As the series shifts to Florida, our correspondent goes out of his way to avoid "skinny fat" syndrome while the players rest.
Fort Lauderdale, FLA - A playoff series doesn't truly begin until the home team has lost a game and as hopeless as the Florida Panthers looked in Game 2, they are now back on their own turf. The playoffs are a gruelling marathon and us writers are not spared from that grind. Spending most of the week in Las Vegas allowed us to get our footing, but now we've had a travel day to contend with.
Waiting for the dressing rooms to open after Game 2, you could hear the assembled press tossing out flight times like floor traders yelling out stock prices in an 80s movie. Do you dare take a red-eye out of Vegas, thus landing in Florida way too early? Or get up early and spend the whole day flying, the time zones against you, going west to east? We chose the latter, with a stopover in Dallas (my favorite airport thanks to the food options) and a delayed flight out that nonetheless got us to our Florida hotel's rooftop bar just in time for tacos before last call. By that time, the airport brisket had worn off and More Protein was necessary.
When it comes to fitness and conditioning at the Stanley Cup final, I am taking the exact opposite approach from the players. They have worked all season long and are undoubtedly playing with bumps and bruises, tears and pulls, just to get a chance to lift that heavy, wonderful trophy.
I, on the other hand, am taking advantage of hotel gyms to get Blasted. I fully intend on going from "Jr. A kid at the draft combine" to William Carrier during this trip.
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A few years ago, THN's Ronnie Shuker did a great article about NHL fitness where he spoke with famed trainers Matt Nichol and Ben Prentiss. The big talking point was that NHL players are at their peak fitness levels when the season begins and by the end - ironically when the games are the most important - they are actually at their weakest. Prentiss referred to it as being "skinny fat."
As per Shuker: "Prentiss is referring to players losing muscle during the season but without dropping any bodyweight. With all the practices, games and travel, there’s no time to build muscle. Players are just trying to hold on to what they’ve built in the off-season, but they end up losing at least some muscle, which changes into fat."
This is what the Panthers and Golden Knights are dealing with right now; fitness routines get augmented based on the circumstances.
"It's really tough down the stretch and into the playoffs," said Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore. "You're saving your energy for the games. There aren't too many workouts, it's hard. There aren't too many improvements you're going to make between games. Riding the bike and keeping your body moving on off-days is big, but it's definitely a challenge. Our strength guys have done a great job managing that and making sure everyone is getting what they need. Some guys like to do more on off-days, or pre-game or post-game and guys are just trying to maintain that."
With that in mind, weight-lifting opportunities are limited during the post-season.
"In between rounds is your best chance to try to build strength back," Theodore said. "But at this time of year you're taking so much contact and the game is so physical that you have to save a lot of your energy for games."
As part of my Commitment to the Craft, I have to make sure I am at peak mental and physical capacity right now. I worked out every day in Vegas, hitting up chest presses, lat pulldowns and even some machines I didn't know how to use. Every day on the road is arms day because you end up doing so much walking that the cardio is taken care of. This is especially true when you're getting lost in the bowels of an arena you are just getting familiar with, or traversing the wilds of Fort Lauderdale in search of a smoothie.
But the Gains are coming for me; I can sense it. My metabolism - always a strong suit - is cranked by a meat-heavy diet and now I stalk the streets in search of more. I did notice Winn-Dixie is offering an eight-piece box of fried chicken for ten bucks. That's just too good a deal to pass up.
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