Momentum: Ebb and Flow

by Malsby on Jun 7, 2009 6:11 PM EDT Comment 30 comments

The Merriam-Webster definition of momentum that pertains to the sports world is as follows: 'strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events'. I think it's fair to trim some of those words out and describe it this way: 'force gained through the development of events.' Let's take a look back through the games in this series and see what forces were gained and lost and what events developed.

Game 1 in Detroit: Events in this game revolved around puck bounces. A pinball-like action sent a puck screaming back off the end boards behind Marc-Andre Fleury, into his pads and then in the net. Then it happened again. Finally, a puck deflection lifted the frozen piece of rubber skyward and left Jordan Staal bewildered as to its location. When it landed, Staal was of no help to his goaltender and the Wings' Abdelkader jammed it in the top shelf to cap off a 3-1 victory.

Momentum result: Detroit - weak to moderate. It was only one game and a better Pens effort in JLA than in Game 1 of the previous year. The Pens felt like they only lost on account of bounces and a questionable non-call on Zetterberg's glove action in the crease.

Game 2 in Detroit: A closer game than Game 1, the Pens avoided most of the endboard calamity and instead were victimized by a sharp Chris Osgood and another questionable non-call when Pascal Dupuis' stick was shattered by an oncoming Marian Hossa following a Penguins penalty kill. Still, the defending Cup champs were strong here, and rookie Abdelkader once again tallied the 3rd and final goal of this game.

Momentum result: Detroit - strong to very strong. Pens fans were extremely frustrated after this one(including yours truly). No matter how much better the Pens had played in the first two games than last year, the result was the same, down 0-2 going home. The JLA felt like a house of horrors for the Pens and things looked extremely bleak. On the other side, the Wings had shown they could handle the talented Crosby and Malkin and Osgood was in top form.

Game 3 in Pittsburgh: Finally back in the confines of the Mellon Arena, the Pens struck early with a Max Talbot goal that energized their team. The Wings showed great poise and answered back with two goals of their own, only to see Kris Letang fire home a power play goal that tied things up before the buzzer rang ending the first period. The second period was a trail by fire. The defending Cup champs dominated for twenty minutes, showing their top form. The Pens bent, but somehow didn't break. Sergei Gonchar's game-winning power-play goal in the third period ignited the team, the fans and the players and gave the Penguins life.

Momentum result: Even. Detroit played strong in a losing effort and still held a 2-1 lead with a chance to split on the road. The Pens staved off an impossible 0-3 hole and were halfway home to tying the series up.

Game 4 in Pittsburgh: After some trading of red-lights in the first period, the game was tied at one goal a piece. Brad Stuart's goal for the Wings early in the second was quickly erased from memory when a storm of white, black and goal crashed over the Mellon Arena in a six-minute deluge that resulted in a 4-2 Penguins lead and eventual victory that would knot the series at two games even. Jordan Staal's short-handed tally - the Pens second goal - was a forceful blast that turned the entire game on its head. For once, the Wings looked human and beatable and the Pens surged forward with confidence.

Momentum result: Pittsburgh - weak to moderate. After suffering defeat in well-played efforts in Games 1 and 2, the Pens showed heart and toughness in tying the series up. They looked strong, calm, and ready to revisit the JLA and come out victorious coming back home. The Wings looked a little tired, a little demoralized without Pavel Datsyuk ready to play, but still comfortable that they were not done in this series.

Game 5 in Detroit: After a six-minute opening that saw zero whistles and up-and-down action that favored the upstart Penguins, an early penalty was called on Detroit. The Penguins would misfire and stutter in the face of a strong Wings penalty kill. Following shortly after, the newly-returned Datsyuk fed a pass across to Dan Cleary, who flicked a wobbly puck through the legs of defenseman Brooks Oprik and behind Fleury. A soft goal, perhaps, but it counted. A quick goal for the Wings in the second period to make it 2-0 and this one was over early. The Pens came wildly unglued and the result was a 5-0 defeat that resulted in a quick exit for Fleury, a total lack of control and poise and a feeling that they were mentally unprepared for this Wings retort.

Momentum result: Detroit - strong. The Wings proved once again that they own the JLA ice and that a couple of losses on the road weren't going to de-rail their confidence. They jumped on the Pens early and were more than willing to capitalize on all the power plays handed to them. For the Pens part, they played their worst game of the season at the worst time. Now, they return home down 2-3 knowing that a Stanley Cup victory necessitates another victory on home ice in Game 6 and the elusive road victory in Game 7.

The moral of the story? Playoff momentum can be strong, but it must always be maintained, because it can be lost in a heartbeat. Here's to hoping the development of events in Games 6 and 7 lead to a Penguins force that cannot be contained.

The content expressed in fanposts does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff here at Pensburgh.com. FanPosts are opinions expressed by fans of various teams throughout the league but may be more Pittsburgh-centric for obvious reasons.

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Another gem.

I was saying before last night’s game that it would come down to Pitt trying to maintain momentum and Detroit trying to steal it in front of the home crowd. Guess we don’t really need to get into who prevailed again…

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Jun 7, 2009 6:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the promotion once again.

by Malsby on Jun 7, 2009 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I find your conclusion to be faulty.

If “momentum” can be lost in a heartbeat, then what is the point of having it? And even when you do have the “momentum”, it seems that its contribution to winning is completely unpredictable.

“Momentum” is often used by media and fans as a synonym for “the most recent results”, and routinely fed as BS lines to reporters by players and coaches. Why is it that the team that won the last game, or won the last period, or scored the last goal, or won the last fight, always the team that has the “momentum”? Whatever happened to winning hockey games by playing good hockey?

Momentum is an illusion. It’s a nice story to tell fans to describe the flow of the game -that somehow a team that has had previous events go in its favor, is able to have upcoming events to go in its favor, through this nebulous concept. But if you actually dig a little deeper, you’d find that the actual root cause is either a team playing better or getting luckier. Nothing more.

by R O on Jun 7, 2009 6:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree. The concept of momentum exists only because human brains attempt (and often succeed) to find patterns in chaotic information even when the pattern doesn’t make any sense. If someone’s playing well over the past few games, it must be because he’s on a “hot streak”. Similar with people playing poorly.

Momentum in physics simply doesn’t work the way Malsby describes it to work in sports. If Detroit gathered momentum through the first two games to the point where it was “strong”, it should have carried into Game 3. It didn’t. Momentum may occur in games, although I’m skeptical there, but it certainly doesn’t exist through a series. If it did, no team would ever come back from a 3 games to 1 deficit.

Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!

by JustinM on Jun 8, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Momentum and Pressure

Anyone who believes there is no momentum in a game is deluded. There certainly is.

I thought it was telling that when Bylsma was asked if Jordan Staal’s goal changed the momentum of the series, he replied: “It certainly changed the momentum of the game, anyway…”

But, is there such a thing as momentum in a series? I believe so, but it is not based on winning last game. It is based on what happens to the mindset of the people in the game, and how they handle the pressure. There is no doubt that the playoffs carry pressure with them. Some people can handle the pressure… some can’t. This is true in any sport, and it is especially true in hockey.

The time the players feel the pressure the most is the time between games. So, I believe this pressure does create momentum heading into a game. That momentum will not decide the game alone… But it can pick up speed if pushed by events. It’s like rolling a tire down a hill. If you keep checking its speed with your hand, it never really gets going. If you let it build momentum, though, it is very hard to stop.

Momentum can take game events and cause them to pick up speed very quickly. This happens in a game. Staal’s shorthanded goal is a good example. And the pressure that builds between games will carry into the start of a game. From there, it depends on what happens.

Game 1: No momentum, but there is pressure. Mainly on the Red Wings because they are coming off of less rest and they are banged up. They need to win at least one game at home… they feel that pressure. They win game 1. Momentum: Red Wings. +1

Pressure shifts to the Penguins. Now they have to get a split. Can’t go down 0-2. Very hard to come back from that, as history attests. (And if there is no such thing as series momentum, how can you explain that the teams who started 2-0 won 31 of 32 playoff series?)

Penguins lose game 2. Momentum: Red Wings. +2 Pressure is now squarely on the Pens. If they only split at home, they are in dangerous territory. 0-3 is a death sentence. 1-2 is pretty bad, as well (especially given the history of the previous year…) Look at the game… The Pens come out, almost frantically. The Red Wings weather the storm and then take it to the Penguins while the Pens are catching their collective breaths. The Second period was brutal… But the Penguins find a way to win. It was not their best game of the series…

So, the Penguins win Game 3. Pressure is still on them, but the fact they win one relieves some of it. It is always good to win… makes you look past the fact that you really played your worst game of the series… But, make no mistake… Momentum: Red Wings. +1

Penguins win Game 4. But it isn’t like it was a walk in the park. They looked very tentative early on. Things aren’t looking so good when the Pens get back to back penalties. You can feel defeat in the air. Jordan Staal makes a huge effort, and almost single handedly changes everything. After he scores, momentum shifts and the Penguins come back off of the ropes in one of the best finishes to a Penguins playoff period — ever. Momentum: Penguins. +1 The pressure now shifts back to the Red Wings, as does discussion of whether they are too tired and/old old.

But… Getting Datsyuk back is a huge emotional lift for the team, as is being back at home, which neutralizes the pressure (and hence the momentum). By game-time, I believe the momentum is pretty much stalled. The Penguins come out furiously in the beginning of game five. Chris Osgood makes several key saves, and the Pens are suddenly tired and deflated. (They thought the champs were done?) The Red Wings put together an excellent second half and has the Pens punch drunk by period three.

Red Wings win game five. Momentum: Red Wings. +2 An elimination game is huge pressure. The Penguins losing in six, at home, is even worse — since it is a replay of last year. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on them. What helps them out of the pressure trap is they play like caged animals. If the Red Wings score first, it is probably over… but they don’t. The early two penalties help a lot — even though the Penguins don’t score on them (barely get a shot in the second) it prevents the Red Wings from getting into flow. Any pressure the Pens feel at the start of the game is over by the end of the first period. Now it’s just a hockey game. Pens win.

But, make no mistake… Game 7: Momentum: Red Wings. +1

The Pressure to do better than last year is off of the Pens backs. But with that, they are also losing their edge… that desperation. If the Wings score first in game 7, this one could get ugly. Going into the Joe thinking they are playing with house money is very dangerous. They should remain as hungry and focused as they were in game 6. Considering how fast they punched themselves out in game 5, though, you wonder if the Penguins can sustain that level for a whole game without their crowd behind them. The good news is that they don’t need to play like game 6. If they play as well as they did in Game 1, they probably win this series. The Red Wings are tired. They are older. and they have been there done that, so there is a question of how much it will really hurt them to lose it now.

The Penguins have to over-come the crowd, and the unfair characterization that they can’t play well in Detroit (even though they played both of the first games well enough to win, and they won there last year in overtime.)

The Red Wings have to find the reserve to put it all on the line one more time to win something that they have already won.

I think the advantage is Red Wings right now. That can easily change in the game. If the Red Wings score first, I think it’s over. (But, maybe I’m not giving the Penguins enough credit for their playoff maturity… Maybe if they go down one to nothing, they will get back that caged animal mentality that served them so well in game 6…)

If the Penguins score first, it is still anyone’s game. The Red Wings are like Roman the Roman army… they just lock shields and keep coming. What the Penguins need, very badly, is to score first, and to have Fleury make a great save early. Then, Fleury can get on his game, and the Red Wings have to start wondering if it really is worth it to give blood one more time…

by MarkJoel66 on Jun 10, 2009 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

…you’d find that the actual root cause is either a team playing better or getting luckier.

I find it odd that you allude to luck having some part to play in things, but refuse to accept momentum as a similar factor.

That said, I can understand what you’re getting at, to a degree. It does come down, in the end, to who scores more goals in a game and who wins more games in a series. The term momentum in relation to sports, I feel, is a bit misleading. Analysts will say that a team has the momentum of a contest when in fact the momentum of the contest is what carried the contest to the point at which it stands. In a very literal sense, momentum is something that can only be analyzed ex post facto, such as Malsby has done here.

I wonder though, why you continue to campaign so heavily against the use of the term. I think from a coach’s standpoint, for instance, it can be very useful. If you’re in the locker room at the first intermission and you played a good first period, a coach can say things like, “Keep up the momentum of that first period.” Whether it’s BS or not, if it helps the team play well coming out in the 2nd, it has worked.

-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.

by pascaldupweevil on Jun 7, 2009 8:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I wonder though, why you continue to campaign so heavily against the use of the term. I think from a coach’s standpoint, for instance, it can be very useful. If you’re in the locker room at the first intermission and you played a good first period, a coach can say things like, "Keep up the momentum of that first period." Whether it’s BS or not, if it helps the team play well coming out in the 2nd, it has worked.

In this sense you are correct. When used as a motivational tool it can be useful. However, motivation only goes so far and when it can’t be converted to an effect on the ice, it is ultimately useless.

My main beef is that momentum is often cited as the determining factor in the outcome of an upcoming game or period. You know this happens all the time when you’re watching a hockey analyst panel either pre-game or during the intermission. Now, they could mean that one team is playing better is another, but if so I’d prefer is they just said that. Often, however, they will spin it as something like “team A was outplaying team B almost the entire period, but team B scored a late PP goal and grabbed the momentum, and they’ll have the edge going into the next period”. When in fact, more than 500 times out of 1000 team A is the likelier team to win, because they’re playing better.

Re: luck. I don’t accept it as a predictive factor either. It’s like momentum too – you can attribute, a priori, a win to luck (a bad bounce, a team burying more of its chances than it’s shown capable, a bad call). Just as you can analyze the momentum of a game, after it has been decided. But when you turn an eye to the future, I put stock into neither luck nor momentum.

by R O on Jun 7, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When in fact, more than 500 times out of 1000 team A is the likelier team to win, because they’re playing better.

This should say, “when in fact, more than 500 time out of 1000 team A is the likelier team to play better, because they’re playing better.” Nothing takes away from the fact that team B has scored, and in some situations (e.g. they have the lead going into the third) then they usually have the odds on their side even if they’re playing like ass.

by R O on Jun 7, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And...

I really enjoy your writing Malsby. I especially liked your description of game 4’s 2nd period as a “six-minute deluge”.

-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.

by pascaldupweevil on Jun 7, 2009 8:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i think momentum in a series is overrated

other than results of one game impacting another (such as a player getting injured or the series being 2-0), i think momentum being carried from one game to the next may only impact the first few minutes of the next game until that game takes on a life of its own.

and i’m not too worried about the momentum from this game carrying over. remember how the pens lost a “key game” 5 against the flyers since it was an opportunity to close them out on home ice? we lost that game 3-0. how ’bout the beginning of game 6 in that series to avoid playing a game 7? we were down 3-0 by 5 minutes into the 2nd period, but then followed it up with 5 unanswered goals. or how about game 6 against the capitals to avoid playing a game 7 in washington? we had a heart breaking loss in OT, but we won the next game 6-2.

moral of the story: except for the carolina series, our post season run has been marred with a lack of focus/poor play/losing in these “important” games in every series so far (i bet this is a product of a lot of our key players being young). BUT, we’ve managed to bounce back in all of those series. yes, detroit is better than the flyers & capitals, but i think/hope we bounce back.

by t1mmy10 on Jun 7, 2009 8:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just a minor quibble: Dupuis actually shattered his stick slashing at Hossa’s ankle. The official revised complaint (see CBKWIT, ad nauseum) is that Hossa should have been called for hooking just before that occurred.

Mostly solid analysis otherwise, methinks. Might quibble with the idea of Detroit having strong to very strong momentum after winning games 1 and 2, because, as you point out, the Pens came home thinking they coulda shoulda had a split in Motown. I’d reserve the “very strong” momentum to situations where the next game truly is affected by a carryover effect, as in Pens-Canes, where the Malkin Awakening in game 2 (the hat trick in the 7-4 game) put the fear into the Canes, leading to the 3 goal outburst in the first period (granted, the canes did score first, but Geno tied it up, what, 2 minutes later?) and another laugher in game 3.

If momentum that carries over from game to game does exist, if RO is wrong, then, quite simply, the Pens are screwed in this series, because that momentum will result in 2 Red Wings goals in the first period Tuesday, leading to more indiscipline from the Pens, and another Cup ceremony on Mellon ice for the away team. Neither you nor I believe that’s inevitable. And moreover, the same 2 day break that will supposedly allow the Red Wings to rest up can also allow the Pens to put thoughts of game 5 thoroughly out of their system.

by ahtrap on Jun 7, 2009 8:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I suppose another point to this is that momentum before a game is always subject to change once the game starts. The Pens certainly carried their Game 4 momentum into Game 5, but somewhere along the line it was lost, and I argue that it was lost before the penalty call. No huge event that caused it, the Wings simply started playing their game and the Pens lost their edge.

As far as Game 6 goes, I would say Detroit’s incoming momentum is more about the series than that game in and of itself. Clearly the Pens like their chances at home despite the blowout, but the Wings have to feel pretty comfortable with the prospect of winning in either 6 or 7.

by Malsby on Jun 7, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting to see the philosophical comments about my post. And here I thought you guys were all just a bunch of dumb hockey fans. :p j/k

by Malsby on Jun 7, 2009 9:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No Kidding...

I haven’t witnessed a conversation like this since Intro to Logic 101!

Life is about one simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying

by Dr Tre on Jun 8, 2009 7:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice article Malsby. I think “momentum” has turned into a media buzzword – LOL the sequence of events in Game 5 was that the Pens just didn’t play well. At all. But when all said and done, they are just one game behind the Wings. In the Finals.

by CGNC on Jun 8, 2009 12:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

credit Versus, NBC, ESPN et al

Everyone needs a storyline. Especially as the NHL tries to rebuild an audience with a less than ideal national television deal in place. Sportswriters are lazy too. It’s an easy story to grab onto and it has built-in drama.

The teams will settle this in their preparation and play. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, all the surrounding hype is mostly just noise.

by chicos_pants on Jun 8, 2009 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, the Wings may come down from that emotional high of Game 5 – and I think the Pens may have suffered the same between games 4 and 5 so I look to see a fast paced Penguins team firing on all cylinders in Game 6

by CGNC on Jun 8, 2009 12:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think momentum from the last game played is a factor for maybe a few minutes, at best, going into the next game. All the players are professionals and know that each game is a clean slate to start again. Games 3, 5 are perfect examples of that.
There is momentum during a game from things that happen in that game though.

For the Pens part, they played their worst game of the season at the worst time.

Do you really think that was their worst game? They weren’t great but Detroit played pretty awesome and the Pens got blown out because Detroit capitalized on power play opportunities.
You can’t play down a man for 10 minutes in one period against any NHL team, much less Detroit, and hope to come out unscathed.
I think basically the Pens took too many penalties with MAF having a very off night which sucked the actual momentum out of the game for the Pens.

by zephyr on Jun 8, 2009 8:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bottom line ...

if the Pens lose game 6 and Hossa lifts the cup in front of the Penguins faithful, I will puke.

At least I know that this team won’t fold in a deciding game (like the Caps) so I can look forward to a hard fought battle. I’m definitely nervous but still like the Pens chances to protect home ice, momentum or not.

by Le Magnifique on Jun 8, 2009 10:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

there was a point in G5 where there was obviously no hope of winning. What could the Pens accomplish down 4-0? In the old NHL you’d smack the bejesus out of your opponent to send a message, but that seems pointless in this series against this opponent. Unlike Philly, Detroit is willing to just walk away from a fight instead of trying to prove their toughness. Plus they had absolutely nothing to gain in G5 so I wouldn’t blame them.

Late in the game the Pens seemed to settle down a bit, finish out and hopefully start to recallibrate for G6. A loss is a loss. I’m not sold that a bad loss is a death knell. If anything it could be a necessary wake up call. It seemed to work for Detroit after their G4 embarrassment.

by chicos_pants on Jun 8, 2009 11:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’ve heard a lot of people saying that it’s almost better to lose in that fashion than to lose to a horn-beater or in OT. That’s crushing. If you get blown out, you have some good game tape to look at with all of the things that you didn’t do right. If game 5 had been a 3-2 OT loss in which they played 60+ minutes of good hockey, then on top of the sting of the loss, determining what areas of play need to be better is much harder.

I thought they should have pulled Fleury after the 4th goal. I didn’t have any problem with the motivation to pull him at the point that they did, but with a 4-0 deficit you send him the same message of benevolence, and yet with one good offensive rush the team could get a goal and be rallying behind Garon. At 5-0, you pull him, and even if you do get that 1 goal, it’s a much taller wall to climb.

I thought Garon looked pretty sharp. If I were Bylsma, I’d be telling him to stay ready to play(perhaps out of Fleury’s ear-shot though)

-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.

by pascaldupweevil on Jun 8, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Garon played well for a guy that had been pine riding since early April. That said, unless MAF gives up a ton of goals early on, they can’t yank him.

So hard to understand momentum…the Pens won Game 5 of the Washington series in OT, so, by all accounts, that should have been the crushing blow to make Game 6 a laugher. No. The Caps proceeded to play their hearts out and they won in OT with everything on the line. So, the Pens are in trouble, right? No. The Pens win big in D.C. for Game 7. I think it’s more a matter of potential than anything else.

by Malsby on Jun 8, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Momentum is not exsistent in carrying over games, if it was then detroit would have won game 3 and we would have won game 5.
Momentum is good in the game your playing but i don’t believe it carries over, and it’s defintiely not carrying over 2 games into game 6.

by JasonGoPens on Jun 8, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you there. Between games it is only a factor in the mindset of the players. But c’mon, these are professional athletes whose careers are about playing the game.

Within the game momentum has a much more prominent effect. I think it was one of the coaches who said that (paraphrasing here) Momentum is only as good as the next shift.

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." - George Washington

by Hockey Beard in SLC on Jun 8, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Disagree about game 4

I think the Pens had strong momentum going into game 5, and I think many people were not only expecting a win in game 5, but also a win in game 6 to close it out on home ice.

by BDON911 on Jun 8, 2009 10:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

My brother, a season ticket holder, put his playoff tickets on sale after game 4. He got $600 a piece for them… I am sure the folks who bought them thought they would be watching the Pans skate the Stanley Cup at Mellon arena after game 6…

by MarkJoel66 on Jun 10, 2009 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very interesting discussion so far; I think a lot of people bring up many different, valid points. I understand what R O is saying.

somehow a team that has had previous events go in its favor, is able to have upcoming events to go in its favor, through this nebulous concept

Basically, that if there is such a thing as “momentum” it isn’t causal. I agree, but only to a degree. My idea of momentum can be summed up through this example: the first team to score a goal generally seems to have more spring in their step, they seem to skate faster, hit harder, and pass better. To me, the act of scoring that goal makes the scoring team skate faster, hit harder and generally outplay their opponents. That is momentum. In close games a powerplay goal, or shorthanded goal, or fight (all at the right time) can serve to shift the “momentum” of the game. So while the “momentum” of a game doesn’t directly cause a team to score more goals, the idea that momentum represents, that the team that has it skates harder, or faster, or plays better, is very real. Momentum could also be described almost as a mindset. While one team has it they believe that they are doing well, that they can close out the win, or that their deficit is not insurmountable. It seems to keep the players going, they know that if they just continue to push hard as a team, their goals can be achieved. While the term “momentum” is nebulous, almost by definition, that doesn’t meant that it can’t have a very real impact on the game.

As for momentum carrying over between periods, yes, most definitely. A goal at the end of a period to bring a deficit to 2-1 can give a team something to rally around in the locker room. They can come out fired up and skating strong. Momentum carrying between games is a bit trickier, especially with two days off. The effects of any momentum would be mitigated the more time passes between games; especially because the team without the momentum has more time to mentally prepare and disregard its effects.

by TrueBluePSU on Jun 9, 2009 2:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As far as the team who scored skating faster, hitting harder and passing better after the fact, the team that is doin those things in the first place is going to be the one that scores (most likely); ipso facto will most likely continue that trend. Momentum is, in all tense and purposes, a state of mind. If the players of a team pick up their game due to a goal for their team they have the momentum and if the players for the other team feel tired and slugish after a goal against then they lose momentum.

by AZpenzFan on Jun 10, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Safe to call it a wash.

I think, after game 6.

-David
sixminutecynic.blogspot.com
www.piratesmix.com.

by pascaldupweevil on Jun 10, 2009 1:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Funny, I have a friend that reads my excellently written posts(or rather is forced to read my posts, by me) and during our drunken celebrations last night, he said, “So, where is the momentum now, Mr. Expert?”

And I agree with you, completely even. Just like after Game 4, the Pens tied the series up and know that once again they can go over the top in Detroit. It’s their fourth and final try for a win there, but a win on Friday night and the memories of Games 1, 2, and 5 are toast. So, they have to feel good about that.

For the Wings, they played a very tight game in a losing effort and I really doubt they’re sulking much. They know how tough they’ve been to beat in JLA, so I’m sure they feel fine about their chances as well.

by Malsby on Jun 10, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs