years", Gretzky played until he was 38 or how about Chris Chelios who played until he was 48! But I believe the real trend setter was Gary Roberts who played until he was 43. Roberts initially retired at age 30 but returned the following season to play 12 more seasons. How did he do it? By taking care of his body. He ate the proper foods, trained hard and most importantly listened to his body when it cried "uncle". Roberts knew when give his body a rest and when to push it to it's limits. Through his 22 seasons he single handily changed the way players think about the game. Why not play till your 40? If you have the proper resources why not take proper care of your body?
While Roberts is not playing in the NHL anymore he is still training and eating the proper way. A major factor in performance is food, if you eat the right stuff you're good to go.

In honour of Alfredsson coming back for another season, I've compiled a list of three reasons why it's so difficult for players to walk away from the game.

1. Money
When the players stop playing they stop making millions of dollars every year. While it's nice and dandy for players to sign a 10 year deal in which they make $10 million each year, once those 10 years are up and they stop playing that comfy $10 million stops rolling in. While it may be tough to think of someone blowing $100 million, it's a reality for a lot of NHL players. During their careers they spend money on big houses, fancy cars and all the latest gadgets and are able to do so because they're getting more money next season. But once the money stops coming in it becomes more and more difficult to stop spending the money even though it's not being replenished.

Hockey players usually don't have a high level of education. Some players enter the NHL right out of high school, while others do a year or two of college. What job would they be able to get after their hockey careers? Whatever job they get it wont pay nearly as well as the NHL.

2. "The Boys"
I know that sounds like a silly saying, but it's a very common saying in junior and minor hockey. The players always talk about hanging out with "the boys" or how they'd do anything for "the boys". It's no different in the NHL. The players are even closer, they travel together, work together, fight for each other and many even live together. On hockey team everyone has their tight nit group of "boys" they hang out with on road trips and even on off days. It becomes a life style, these guys are your best friends and often times the people you go to when you need help.

While many of the players may be married and some even have kids, hanging with their families is much different than hanging with "the boys". Believe me when I say this: There is nothing better than hanging out with your teammates.

When a player steps away from the game, they lose that connection with their teammates and friends. Sure they still text each other and come to the odd game. But they no longer hang out with them on road trips and you're not battling with them to win anymore. You become alienated from the only world you've ever known and it's a very tough adjustment.

3. Better nutrition and training
In the older days of hockey, the players used to drink and smoke after games. Heck some even did it between periods. The players also didn't train nearly as hard as today's players. While todays players still drink more and more of them are becoming aware of the proper nutrition needed to allow their bodies to compete at the top level. Players that consistently drink and smoke just won't cut it in today's NHL. The game moves so fast that you have to be in the best shape or you're a step behind.

Due to the fact players are learning how to properly train and take care of their bodies, they're finding they're able to play longer in their careers. When you eat and train properly you avoid the little injuries that slow players down. With people like Roberts offer training and nutrition programs, nutrition has become just as much part of the game as training or skating.

The players know, take care of your body and you can play at your best for as long as you want.

Yes today's players (or should I say yesterday's) are making their careers last a lot longer. If you can take care of your body you can get another pay check so why not? But with the awareness and knowledge around preserving your body right now, we could see players playing well into their 50's in the future.

What do you think, do you like seeing players play into their 40's?