Down 3-0 In A Series? Maybe Let's Not "Take It One Game At A Time..."
Everyone says the same thing when down big - it almost never works.
In NHL history, 212 (now 213) teams have fallen 0-3 in a playoff series. And, as far as I know, all 212 (now 213) teams have said, in one way or another - We have to take it one game at a time…
Coaches say it. Players say it. The media says or endorses it. Fans say it. We believe it, or - we want to believe it.
We don’t have to win all of em - we just have to win tonight.
Yah. That’s what everybody says. That’s the strategy. Win tonight.
Well - that never works. OK - not never - but in about 100 years - it did not and has not worked for 208 of the 212 teams.
Who’s done it?
1942 Leafs, 1975 Islanders, 2010 Flyers, 2014 Kings.
That’s it.
Let me ask you something - if you and your folks at work set up a strategy to overcome huge obstacles in your own company or industry - and that strategy was successful .019% of the time - would you keep doing it?
Would you continue to wear it proudly, say it with conviction, tell your charges, your co-workers, your bosses that -
This has gotta be the right way to frame this. This mindset - this win tonight business - focus on just the micro - is the most successful path to getting this done.
It. Doesn’t. Work.
Now - there’s a lot going on here - including - if you’re down 3-0 you probably aren’t up to beating this opponent anyway - they’re demonstratively better than you are. We have that here with Carolina/Philadelphia in fact. The Canes are better. Way better.
But - I got ideas here on how to frame it differently. I’ve spoken with coaches about it. Not so long ago, former Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock and I kicked it around.
C’mon - what should we tell the Flyers? Or the Minnesota Wild - they’re down 2-0 and have to win 4 out of 5 against that team?
I’ll tell ya what we don’t tell em - take it one game at a time.
