It’s safe to say that hockey players are a superstitious breed. They’re particular about who takes care of their sticks, they’ll keep pieces of equipment for years past the stage when you could call them old and moldy and all sorts of other added nonsense. For the Chicago Blackhawks, after having so much success on the road, it’s no surprise that they want to try to bring that good road fortune back home with them.
The Blackhawks theme of the day, of course, is reversing the trend of average play at home.
The news that the team will stay in a hotel Friday afternoon, after their morning practice, didn’t come as a complete shock.
The “road routine” has worked so well, why not try to bring it home? Simply put, there is no downside. A case could be made that the team should have stayed in a hotel Thursday night as well--John Madden said his New Jersey squad stayed in hotels in similar circumstances.