Scheduling remains to be a big factor which contributes to fatigue. While NHL schedules are able to balance this out, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are not quite the same. Coach Mike Sullivan and Team USA had clearly been tired after they advanced to the quarterfinals after a 5-1 win over Germany. Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk noticed this and outlined how this could be what pushes them to win the gold medal.
Sacrifices at Milano Cortina
Team USA has now officially played three games in the span of four days. Their latest game against Germany also happened so late that the clock had struck midnight when the players exited the locker room. Tkachuk noted how this excruciating time slot and schedule has forged Coach Sullivan’s team into being more resilient against conditions that are out of their control, via Nicholas Costonika of NHL.com
“Just super excited to get in the knockout stage. We’ve only been here for however long, but it feels like we’ve been here for way longer. It feels like this group’s been together for way longer. The sacrifice … We talk about it all the time, the commitment, kind of the life-changing experience this is for all of us. We don’t want to stop now,” the Team USA and Panthers star declared.
The waiting game now starts for Team USA after four insanely tiring days. Coach Sullivan’s squad has the second seed in the Olympics which means that they will face off against whoever wins between Sweden and Latvia. There is a certain amount of adversity that this team has faced after losing to Canada in overtime at the 4 Nations Face-Off and some of them going through recurring injuries throughout the NHL season.
What unites them? Well, they all seem to enjoy playing with one another and representing the country well.
“We just wanted to win so we could win the group. We never talked once about top seed at all. None of that seeding stuff. All that handles itself, right? You’re going to play everybody if you want to win your ultimate goal. All in all, very pleased with how we’re going into the quarterfinals,” Tkachuk added.
Overcoming huge odds and adversities are what makes teams great. Hopefully, Coach Sullivan and Team USA are able to replicate what happened 46 years ago in that pursuit against rough circumstances.
