Could Improper Strength Training be a Problem for the Flames?

[flamesfever]

From my observation, the team I would hope to emulate, as far as protecting the puck, along with puck control, would be Detroit. Perhaps a comparison with what they are doing is in order. Also, Hudler may be able to provide the answer as to why the Detroit players are so strong on the puck.

[doctajones428]

We don't work the corners and throw our weight around enough. Backlund, Monahan and Colborne are big boys, they need to take advantage of it

[1stLand]

When muscles get to big, you start to loose your hands.

I hit the weights hard when I was 16 and 17 playing Bantam AAA and noticed puck handling started getting sloppy

[Itse]

Originally Posted by doctajones428

We don't work the corners and throw our weight around enough. Backlund, Monahan and Colborne are big boys, they need to take advantage of it

Had to look that up. Monahan weights 185 per the Flames roster, closer to TJ Brodie than anyone else.

Funny btw, now that I looked, the team can be pretty neatly split into five groups based on weight:. Monahan is a rookie, Brodie is young too, Russell, Cammalleri and Baertchi are short, Colborne and Breen are tall.

Take them out, and this becomes:

• 190-195: Stajan
• 195-200: Galiardi, Stempniak, Glencross, Backlund, Butler, Smith, Giordano, Wideman
• about 210 pounds: Jones, Smid, Bouma
• over 220: Jackman, McGrattan, O'Brien.

So basicly you have your physical players at 210, your unskilled bruisers at 220 or more and the rest are all between 195-200 pounds.


Could be a coincidence, or it could be that those are basicly the target weights for certain player types. Btw yeah, looking at that list there's plenty of guys that should be able to easily pack 5-10 pounds more, at least if you look at just their heights. Galiardi, Stajan, Butler, Smith, Glencross...

Also, considering how much weaker we looked than the Sharks, the difference in size isn't really THAT big.

Hmm. I think the OP has a decent question actually. Of course we could be a slighty lighter team by design, but yeah, I'm not throwing the theory right out that our strength training might be just a little bit behind the curve.

NHL is a league of small margins.

[troutman]

I sometimes thought Iginla's slow starts may have had something to do with working out too hard in the summer. He had nothing in the tank in October.

[flamesfever]

When you look at hockey players at the airport, they don't really strike you as athletes. They tend to look tall and relatively slim, i.e. built for speed rather than strength.

[ramizle]

Do they even lift bro?

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

When you look at hockey players at the airport, they don't really strike you as athletes. They tend to look tall and relatively slim, i.e. built for speed rather than strength.

Also built as much for endurance as anything. Hockey players play a surprising amount of actual time during the game.

When you look at a game like football, those players are obviously much bigger and stronger than hockey players. They can afford to put on the extra mass because the amount of time per game they actually play is extremely low.
One study had it as low as 11 minutes of actual playing time per game.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...02852055561406
That's the whole game. Once you factor in offensive players, defensive players, special teams.....individual players only get what would amount to a few shifts in hockey.

[flamesfever]

I believe natural strength plays a large part in an athletes success, and longevity in his sport. One of the strongest players in my recollection was Gordie Howe. He could hold off an opposing player with one arm, while stick handling with his other arm, better than most other players using both arms. I believe I read somewhere, that in an early part of his career, he was judged to be one of the most perfect humans alive, physically.

Could it be, that when Detroit are drafting / trading for players, they place more weight on strength? Also, could they be watching many movies of their former players, and trying to emulate their skillset?