An even ice rink

[osorojo]

With 76 seconds left in the hockey game Denver beat Minnesota Duluth 2-1. The Minnesota-Duluth ice rink is 702 feet above sea level; Denver is 5,279 feet above sea level. The Loveland Ice Arena is 4,982 feet above sea level: below Denver. Ice hockey is an oxygen-deficit game. The ice was a perfectly level playing field, but hardly a neutral venue.

[redice]

The Big Red were hurt by that situation against Denver in the 1969 NCAA title game.

[jtwcornell91]

And with Denver beating tUMD, the Frozen Four became 25% less fun.

[Greenberg '97]

Did you see the GWG in that game?  Are you proposing the thin air created the ricochet off the end glass and made it easier for the puck to nearly bounce in off the back of Fanti's leg?

I get the altitude argument, but oxygen had nothing to do with that bit of puck luck.

[billhoward]

The thinner air helped speed up the puck. Perhaps.

[ugarte]

Did you see the GWG in that game?  Are you proposing the thin air created the ricochet off the end glass and made it easier for the puck to nearly bounce in off the back of Fanti's leg?

I get the altitude argument, but oxygen had nothing to do with that bit of puck luck.

osorojo is saying that Denver's squad is more accustomed to breathing at altitude than UMD. altitude and oxygen-deficit are the same argument.

[osorojo]

A hockey player who is not acclimated to a 5,000 foot rise in altitude suffers a degradation of stamina from the first drop of the puck, not just on certain plays or circumstances. It's about as fair as a hockey team with little speed raising their home ice temperature to exactly 32 degrees to slow down the speedy visitors. Don't tell me this slow-ice ploy has not been used, or it hasn't worked as well as mile-high oxygen depravation does.

[billhoward]

Colorado has used the altitude argument to pry away some Olympic training facilities from Lake Placid. It makes sense given there's no (little?) downside training for extended periods at altitude.

[Trotsky]

altitude and oxygen-deficit are the same argument.

Unless you're George Floyd.

[osorojo]

To even things up how about the high-altitude team has to walk on their skates (with no skate guards) over 30 yards of concrete sidewalk before the game - and not sharpen their skates afterward? That should level-up the playing field (ice).

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

To even things up how about the high-altitude team has to walk on their skates (with no skate guards) over 30 yards of concrete sidewalk before the game - and not sharpen their skates afterward? That should level-up the playing field (ice).

Make them use figure skates.

[nshapiro]

altitude and oxygen-deficit are the same argument.

Unless you're George Floyd.

Unless he was high https://www.foxnews.com/us/medical-examiner-george-floyd-fentanyl-system

[Greenberg '97]

I get the altitude argument, but oxygen had nothing to do with that bit of puck luck.

altitude and oxygen-deficit are the same argument.

Yes, I know.  I was using the old journalism trick of trying to restate without repeating.

Anyway, if Denver was clearly the stronger team in the closing minutes of the game, or if they outlasted UMD into the third overtime, you'd have a case.  But not with the way that game was won.

Looks like Fanti is going to be just fine.

[Trotsky]

altitude and oxygen-deficit are the same argument.

Unless you're George Floyd.

Unless he was high https://www.foxnews.com/us/medical-examiner-george-floyd-fentanyl-system

IATLO.

Sic semper proditoribus

[osorojo]

I wonder how coaches and players [versus casual fans] feel about real or imagined claims of high-altitude rinks being an advantage for home teams playing opponents fresh from the lowlands?