BY SAM HITCHCOCK
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
COMMENTARY
It has been said that the best defense is a good offense. Well, the reverse can also be true, and the Devils defensemen have underscored this over the last four games.
When watching the backlines on teams like the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, or in the Ottawa Senators’ case, Erik Karlsson alone, having defensemen who can move the puck and contribute offensively is more important than ever in the increasingly fast-paced NHL.
With the elimination of the red line and the development of the stretch pass, teams are more vulnerable defensively. With increased emphasis on preventing blindside open-ice hits, and further limitations to defensemen’s abilities to slow down forwards in their defensive zone by holding them or obstructing them with their stick, teams are more handcuffed defensively, which makes them more inclined to clog the neutral zone by only sending one forechecker. This slows the pace of the game down and keeps the score lower.
