Goalies and Endurance

[frisky]

So, it's been mentioned that perhaps part of Miller's downturn in performance this March has been due to the fact that physically he's becoming fatigued. But, does anyone know scientifically whether there is a distinct correlation between the weight of a person and their endurance? The only one that comes to mind are the general difference between Alaskan Malamutes versus Siberian Huskies. Huskies are smaller and faster; Malmamutes are bigger, slower, but have much more endurance. With those broad generalizations and applying them to humans, would Miller fall into the smaller less endurance category and just not be physically built to handle around 75 games? Just by comparing stats with other goalies who are projected to play 75-77 games, Miller is tall but around 30-50 lbs lighter than others (which I include Brodeur-215, Vokoun-195, Lundquist-195, Kiprusoff-186, Luongo-205). The weight for Miller I've read is around 165. Kiprusoff who is close to Miller has number below Miller's this year. Could have an endurance issue as well? It may be the case that in order for Miller to be on top of his game, we need a decent back-up who can play around 20 games a year. I'm still in the camp that says we should sign Miller ASAP to a long-term Lundquist type deal but perhaps shouldn't expect him to play 75 games and more like 65-70. So, any physiologists who can say whether his physical build is such that he has less endurance?

[Bmwolf21]

So, it's been mentioned that perhaps part of Miller's downturn in performance this March has been due to the fact that physically he's becoming fatigued. But, does anyone know scientifically whether there is a distinct correlation between the weight of a person and their endurance? The only one that comes to mind are the general difference between Alaskan Malamutes versus Siberian Huskies. Huskies are smaller and faster; Malmamutes are bigger, slower, but have much more endurance. With those broad generalizations and applying them to humans, would Miller fall into the smaller less endurance category and just not be physically built to handle around 75 games? Just by comparing stats with other goalies who are projected to play 75-77 games, Miller is tall but around 30-50 lbs lighter than others (which I include Brodeur-215, Vokoun-195, Lundquist-195, Kiprusoff-186, Luongo-205). The weight for Miller I've read is around 165. Kiprusoff who is close to Miller has number below Miller's this year. Could have an endurance issue as well? It may be the case that in order for Miller to be on top of his game, we need a decent back-up who can play around 20 games a year. I'm still in the camp that says we should sign Miller ASAP to a long-term Lundquist type deal but perhaps shouldn't expect him to play 75 games and more like 65-70. So, any physiologists who can say whether his physical build is such that he has less endurance?

Not a physiologist nor do I have any medical training, but I am wondering if Miller's fatigue is more mental than physical. Being the only guy on the ice for ~60 minutes a night, having to be focused and sharp all game long, with no time on the bench between shifts - it has to be hard to maintain that focus for 70+ games.

[Done]

We had this debate early last year. Much like your dogsled comment, a smaller, quicker racehorse takes much less time to get in shape than it's bigger counterpart, but once in shape, the bigger horse has much more endurance than the smaller one. A small horse usually needs between 4 and 5 weeks rest between races for a peak performance, and a big horse can throw out peak performances every 2 to 4 weeks. That is why you never see small horses contend for the Triple Crown very often, because they stage the races very close to each other in modern terms.

 

I've also brought up the fact that a big offensive line will usually wear down a small defensive line in football, and the running game doesn't take full effect until late in the game.

 

Of course, I don't know what I'm talking about. I just see the results of this 365 days a year.