The way Slavakov prepares for a game, the start time of the game doesn’t matter. In fact, an earlier start ends up better for him. On game days he has so much adrenaline that it can be difficult for him to maintain that energy throughout the entire day, whereas with that early start he can wake up and go. On the longer game days, he typically spends his days eating copious amounts of pasta, stretching, and a nice pre-game shot of vodka. If the game happens earlier in the day, he wouldn’t have to carb load as much, would just drink a shot of espresso vs vodka, and most importantly would have plenty of time for post-game recovery. One of the biggest assets is access to trainers post-game to help with stretches, the whirlpool, the sauna, and other things so that the team can recover. Most players don’t take full advantage of this when a game ends at 10:30, but if a game ends in the afternoon you may see a healthier league overall.