Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Engines pumping and thumping in time
The green light flashes, the flags go up
Churning and burning they yearn for the cup
"The Distance" - Cake
Once upon a time the Riverview Royals were all about thumping and bumping their way to wins. Highly intense and strong, the Royals out hit just about every team in the league year after year, but when it came down to the wire, hits don't translate into goals, and the lack of timely offense meant that the Royals were left the bridesmaid and never the bride when it came to winning the ODBHL Cup.
In seasons one and two, the Royals were and offensive juggernaut. Lead by Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson and Phil Kessel the Royals driving force was to simply outscore the opposition by any means necessary. Their offensive game was not matched and it lead to them winning the first and second ODBHL Cups. Over the years, the Royals slowly got away from that formula and it cost them in the form of an eight-year Cup drought.
Fast forward to this season. The Royals have doubled down on offense. Trading away their coveted prized hitmen Mikhail Sergachev and Alexander Alexeyev, in exchange for more offensive options like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Andrei Svechnikov and Evan Bouchard. The tools of the scoresheet trade are everywhere in the lineup, and while the jury is still out just how effective this strategy is going to be, the comparisons of this team to the first two Royals' teams are identical.
There is one key difference thought, the Royals have also upped their endurance game. Stamina is a key component to outscoring your opponent. With that in mind, the Royals have invested heavily in the physical prowess of their lineup and the rewards of that investment are already showing.
Jesper Bratt is in the midst of a career season with the Royals, sure, that can be attributed to playing with much more talented teammates, however, his consistency throughout the season is very notable. He is well on pace to eclipse his points in a season mark (63 points) by 11. This is a product of finally scoring over 90 in his pre-season endurance testing.
Auston Mathews has also rebounded from a few dismal offensive seasons and is well on his way to a point-per-game season. He too achieved a 90 score on his endurance testing this offseason, and his consistency on the scoresheet is very notable.
If you needed a contrast to these two players, Andrei Svechnikov, acquired by the Royals from the Angry Ducks earlier this season, has struggled with consistency all season. Even though he has been playing alongside both Mathews and Bratt on the second line, Svechnikov's consistency has been big question mark on his season so far. This roller coaster of offensive output is directly attributed to his conditioning. Svechnikov only scored a 74 on his endurance score this pre-season and he is struggling with keeping up with linemates who have a lot more in the tank when his is long been empty. All indications are strong that Svechnikov will be hitting the treadmill all offseason to get him to score higher endurance.
Consistency is key to winning games. Regardless if you are a physical team, a defensive team, or an offensive team, players have to have the ability to play near 100% at the final whistle. Endurance is often a secondary stat when assessing a player, and this oversight will cost you nine times out of ten. The Royals Isac Lundestrom is one of the most gifted athletes the Royals have, and his consistency over the past 4 seasons is notable. He has amazingly scored a point-per-game every full season he has played. While his offensive game is very comparable to others in the league, it's his ability to never wear down that sets him apart from 95% of all forwards.
Will this bold shift to offense work for the Royals? Perhaps It certainly feels more comfortable as it has worked before for the team. However, what hasn't changed is that the Royals will be ready to go the distance when the green light shines to start the playoffs. Maybe this season is when the ODBHL Cup comes back home to Riverview, and the players carrying it there won't be tired.
