What is more important to beat opponents 1 vs 1?

[Kshahdoo]

Stickhandling or skating?

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[MNRube]

Skating

 

[izzy]

Skating

 

[McBaevid]

Skating ainec

 

[TheMule93]

Skating

 

[ChiefWiggum]

Skating but you can't just turn on the jets and go. In the NHL almost everybody is around the same speed. One needs to change speeds in order to exploit somebody so the ability to make fakes with the body are important and you need to be able to control the puck with two hands while doing that. You can't just put the head down and push the puck ahead with one hand to beat a guy 1 on 1, you need to manipulate change of gears to get around a player

 

[Kale Hulls]

Skating, and strength > speed.

 

[613Leafer]

Skating.

 

[Raym11]

Michael Grabner kind of solves this debate

 

[ijuka]

Even the best stick handling in the world doesn't do much if the D can just take the body and push you down on your butt.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Think Jason Alison vs. Stalberg.

All hands but slow vs all speed buy no hands.

Stalberg can't be caught Alison can.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Think Jason Alison vs. Stalberg.

All hands but slow vs all speed buy no hands.

Stalberg can't be caught Alison can.

If you are in the opposite zone and need a good position to shoot, good speed won't help you a lot, because you can beat an opponent with your speed and get right into the corner, where you aren't a big danger, while with a good stickhandling you can trick him and then shoot.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Stick handling.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Stick handling + strength is what can help you beat a check to create some space in the opposition zone. Look at guys like Jagr, Radulov & Subban. They usually have good footwork too so I guess skating factors but not so much speedwise. Big speed can help you get an opportunity on the rush but there generally needs to be some kind of opposition error to give you that opening at the NHL level because speed isn't getting you by a NHL D-man clean besides maybe Dion Phaneuf.

 

[ESH]

Well it kind of depends I guess. You can be fast, but unless you're McDavid most defenseman should be able to stay in position and keep you to the outside. You need good stickhandling to break inside, or strength I guess. Unless you're in the upper-echelon of fast skaters in the NHL, you need more than speed to beat a good defenseman 1-on-1.

 

[JaegerDice]

Skating, but that includes quickness/acceleration and lateral mobility, not just straight line speed.