andydrmm

Canandaigua, NY • United States • 29 Years Old • Male

Aggressive vs Passive Styles of Pay

There’s a lot of buzz right now about there being a deal on the table between the NHL and NHLPA. I’ll believe it when they announce “There’s a deal we both agree on, and that we’re starting the season on _______ date.” For now, I’ll leave the speculation to everyone else, and write about something different (as well as a quick hit on Corey Tropp).

I’m not too surprised that Tropp is out for the season. In the 3rd period, Tropp carried the puck in over the blue line to try to help set up a 5 X 3 power play for the Amerks. He got slammed into the boards by one of the Crunch players. It was obvious immediately that he was hurt. However, he stayed on the ice, clearly injured, and continued to try to contribute to the power play. He eventually hobbled off the ice as Mancari tied the game. That’s the type of player that Buffalo and Rochester both sorely need. Based on the hit, and the inability that he had to put weight on the leg, I’m not surprised that he is out for the year. However, hats off for his determination to keep playing in a tight game despite a serious injury. Get well soon Tropp!

Moving on, I thought for a long period of time following the Amerks game last Friday night about how they played the game. At times, they almost seemed different from the Amerks I watched last year at Blue Cross Arena. Last year as the season wore on, I noticed that the Amerks played hard, physical hockey. They also didn’t try to sit back and just let things happen. I watched Buffalo play passive hockey when I wished that they’d get more aggressive quickly. So, I thought that I’d compare the two styles today, while I wait to see if the lockout ends. (Sorry, still not that optimistic).

First, I don’t see aggressive hockey as a physical game. That contributes to an aggressive style of play, but it doesn’t dictate how you play. I view aggressive hockey as attacking the offensive zone of your opponent, challenging the shooters in your own end, and not just sitting back and waiting for things to happen. Passive hockey is, the opposite. Trying to set up the perfect shot, not challenging shooters and waiting for a turnover instead of trying to force it. So, lets not turn this into a who hits more debate.

http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=2832

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