Quote:
Originally Posted by Gaskal
The issue with Poirier's skating isn't really his speed, it's his stride. It's very bowlegged, he's taking smaller strides than everyone else but he's just so fast with his first few steps anyway.
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Exactly
Top End Speed = skating a long distance for the puck.
Acceleration = first few steps, driving wide on an opponent and going past him, changing speeds.
150 foot races for pucks are rare in hockey.... The acceleration is far more important than the speed, and I grade the acceleration as good. Acceleration is what you need in the short race for a loose puck, or going in on a defender and making a quick move to the outside and changing speed to get by him.
From the article: "The other areas of Poirier’s skating are generally pretty good. He has above average acceleration, and a quick first step. This makes him more quick than fast and he is quick to react and pick up loose pucks. His agility and edgework are also decent allowing Poirier to weave through traffic, and to get around defenders and take the puck to the net. The acceleration and ability to change speeds helps him to take a defender wide."
So not for you, but for others above you, read the whole paragraph and understand the differences between top end speed and acceleration when you say I don't know what I'm talking about with regards to his skating... its two different things, and overall I graded his skating as good, because while his stride robs him of having elite top end speed, the other areas are good, and they are more important anyway.