The Iginla solution - should it apply to Hall as well?

An NHL analytics expert explains how one simple switch will boost the performance of not only Calgary's best winger but also Alex Ovechkin.

Given the way Hall plays, he might as well have been talking about Hall as well.

4 months ago gcw_rocks 4 comments 1 recs |

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He’s a weak skater so the solution is…

Move him to C, the position where you skate the most.

Umm… what?

Then he calls GlenX their #1 Centre, which makes sense if you don’t pay attention to anything.

In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!

Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98

by dawgbone98 on Jan 20, 2012 7:32 AM MST reply actions

I don’t think he is saying volume of skating is the issue, its the speed and acceleration needed to get to the outside when playing the wing. If playing centre foreces you to go through or between, rather than around, and shorten’s the distance to the net, and you have the mental willingness to bang, then when you have lost a step, perhaps it can work. Players can get smarter as they get older, learn positioning better, which would help at centre, but once you have lost the wheels to beat someone to the outside, you lost them and a big chunk of your efffectiveness with it.

not saying he’s right. just saying its an interesting perspective.

by gcw_rocks on Jan 20, 2012 9:50 AM MST up reply actions

You still skate more as a C than as a W. You still need to try and get to the same good shooting spots on the ice.

And it doesn’t change the game at all. The same thing stopping Iginla from going to the middle of the ice now will stop him as a C. He doesn’t have to go wide now, he can go through or between.

The fact of the matter is, playing C is a lot more skating and a lot more defensive responsibility than being a winger. There are very little potential benefits for moving him there but a lot of things that can go wrong.

In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!

Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98

by dawgbone98 on Jan 20, 2012 10:50 AM MST up reply actions

One more thing… yes shooting from the middle of the ice is better, but playing C doesn’t mean you’ll get more of those shots.

Shots from the middle of the ice are hard because the opposition doesn’t want you to shoot from there and they play a defensive system to prevent you from going there.

In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!

Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98

by dawgbone98 on Jan 20, 2012 7:38 AM MST reply actions

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