Lead by Carcillo the Flyers came out in the second and third period looking like a completely different team. Carcillo scored the first goal of the second period to tie the game 1-1, and scored another goal in the third period for the win. Once the Flyers found the right level of intensity they were faster, more physical, and flat out playing the Penguins who controlled the first period. 

Playing with the proper intensity helped the Flyers come back and perform their best on the ice. Intensity deals with how psyched up or pumped you are during a game.  In hockey when your intensity is inconsistent, so if your performance. Some games, you might be psyched up and ready to play while other times, you might lack interest or feel bored, which hurts affects your ability to concentrate.

Players with low intensity may have trouble anticipating the play, feel sluggish and just go through the motions. A lack of intensity can lead to mental errors such forgetting the play or losing the puck in your own end. 

In order to increase intensity, you want to challenge yourself in the opening minutes of each period by setting goals that help you focus on your performance.  For example, you might challenge yourself to skate faster than your opponent, make crisp passes, or have two more shots on goal.

An excellent time to boost your intensity is during your pregame warm-up. Not only do you need to warm-up physically, but also mentally.  You want to use your warm-up and pregame routine to help get in the right frame of mind and emotional state before competition. Listening to music is one way to do this. If you need to increase your intensity, listen to fast, upbeat music. If you need to decrease your anxiety, listening to slower paced music might be more helpful to you.

In summary, it is important to monitor your pregame level of intensity and take the necessary steps to boost your intensity prior to the game. Get your heart rate up before the game. Challenge yourself to play well and set small goals to go after and don’t play your game.

Gretzky believes that pregame warm-ups are key to winning in hockey. “You have to take advantage of your pregame warm-up. It helps you get in the right mindset to perform. Your warm-up sets the tone,” said Gretzky.

He also believes it is important to have a game plan for your performance before you step onto the ice. “You have to really know the team you are playing, and what you have to do win. If you’re playing an aggressive team you have to play fast and aggressive. If you’re playing a really talented team you need to know their weaknesses,” said Gretzky.

After an efficient warm-up on the ice Gretzky would go back into the locker-room and review his game plan. “I would take a few moments in the locker-room and visualize myself on the ice to help me avoid distractions and focus on my game plan,” said Gretzky.

Reviewing your game plan will help you focus on what you want to accomplish and free your mind of distractions. Set time aside before the game to visualize yourself on the ice executing your game plan. See yourself scorings a goal, completing a perfect pass, and defending your zone. This will boost your confidence and put you in a performance mindset.

Use your game plan to give you an advantage over your opponent. It’s important to stick with your plan throughout the game. Questioning your game plan will only distract you from doing what you need to do. Trust your preparation and give it your all on the ice.

To perform to his potential and cope with pressure Crosby focuses on the process of winning rather than end results. “I’m looking at it as short-term as possible. I push myself to raise my game every day,” said Crosby. To raise his game Crosby sets process goals in practice. Process goals are small goals or objectives that help athletes execute each play.

“I focus on improving little things like my passing technique,” said Crosby. Setting process goals will help you improve you focus, execution, and preparation. In practice situations set process goals to improve your technique such as correct hand position, or puck placement. You can also use process goals to import your mental skills such as letting go of errors quickly and refocusing.

Like Crosby, process goals will help you play to your potential, cope with pressure, and enjoy your sport. “I don’t think there’s ever a time where I step back and say I wish I was doing something different. I’m doing what I love to do,” said Crosby. Use process goals to help you focus on the process of winning or success in your sport. By doing this, Crosby became the youngest captain in the NHL and won his first Stanley Cup at the tender age of twenty-one.

When asked about his mental approach and preparation for sports toughest game he states, “I have always been a physical player. I am not afraid to challenge my opponents and be as good as I can be on a nightly basis.”

Players like Laperriere are tough physically, as well as mentally. He has the ability to perform on the ice with a mindset to play as hard as he can. He becomes a major distraction for other players. “I do this by getting in their face and letting them know if you’re going to play against me tonight, and you’re expecting to have any success, there is going to be a price you have to pay,” Laperriere said.

Laperriere’s desire to play as hard as he can influences his teammate’s mindset and encourages them to match that same level of intensity each night. “Lappy becomes the heart and soul of your team by the way that he plays,” said former teammate Luc Robitaille. In high performance sports like hockey the players feed off each other’s energy, and players like Laperriere are ready to set the tone. Team enforcers are confident in their ability to stand toe to toe with the best in the league on a nightly basis. To help boost your team’s confidence and mental toughness be prepared to give full effort each time you perform.

A team and fan favorite, Laperriere has fit in perfectly on a Flyers team with a history of physical punishment. Laperriere was second in the league last year in fighting penalties and shows no signs of giving up his status as one of the NHL’s top tough guys.

For more mental game information, visit, Peaksports Network Online Mental Training Program.

Some young hockey players psych themselves out being younger players on the team. A hockey parent said:

“Being always the younger hockey player on his team (probably will always be), he gets easily intimidated by the skills and comments from the older players even if he is as good as them.”

Self-intimidation is one of the most difficult mental game challenges to overcome. You can ignore what others say, but it’s not easy to escape your own thoughts or doubts!

How do you know if you’re intimidating yourself? Below are a few signs you might intimidate yourself.

• You focus on others thinking about their weight, size, brawn and confidence.
• You have doubts about playing well when you think your competitors or teammates are better than you.
• You are in awe of the situation or hoopla of the competitive environment.
• You feel inferior to the competition or teammates and make comparisons.
• You’re afraid of embarrassing yourself by making mistakes.
• You feel that you don’t belong at the game or with a certain team.

How can you overcome intimidation?

One option to overcome self-intimidation is to focus on your own game. If you’re intimidated, you likely focus too much on competitors. If you’re thinking too much about your competitors, focus on your own pregame warm-up routine. Think about your own strategy and preparing mentally for the upcoming game.

If you make comparisons to your teammates, instead focus on your own strengths. Think about what makes you feel confident. You might remind yourself of your work ethic, ability to perform well under pressure or the best aspects of your game.

Your hockey psychology tip is to stop making comparisons. Focus on your own preparation before the game and remind yourself of the strengths in your game.

An important ingredient to the Blackhawks’s success is their ability to capitalize on their wins. Sometimes you “win ugly” and you’re able to use what’s working to get the job done. Your performance doesn’t always go as planned, but you can still draw confidence from winning under adversity. Niklas Hjalmarsson and the Blackhawks draw confidence from their good performances under pressure.

“We have way more confidence right now. That first round, we were struggling to be honest with you. We had some luck actually, especially being down (in Game 5) and tying the game with just a few seconds left,” said Hjalmarsson.

You can also ride the wave of momentum.

“(My) confidence is really way up. I wouldn’t mind (the Cup Final) starting (now). Everything’s going good right now,” said Dustin Byfuglien.

When you’ve got momentum, you feel the excitement of playing well. After a great win, you can carry your momentum into the next game. You want to ride the wave of momentum when you’re playing well. However, you don’t want momentum to cause you to get complacent or protect your lead. Continue your aggressive play when you’re playing well to keep your momentum going.

Confidence can also come from feeling comfortable in the competitive environment. Many teams are confident because they have experience playing in pressure situations.

“I got a feeling in the locker room ever since this series started that we were just really comfortable. It just felt really calm. Everyone knows their role and what to do, and we execute them really good. That’s what it’s all about.” said Hjalmarsson

Your hockey psychology tip is to draw your confidence from good performances, even if they aren’t necessarily your best performances. Ride the wave of momentum and confidence to keep your momentum going. Feeling comfortable in competition can also help boost your confidence.

Game plans

Teams can also develop their game plan based on the opposing team. What can you do to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses? How will you adjust your game based on your opponents’ strategy?

These are important questions to develop a winning game plan. However, game plans don’t guarantee success. Teams can fall short for two reasons: throwing out their game plan and not being fully committed.

Some teams abandon their game plan. They might get nervous, caught up in the hoopla of the game or feel frustrated with their performance. Without a game plan, it’s difficult to carry the team to victory on talent alone.

Other teams have game plans, but aren’t fully committed to them. Without full commitment from the players, your team becomes indecisive, tentative and over thinks their performance. Your team essentially looses trust in their game.

Losses can be especially tough on a team’s trust in their game plan. The San Jose Sharks haven’t lost trust in their game plan despite their 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

“It’s not going to be extra pressure to win the game, and it’s not going to be us running around in chaos. We’re going to stick to the same plan we always have and go out and execute it,” said Devin Setoguchi.

Your (or your teams) performance doesn’t always go according to plan. There may be times when you’re executing plays well, for example. This may call for a change in your strategy or game plan. Adjust your strategy to compensate for what’s not working for you.

You might consider changing up your plays to take advantage of the opponents’ weaknesses. Use the part of your game that is working, such as skating well during the power plays. The key is that even if you chose to change your game plan, you’ll want to stick to it.

“We’ve looked at some things that we can do better, and a lot of it is execution in our zone that led to some of their opportunities,” Sharks captain Rob Blake said. “We can be better.”

The bottom line: full commitment and confidence in your game plan is crucial to your success. Once you decide to change your strategy, stick to it. Full commitment to a poor strategy is better than no commitment to a sound strategy.

How do you know if you’re making comparisons?

Here are some signs to look for:

• Worried about the reputation or other team’s record
• Caught up with the hoopla of the game
• Make comparisons against teams you think are better
• Doubt your ability to play your best
• Feel inferior to the competition
• Give too much energy to your competition pregame

For the Montreal Canadiens in their series with the Penguins, self-intimidation wasn’t a factor. The Canadiens stunned the Pittsburg Penguins with a 4-3 win in the Eastern semifinals to force Game 7. Michael Cammalleri contributed to the win scoring two goals Monday night.

“For us, it’s the reality. If you pinch yourself, you’re beat. I remember when you first come in the league if you start sitting around staring in awe and catching flies you’ll be out pretty quick. Now we belong. We’re having fun. For us, hey, we’ve got an opportunity to knock these guys off in Game 7. Let’s go enjoy it and I’ll say the same thing I’ve said every game: ‘Let’s see if we can’t go and play a great game,” said Canadiens Michael Cammalleri.

The best solution is to build long-lasting confidence in your game. Players who intimidate themselves tend to lack confidence in their abilities. Think about your strengths as a player. Are you good on offense, anticipating plays, or passing skill? Make a list of these. That way, you’ll remind yourself of your strengths to improve your confidence.

You also want to focus on your game. Players have a tendency to focus too much on the competition and psych themselves out. You’ll want to think about your strategy for the upcoming game and what you need to do to be successful today.

Your hockey psychology tip is to stop making comparisons to other teams or players. Focus on your own game and your strengths. You’ll be better prepared, focused and more confident for the game.

Many players struggle maintaining their intensity in the opening minutes of the game. Intensity deals with how psyched up or pumped you are during a game. Some players need to psych up before a game, feeling energized and excited, to focus their best. Other players prefer to be more relaxed and calm. How do you know what type of player you are? You’ll want to think back to your best performances. Did you perform your best when you were psyched up or relaxed?

Some players and teams start off slow during the opening minutes of the game due to low intensity. They have trouble anticipating the play, feel sluggish and just go through the motions. Slow starts can be a problem if they continue throughout the game. Players can lose confidence if they are down early in the game.

Even top hockey teams experience slow starts. The Philadelphia Flyers had a slow start to the Eastern conference semifinal against the Boston Bruins. The Flyers came back from down 3-1 and 4-2 and tying the game (4-4) in the third. But, the Bruins battled back to win the game in overtime 5-4.

“Our start is going to be critical. We looked shaky with the puck. We weren’t moving our legs. We weren’t good on the forecheck. Maybe being away from the competitive game for over a week hurt us a little bit, but we battled back. … That’s what we try to take positive out of that game,” said Danny Briere of the Philadelphia Fylers.

Has your team had slow starts to the game due to lack of intensity. That’s why mental preparation before games is critical.

One reason for players’ lack of intensity is boredom. In order to increase intensity, you want to challenge yourself in the opening minutes. It might be to skate quickly or stay with your competitor more closely. Set challenging goals that help you boost your intensity.

You can also use the pregame warm up boost your intensity too. Give your teammates high fives. Imagine yourself playing with high energy. Use “power” words that trigger intensity such as explode or power.

Each hockey player is different in terms of their intensity level. If you feel that you need to boost your intensity, you can use the mental strategies listed above. Find out which strategies work best for you.

If you need to relax before games, you can check out “The Relaxed Athlete,” which offers the top mental strategies to develop a relaxed mindset before games.

Read more about The Relaxed Athlete here:

http://www.peaksports.com/the_relaxed_athlete.php

New Jersey’s Dainius Zubrus said, “You’re playing the same team until you move on. Mental toughness is probably the most important thing you have to have. Throughout the game and the series, the momentum can shift either way. If the other team scores, you have to have mental toughness to stay the course, especially because in the playoffs, you’re playing the same team, so you know each other quite well. I think most of it is mental, because there’s no bad teams. Whoever stays stronger and is more ready, better prepared, that’s who’s going to move on.”

David Clarkston added, “It’s a different type of hockey in the playoffs. It’s do or die. There’s no 82 games. You can’t lose four games, so mentally you have to be strong and you have to have leadership and guys that have been there. That’s what we have in here. We have leadership, we have guys that have been there, we have chemistry, we have the right group of guys. Now we just need to go out there and play a full 60 minutes.”

Playing in the playoffs or any important game for that matter can create mental challenges for you or your team. Some teams might have high expectations, feeling that they need to beat a team or have a perfect performance, which can create pressure and undermine confidence. Other teams might psych themselves out, freeze up in competition, lose confidence and trust in their skills. Some might look ahead to the next round and let up in the current game, causing them to underperform.

How can you or your team boost their mental toughness?

You’ll want to downplay the importance of the game. Many teams get caught up in the hoopla, teams’ records or other unimportant information. You’ll want to look at this game as the same as any other game during the season. You’ll want to focus on your team’s strategy for the game and what you can do to execute that strategy. Rely on your practice and preparation to get the job done.

You’ll also want to let go of any expectations you (or others) have for your performance. Many teams focus too much on results or what it means if they win. When you focus on results, you lose focus on the current shift. You’ll want to refocus quickly when you get distracted and focus on what you need to do during the current play or shift. That may be to focus on good passes or staying with your competitor. By focusing on the process, the results will eventually fall into place.

Want to learn all my secrets for Focusing your best under pressure? Check out The Focused Athlete at Peaksports.com.