Really exciting stuff out of the University of Calgary:
A study by the University of Calgary's Kinesiology department has used a high-tech computer program to discover how elite goaltenders focus on the puck and what separates them from those who are less successful.
That's right. Goalies who can focus are successful. Here's some other fantastic tidbits to come out of the study:
1. Goalies who stay awake the whole game are more likely to make saves.
2. Giving up long rebounds can often negatively impact a goalie's performance.
3. Ice is cold.
4. There is just one 'y' in hockey.
Now, go ahead and enjoy this interview with Ottawa's Ray Emery. He seems like a nice guy.
Far be it from me to jump on the fire Wayne Gretzky bandwagon.
But...
Seriously.
He's just not a great coach. Obviously, his team has its flaws. But Tuesday night, the Coyotes give up a short-handed goal, going down 3-1, and Gretzky pulls goalie Mike Morrison. So now, not only are the Coyotes losing, and not only is Gretzky shaking the confidence of his backup goalie, but he's sending in his number one goalie cold. It's just a succession of poor decisions with no benefit for anyone.
I'm not saying Gretzky is a bad coach because he was such a great player and there's some sort of delicious irony in calling him out as a coach. I'm just saying he's a great player who happens to be a bad coach. It's not delicious. It's just kind of frustrating.
You know why it's not always a great idea to have a hockey team in Dallas? And I ask this knowing there's a fair share of Stars fans reading this.
It's because eventually, you're going to have to play against a Dallas Cowboys game and no one will come to see the Stars (login info.).
Sadly, here is what Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said after the game:
I'm ashamed to put a team out there that plays like that. I mean, really. We ought to apologize to the people that came out to watch that. That's not good football.
It would have been nice if he could have added "I wish everyone had gone to watch the Stars tonight. It really would have been time better spent."
Also, I love this TSN headline: Gretzky Feeling The Grind Of Coaching. I would have gone with Coyotes Feeling the Grind of Playing for Gretzky and Losing.
