Stick length preferences

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

I'm with you, if you play the man right (close gap, line up your inside shoulder to their outside) it makes it nearly impossible to go wide or go to the middle, and most guys still try to go wide. I honeslty think Canadians are drilled to wide more so then Americans.

[Chadd 916]

The forward should look to see what the D is giving him, not make up his mind without looking.

[Cavs019 702]

its like this. im a righty on the off wing. If the d is playing me to the outside shoulder slightly, then i just make a shoulder fake outside and cut to the middle, if hes inside and leaves a little gap, its come in with my feet moving about 70%, then quick stutter step to the middle and blow wide. I find that quick shoulder/head fakes freeze the d for a fraction of a second, enough time to get a step to the outside. The key is keeping it simple, any good defensman will have you on your ass when you try to go buckwild with toe drags and the like.

[Dave 1]

[Topic split from the "New Easton Gear"-thread and moved to General Hockey Discussions]

[MDE3 0]

My son goes wide 9 times out of 10...I have been trying to get him to cut to the middle more often and shoot lol....the problem is he gets in on goal about 75% of the time going wide....He also loves using a short stick for rapid puck control.

As far as beating a defenceman who is lining you up at say 45 degrees daring your ass to "go wide", the key for the forward is having another gear and great one or two step acceleration. Once a defenceman has "established the gap" and is matching speed, the forward, if he has another gear or that two step burst, will beat this defensmean wide most of the time...simply because most cannot turn and go, or accelerate as fast from a backwards skating position. Even if you as a forward are not blessed with exceptional speed you can do the same thing by giving enough of a hesitation to allow the defenceman to close the gap a bit, then use accelerastion to beat them.

If the defenceman is experienced, he may simply not try to keep pushing the forward to the outside(ie continue forcing the angle), but continue going straight backwards using a better angle to offset the forward's speed. This is where the forward needs to read the defenseman, and cut to the center and shoot...back across the goalie if possible , if he has the goalie moving with his cut, and the defenceman coming out to take the body.

[Chadd 916]

I generally put my outside shoulder on the forwards inside shoulder and go slightly slower than their speed. It allows the gap to close and gives me an even money shot to play them either way. I still have the chance to accelerate back if he goes wide and keeps me in position if he cuts to the middle. Playing no-check, I want him on the outside so I can body him at least a little bit. There's no way I can hit him when he cuts to the middle.