They say the playoffs are no place for a nervous person.
Maybe that's the reason for the latest pregame ritual in the Spartans locker room, which involves a garbage can and plenty of hockey sticks.
Aside from growing out the facial hair — as many players do in the postseason — the Spartans have begun to place their sticks in the locker room garbage can prior to games to signify the importance of the hard-working and far from glamorous "garbage goals."
"I didn't know anything about it until I walked in the locker room one day, and I saw a stick in the garbage," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "I was going to take it out. Then I was notified that they're there for a reason."
Although the team has only been practicing the ritual for a few games now, the results have been nothing but effective.
"(It's to) kind of stress the importance of how important those goals are and how important it is to get in front of the net, getting those dirty goals because usually that's what wins games in the playoffs," freshman forward Justin Abdelkader said.
In last Friday's 4-1 CCHA semifinal win over Michigan, freshman forward Tim Crowder and sophomore forward Zak McClellan scored garbage-type goals where they happened to be working hard in the right place at the right time.
"We've been doing it, and ever since we've been doing it, our team's been putting a lot of goals in," sophomore forward Bryan Lerg said. "I guess it's what we've got to keep on doing."
Although the origins of the practice remains somewhat of a mystery, the routine has sparked a superstitious following in the locker room.
"I think (junior captain Drew) Miller started it and then a couple of us just started putting our sticks in there," Lerg said. "Then everyone is like 'lets go get them in there,' and the next thing you know, we have 20-some sticks in there.
"Everyone just leaves them in there throughout the stretch … as Miller says 'let them marinade in there for a good 20 minutes.'"
Although the goaltender won't likely be scoring any garbage goals, the player stationed between the pipes is thought to be the most superstitious and most unique player on the team. Freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg is no exception.
"I'm pretty superstitious," Jeff Lerg said. "Not out of control, but just little things."
What's been working for Jeff Lerg lately is occasional post-practice meals at The Olive Garden with some of his fellow teammates.
"What ever's working, you got to do it," he said.
