" Best defense is offense "

[DekeLikeYouMeanIt]

Best defence is overwhelming offence (see Chicago) but even then you need strong defence/system. People point to Chicago as an offensive machine. But just their fwds: Toews Hossa (Bolland) Hanzus Kruger and even Saad/Shaw are very good defensively. Pens had amazing role players as well. Look at Washington a few years ago; they were scoring maniacs.. but lacked a system to shutdown top teams or crack defensive forts.

 

[Sorinth]

Yeah, I think you need both too. But I'm a firm believer that "offense starts with defense" (another funny saying)

Having a good offense won't make your defense better. But having a good defense do make your offense better by generating better transitions and counter-attacks.

Even then you have to look at the type of play. Not all defence generates offence, just like not all offence generates positive defence. Hall Gill was good defensively but he didn't generate offence from his good defensive play. It's the ability/speed it takes to transition between offence/defence that leads to one contributing positively to the other.