*puts on his robyn regehr mask*
I have only played defense thus far, and the biggest thing I have noticed is forwards straddling our own blueline too much, waiting for the pass NHL 09 style. That is simply not going to work this year.
The centre has to come down to the front of the net if a dman is in the corner working the boards, otherwise you end up with a total mismatch in front. Top of the face off circle is about as far up as I'd like to see the forwards go before they get a pass. With the timing delay, speed of the passes and their inaccuracy, it is just too hard to do those long streaking passes we have all gotten too used to.
Played a game with Koop and Igitang today. Koop did a great job back checking into a defensive position, gave me lots of confidence to go for a hit in the corner to tie up the man without worrying about what was going on infront of the net.
I am starting to think that communication between the winger and dman is going to be crucial to sustaining pressure in the offensive zone. There are lots of opportunities to pinch now with the improved puck physics and less puck control, and I think that is something to take advantage of.
Most importantly, PLAY YOUR POSITION. Cannot emphasize that enough. Following the puck is a surefire way to get scored on, and for me to get frustrated.
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