Whatever Man*
Guest
What was the bigger revolution in Hockey?
The creations of the slap shot, and curved stick?
Or
The offensive defenseman?
The creations of the slap shot, and curved stick?
Or
The offensive defenseman?
I would say the slap shot and curved stick. This is due to the fact that you can trace these things back to one or two people (Bathgate/Geoffrion and Mikita/Hull). The offensive defenceman does not really have a starting point. Many say that Orr completely changed the game with his rushes but just as many argue that Eddie Shore started it. Ted Lindsay credits Red Kelly and Doug Harvey as the first rushing defencemen. Since the begining of the offensive defenceman is so aribitrary I hardly think it can be considered a "revolution".
If it was so effective, wouldn't more players use it though?
I'd say a good wrist shot is the hardest, players like Naslund and Sakic can get both the velocity and accuracy necissary to make it so that the goalie simply doesn't have enough reaction time to stop the puck.
Sundin's is lethal from about 4' in to the net.
I just think it's not coincidence that the backhand phased out around the same time the butterfly phased in.Because regardless of how quick a release is on a slap, snap or wrist shot you still can see where it is going by the changes to the angle of the stick. Backhanders give absolutely nothing away going to the left or right. And the reason more players don't use it is the curves on their blades make it difficult to control. The only two players I can think of who use it consistently are Kovalev and Sundin, and Sundin's is lethal from about 4' in to the net.
I just think it's not coincidence that the backhand phased out around the same time the butterfly phased in.