Quote:
Originally Posted by rinkrat22
[/B]
this is what I would refer to as "intimidation" not a playground esque type of bullying. its the constant hitting over the course of a game that wears you down.
|
I find this to be more a symptom of physical wear than mental intimidation, though if it's what you meant than I suppose it's just semantics. I find that your passes aren't getting where you want them to and you're not getting into the corner as quickly because you've already been ground out in the corner several times, not because of a preoccupation with worrying about the impending hit or thinking about the guy whose right on top of you rather than aiming your pass correctly. The most tiring part of hockey is the work in the corners and along the boards, bar none. Skating amounts to a FRACTION of the fatigue that results from this kind of grinding at higher levels.
As for the guy who likes the contact, getting run in the corners on a dump in isn't at all like playing on the line in football. I was a varsity HB in high school but went to college for hockey and trust me, I NEVER once got clocked as good in football as I have so many numerous times in hockey. That and trying to break through tackles and dog piles still doesn't take nearly the same amount out of you as a real battle along the boards. If you've never played in a real, highly competitive hitting league you can't really argue the sentiment because you absolutely have to experience it to understand it.
I could be on the ice and have my center lose a face-off in our zone, go into the corner to battle for the puck immediately following the draw, fight over it for 8 seconds, go to the front of the net, jostle for position with a forward for another 10, chase a rebound into the corner, clear the puck and be absolutely exhausted after a 25 second shift in college (I'm not saying this was a typical shift, but an entirely realistic possibility a few times a game). And I was hands down one of the better stamina guys on that team. A good battle in the corner can take you from 100% to 20% in no time and leave you needing a change like you wouldn't believe. I'd rather chase down guys who get sprung for a breakaway all day than have to do the dirty work along the boards; nothing is more tiring.
