from Travis Yost of TSN,

One of the things I have griped about a bit over the years is the frequency with which teams are forced to play in back-to-back situations.

Anyone who has spent time watching their favourite team on the second leg of back-to-back games knows just how painful this brand of hockey can be. Teams generally play to survive more than anything else. A coach who gets his team a point by finishing regulation with the score tied is usually quite happy with the outcome. A coach who can steal two points in these spots is usually beside himself with joy.

The fatigue factor is a real concern, and it’s been studied a number of different ways. Just last year, I noted that win percentage substantially drops off for tired teams, painfully so for teams on the road – they win games in regulation or overtime just 41 per cent of the time.

I suspect one of the big reasons for this drop-off is that tired teams play with the mentality to stay alive. It’s a risk-averse strategy – take the fewest chances, play a very structured game, and hope that you can get a second wind in an overtime session where the opportunity to steal a second point is real. You know you don’t have your legs, so you are just doing what it takes to play a competitive 60 minutes.

This strategy was on full display in a game a couple of weeks ago between the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars.

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