Playoffs Is About The Little Things

You can examine statistics studiously all you want, but hockey, especially the NHL playoffs, usually can not be measured by any quantifiable formula.

No, instead it is about intangibles, about attention to details, and about the little things. And no, I don't mean my tv!

Ask the Calgary Flames. After falling down 3-0 early against San Jose on Sunday, Corey Sarich's monster hit on Patrick Marleau became the turning point in the game. Suddenly the bench and the fans were alive again, and the Flames began their improbable comeback, winning 4-3!

Beyond the big hit, Calgary accomplished this victory by paying attention to the small basics. Chip the puck out of your zone, dump it in deep in their zone. Put the puck on net, crash the net looking for rebounds and deflections.

Perhaps the Flames got a pep talk from former Flame Perry Berezan. Berezan made a career out of accomplishing the little things. Eventually he was rewarded, by scoring one of the most famous goals in hockey history.

Well, sort of anyways. Read the full Perry Berezan biography to find out what I mean.