Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

It's Still Defense First In The NHL

09/27/2016 at 1:23pm EDT

from Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times,

There’s no doubt that the game is trending toward more speed and skill, and away from so-called grit and physicality (ask Team USA how John Tortorella’s throwback mid-90s-style team worked out in Toronto). The Hawks won the Stanley Cup three times with a team predicated on speed and skill, navigating their way past bigger, heavier teams with grace and finesse. And the slick-and-speedy Pittsburgh Penguins raced to the Stanley Cup this past spring. Just two years removed from their second Cup in three seasons, the lumbering Los Angeles Kings already look like hockey dinosaurs.

But NHL coaches aren’t about to unleash their players anytime soon. For all of his team’s skill and speed, Joel Quenneville still preaches defense first. It’s why talented but one-dimensional goal-scorers such as Brandon Pirri can never stick in Chicago. Babcock is one of the most defensive-minded coaches in the league, too, turning his ridiculously talented Canada team in Sochi into a remarkable — and borderline boring — defensive juggernaut that choked teams out in the neutral zone.

While fans and players love the end-to-end action, the NHL is all about “taking away time and space,” the favored catch-phrase of most coaches, who still cling to the “defense wins championships” model. And it’s worth noting that the only reason North America didn’t advance to the World Cup semifinals was a six-minute second-period stretch against Russia in which the young guns completely broke down defensively.

more

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]