Center vs. Winger

[7+6=13]

You are both dead to me.

 

 

Well if that's all it takes, you'll soon run out of people to say that to.  

[grinreaper]

A simple way to say it is the D couver the Wingres and vice vresa, and the centres cover each outher. Even if that's not strictly true, in the defencive zone one of the forwards has to account for the 3rd forward while the D have the outher two.

 

* Note I used Canadian spelling in the post

Don't you mean Canadian misspelling?

[pi2000]

A lot of the time you'll see a center talk to other players prior to the faceoff to let them know which way he plans to pull the puck on the draw, so the players know which way to go upon faceoff.  If you watch Jack, he will occasionally push the puck forward.  For a Dzone faceoff it's an effort to start a quick break rush if he can catch the opposing Dmen napping; in the Ozone it can push the puck down below the goal line where Jack can then pass it back to the point or to the slot (or even go directly on goal himself).  It's rare but he does it once in a while.

 

I played center, we had a handful of set plays off the draw and most of the time we knew which play based on game situation and where the draw was taking place, so all it would take was a nod, a look, a point of the stick and we'd all be on the same page.    Sometimes we'd get creative and draw something up in the dirt real quick depending on the other team's tendencies.    D-zone you always try to win it back to the corner, maybe once in a blue moon you try to go forward with it towards the half-wall and catch them off guard for a quick break.     

 

In the o-zone you're typically trying to win it back too, but sometimes I'd try to just win it back a couple feet or push my guy off the dot allowing our wing to cut across off the half-wall, picking up the puck on this forehand for a quick shot.    My wingers would need to switch sides in some cases.    Other times if I really felt like I could beat the other guy I'd tell the strong side winger to beat his man to the far post, I'd push it forward and if I could get to the puck first I knew where to go with it without looking.    

 

In general yes, C's have much more defensive zone responsibility.    Some coaches prefer man-to-man in the d-zone, but mostly you're supporting your defensemen, picking up the extra guy, collapsing, locking up, etc..  C's need to be quick,  anticipating when your defensemen are about to win a battle and be there to support the puck.   The most import aspect however, is communication....   handing guys off, chasing behind the net, who has puck, how much time they have, calling reverses, how fast is the pressure coming, etc..  it's such a fast chaotic game you're just reacting out there, it's very rare that you execute a play exactly as it's drawn up... it's more important to understand the concepts and communicate effectively than knowing exactly where on the ice you should be at all times.       

[PASabreFan]

I can't remember the game/s, but ROR went forward on at least one defensive zone draw and Eichel grabbed it, raced down the ice and scored. It was spectacular.

[BagBoy]

From a youth coaching perspective I'll put it this way as well.

 

 

My best skaters end up at D first, then C, then wing.

My worst skaters end up at wing.. always.

 

My lowest hockey IQ ends up at wing even if they are great skaters.

 

Wingers are the bass players of hockey?  ;)

 

LOL.  I was gonna say centers are smarter than wingers, but thought it would sound too glib.  This post nails it.

 

I will hesitate at the bass player analogy however.  John Entwistle was a bass player.  Max Afinogenov was a winger.

[Eleven]

LOL.  I was gonna say centers are smarter than wingers, but thought it would sound too glib.  This post nails it.

 

I will hesitate at the bass player analogy however.  John Entwistle was a bass player.  Max Afinogenov was a winger.

 

I was a bass player, the real kind, in a symphony.

 

LTS is a timpanist.  Might have to use a mallet twice every three concerts.

[darksabre]

I was a ###### bass player, the real kind, in a symphony.

 

LTS is a timpanist. Might have to use a mallet twice every three concerts.

Did you have to sit on a phone book to play it?

 

:p

[French Collection]

From a youth coaching perspective I'll put it this way as well.

 

 

My best skaters end up at D first, then C, then wing.

My worst skaters end up at wing.. always.

 

My lowest hockey IQ ends up at wing even if they are great skaters.

 

Wingers are the bass players of hockey?  ;)

Which is why Evander Kane was a LW, blinders on, shoot, shoot shoot.

[LTS]

LOL.  I was gonna say centers are smarter than wingers, but thought it would sound too glib.  This post nails it.

 

I will hesitate at the bass player analogy however.  John Entwistle was a bass player.  Max Afinogenov was a winger.

 

Look.. Marcus Miller is a bass player, Stanley Clarke is a BASS player.. Victor Wooten?  No slouch.  There are plenty of great bass players.  Which is why I used the wink.. :)

 

I was a ###### bass player, the real kind, in a symphony.

 

LTS is a timpanist.  Might have to use a mallet twice every three concerts.

 

At least a timpanist has to know notes... using your reference.  Of course my favorite is when we play Also sprach Zarathrustra...  

[BagBoy]

Look.. Marcus Miller is a bass player, Stanley Clarke is a BASS player.. Victor Wooten?  No slouch.  There are plenty of great bass players.  Which is why I used the wink.. :)

 

 

Understood and agreed.  I just needed an excuse to get Max Afinogenov's name into a conversation about wingers and low hockey IQ's.  That guy may have been the dumbest hockey player ever.