What Exactly Is A Puck Moving Defenseman Anyway?

by John Fischer on Jul 3, 2011 9:14 PM EDT in What Do You Think?

One of the more common terms that comes up as a need for the New Jersey Devils is a "puck moving defenseman." A decade ago, the Devils had a fearsome blueline with Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, and Brian Rafalski leading the way. In this past decade, those three have left for varying reasons and while the Devils have had good defenses since then, the desire for a "puck moving defenseman" has grown. Even to the point where Devils fans online will just write "PMD" and other fans will know exactly what they mean.

Well, I want to ask this basic question: what exactly is a puck moving defenseman anyway?

By definition, I would think this would be a defenseman who is adept at moving the puck up the ice to forwards to begin the attack. How does one measure who is and who isn't good at it, though?

Assists are given to those who set up goal scoring plays. While that may fit as one degree of measurement, I don't think it tells us very much. As indicated by some of the reaction of his re-signing, Andy Greene is not thought of as a good puck moving defenseman. Yet, as per Hockey Reference, his 37 assists in 2008-09 were the fourth highest total among Devils defensemen behind Paul Martin (who didn't get this reputation) and Brian Rafalski (who does). Sure, Greene didn't come close to that last season, but goal scoring eluded the team as a whole like no other past New Jersey teams. Just because the plays don't finish doesn't mean the puck wasn't moved well by a defender.

How about on-ice Corsi at even strength? Corsi is given if a player is on the ice when someone on their team attempts a shot. The Devils didn't score many goals in 2010-11, but they often had the better of puck possession - especially under Jacques Lemaire. According to Behind the Net, Henrik Tallinder should be given the title of PMD as he led the team with a 9.3 on-ice Corsi rate. Plus, Tallinder's 9.3 on-ice Corsi rate was the 24th highest in the league among defensemen who played at least 20 games. Tallinder played more than enough minutes last season that this cannot be a fluke or solely the result of Tallinder playing with some good players. Yet, I can't fully discount either being a factor. After all, a perfectly good mover of the puck may be sandbagged with a teammate who drags them down or doesn't have a good line in front of them to pass it to. They can get punished despite of their actual talent. It's for these same reasons that I don't want to just look at on-ice/off-ice differential in shots for per 60 minutes and conclude someone's role.

Perhaps it's something you only see? After all, not every pass leads to anything of substance or is even measured by any available means to determine what's good and what's bad. It is most definitely a skill, though, and that can be seen on the ice. Let's consider the Devils' fourth overall pick of 2011, Adam Larsson, for example. Kirk Luedeke of 2011 Bruins Draft Watch loved his vision and puck moving skills. Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus highlighted his abilities when it came to passing the puck. Other scouts raved about his vision and decision making in similar ways. Clearly, this is evidence that a skillset appropriate for a puck moving defenseman can be identified through scouting. If it can be done for a prospect, then it can be done for a currently active NHL player on, say, a breakout or a first pass.

However, this approach can be rife with confirmation bias. You may see a defenseman have a few bad games (e.g. turnovers, bad reads, etc.) and conclude the wrong thing about his game. You may see that same defenseman have a few great games (e.g. making nearly every pass, finding his guys all over the rink, etc.) and conclude he's better than he actually is. It's because of this I prefer stats since it takes a lot of the "I've seen him good/bad" opinion out of a proper evaluation. It cuts down on the amount of scouting that is needed to form a proper opinion on the player, be they a prospect or a currently active NHL player. At the same time, I respect what it can do in theory.

Ultimately, I would have to think it's a combination of all of this. You may need to see the player demonstrate that they can make good first passes out of a zone and lead a successful breakout play, for example. Yet, to confirm whether they are a good "PMD" is to see whether their team gets shots on net at a higher rate when they're on the ice, whether their team has the better of possession, and whether they get any assists to go with it. Ability without some means of production doesn't really mean much for the team. It's a lot better than reputation, where players get a label (or the lack of one) for one reason or another and they never lose it despite whether they deserve it.

Of course, perhaps I'm mistaken. So I put the question to you over the next two days. What exactly is a puck moving defenseman in your opinion? What traits should such a player have? How do you know whether the player is a good PMD as opposed to a bad one? Do the Devils have any such players? Should we be saying that the Devils need an offensive defenseman as opposed to a puck moving defenseman - as they are not the same thing? Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading.

Tweet Comment 45 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

This looks like a good starting point.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
To help with basic Timeonice functions.
If I reference a lot of stats, just assume I haven't seen anything to contradict or invalidate them.

by red army line on Jul 3, 2011 9:24 PM EDT reply actions

It's something but not good enough

It’s difficult, as the article is eludes, to say this number/stat means he’s a “PMD”. Looking at the links breakdown a couple names pop out that I wouldn’t say are great PMD’s. So thinking of the 1st name that comes to mind as a great PMD (Lidstrom) I looked for him on the sheet. He sits right below Cam Fowler. I guess you could describe him as an up and coming PMD but not the one I’d want as the Devil PMD that’s always mentioned. Mainly because he’s a huge defensive liability at this young age vs. Lidstrom who is the opposite.

So to add to the conversation….if you want to use a numbers that validates one player over another as the ever elusive PMD it should at least be a weighted average of several numbers.

So we arrive right back at what statistics most represent a PMD so we could figure out who we needed to sign or trade for and my answer to that is their is no such thing as a PMD. Their are players with varying degree’s of different skill sets and temperaments. The reason people can’t decide on a number or that player X doesn’t measure up as PMD that the Devils need is because we’re not winning.

I think the mood dictates whether we’ll have our guy. We’re a team that’s been beaten in the 1st rd several times or then theirs last season. So when we look back to the good years and see names like Raflaski and Niedermayer the general conclusion is we need one of those guys to make a deep run.

I think Greene, Tallinder, and Martin before them should count as PMD to some degree and the reason they don’t measure up is because it’s not working with them.

If we have a season or two with deep playoff runs I bet perception changes and suddenly a 9.3 corsi or 37 assists will suffice.

by teds on Jul 4, 2011 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions

There’s no definition for a puck-mover, but he should be able to provide a tape-to-tape first pass out of the D-zone and should be able to QB a power play. It doesn’t matter if the guy has 20 points or 30 points, what matters is the player’s ability to transition to offense and help generate offense from the blue line.

DownGoesAvery. Check out the hockey blog that's shaking the world: Down Goes Avery and on Twitter (@DownGoesAvery ). And now
Down Goes Avery on Facebook

by DownGoesAvery on Jul 3, 2011 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

I know this is totally off topic but John, Kevin and Tom, have either ever thought of doing an article taking the Players half-season stats under Lemaire and prorating them across an 82 game season?

Particularly the D-men.

by Zelepukin on Jul 4, 2011 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

When I hear the term puck moving defenseman I think about those players who can carry the puck from inside their own zone to inside the opposing blueline. Once in, they either set up for a shot or most likely make a pass to a charging offensive player who carries the play further.

First passes are critical to an attack, and every defenseman should be able to do this. The “special” defensemen are those who can control the puck long enough to take the play from defense to offense.

by Barry G on Jul 4, 2011 2:55 AM EDT reply actions

What comes to mind for me is the mind set of the D pairing on the ice. Take for instance our pairing of the past Daneyko and Neidermayer. forget the fact that one can be offensive and one is your classic stay at home defensive D man.

The pucks in their end and they both rotate to the puck 1 staying at the front of the net and the other to check the puck carrier. When Dano gets to check the puck carrier and gets a hold of the puck he looks first to clear safely up the boards, make a safe pass behind the net or wrap it back around the boards weakside.

The PMD or Neids wants to get the puck and thinks of putting the puck in his teams possession. He’ll control puck and skate it out to position where he can make a nice breakout pass or skate to opening and shake off forecheck to make a play.

To me its always about who has the better wheels and ability to hold onto puck when forechecked to either skate it out of your own zone or the ability to make that nice 1st pass out of your zone decidedly to someone whos open and has speed.

by 68devils on Jul 4, 2011 7:26 AM EDT reply actions

Man...Going to be a lot of threads on this one....

Niners,Nets,Reds & USC!!!

"We'll be the first really global team in the NBA. For me, being the first foreign owner, I want to do my best to invite all the fans for the team all over the world. I think the NBA is worldwide. But other teams [possess a] more local mentality. We are going to create and to build a global franchise to sell all around the world. I think I have a competitive advantage compared to other owners." - Mikhail Prokhorov

by Kidd2Petrovic on Jul 4, 2011 9:51 AM EDT reply actions

You know it when you see it-

And feel it.
I don’t know what stat to use but I know the feeling I get when a PMD gets the puck. I remenber when Neids would get the puck, no matter where on the ice, I would feel like we were on the attack. Skating ability to carry the puck past the forecheck certainly is one key. Speed is another. That combination has to be good enough that it attracts extra attention from the opposition, thereby opening up other team mates for offensive opportunity. Vision is required to see the play developing and passing ability to hit that open man is a must. Then finally, if the rest of your mates are covered, you must be a constant threat to put the puck on net. I don’t know what stat covers this. But when you see the other team getting nervous when a D-man has the puck, you know its a PMD.

by DevilsDDS on Jul 4, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

Great post, John.

A puck moving defenseman is one who gets lots of points, period, full stop. People will try to use words about how they make a great breakout pass, or blah blah neutral zone – no, it’s a defenseman who gets a lot of points, and then the justification is made after the fact that this player or that player is a ‘puck moving defenseman’.

What’s most aggravating about the puck moving defenseman talk is that it vacillates between players who are actually play drivers (play drivers are players who increase on-ice Corsi) and players who pile up a lot of points but aren’t actually any good, which I would like to call high-event players. High-event players will make the great breakout pass. They will lug the puck through the neutral zone fluidly. They will also make the bad turnover pass and the bad neutral zone turnover. Devils fans with long memories will remember the great PMD Phil Housley’s tenure here, and it was basically as I’ve described a high-event player. Tomas Kaberle is a perfect current example, and there are many more who Devils fans express interest in who will in no way justify their price tag and ice time.

by Triumph44 on Jul 4, 2011 1:20 PM EDT reply actions

Do you draw a distinction then between a PMD and an offensive defenseman, or are they the same thing?

"I have an opinion and I know you have an answer, but in all honesty if you don’t know then don’t reply, because my opinion will always be better than your answer….and if you agree then highlight your response unless you don’t know."

by elesias on Jul 4, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t use the term puck moving defenseman except pejoratively or ironically, as I think it’s an empty concept. My explanation of a puck moving defenseman is based on what I read online.

by Triumph44 on Jul 4, 2011 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

"High event player"

This reminds me of a time a coach from the past reamed one of the d-men on the team. He was at our blue line with the puck coming toward him a little bit ahead of an on coming forward from the other team. Instead of getting position and cutting down the angle he went to poke the up and turn the play….well he lost the race the other team scored and so the coach said something to the effect that if your the last guy back you better be sure your going to get to the puck….he actually said something like 80% sure but you get the point

Anyway this kid was a high event player…great skater and super talented but always taking huge risks that often cost him in the end

It’s an important distinction to make though with the mythical PMD….that a lot look flashy but are really bad

by teds on Jul 4, 2011 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think the PMD is mythical at all. Keith I think is the post-lockout prototype—great, fast skater who handles the puck and skates around quite a bit, always looking for an opening to jump into the play.

There’s always some risk in moving the play up the ice. You look at a player like Green, in 08-09 in jumped into the rush more often than he stayed back, and while that’s very risky play (and led to having to play through a bad shoulder for part of that season and next) he did score 31 goals, go over point/gm, and had a strong Corsi rating. It worked. As long as it helps score more goals than the opponents, it’s fine, right?

by red army line on Jul 5, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with Barry G. A puck moving defenseman is a fast guy who nails his breakout passes a majority of the time. He can also be 1 – 2 guys on his own with his speed if passing options are gone.

I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.

by Cherno77 on Jul 4, 2011 2:29 PM EDT reply actions

In my opinion

It’s a defense-man able to create offense for the team from his own end. He’s got the skills to make a great 1st pass especially when he’s pressurized by the opposing forwards.

Adam Larsson is typically a puck-mover prototype.

"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"

by Elektrostal_Kid on Jul 4, 2011 2:40 PM EDT reply actions

You say this as some who’s taken in quite a few Skellefteå AIK games then I take it?

by Zelepukin on Jul 4, 2011 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Let’s ignore the fact that most of us have never seen Larsson play, and continue to talk as if he’s a bigger Scott Niedermayer. I would prefer it this way.

Ilya Kovalchuk is good at hockey

by 3 already on Jul 5, 2011 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions

While I was at the world Jrs. I watched Larsson quite a bit, he was one of the players you could just watch for a shift and understand how he took the game in. For the most part was a step ahead of everyone (IMO).

I also want to add that he did make some great outlet passes, but I wouldn’t say that he is not only a offensive style dmen. He was unreal at shutting down players, and he went against the top lines all the time.

However, I was at the semi-finals game where Russia beat Sweden in the last 2 minutes (Russia scored twice in the last two mins to force a SO) and the two goals that Russia scored, 1 was Larsson failed clearing attempt, and the other he wasn’t on the ice for. I mean everyone makes mistakes, so I wasn’t to upset, plus I thought Sweden was the better team of the two, just Russia caught a few breaks in that game.

I don’t remember what Niedermayer was like when he was younger defensemen, because I was too young, but I think we are asking a lot out of him to think he will be the next Scott Niedermayer. Those are some really high expectations, especially for a player who does not skate on the same level of Nieds.

Joshd12
Brock University
BA. Sports Management, 2014
BA. Recreation and Leisure Studies, 2011

by joshd12 on Jul 5, 2011 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions

IHF World Junior Championship ???

& I simply said he’s a prototype of a player able to move the puck from his own end-zone, prototype meant he’s not really yet….
& what the hell is Scott Niedermayer doing here ?

I don’t get why people are so unfriendly & condescending here, I mean it’s the 3rd in a row I’m pointed like a **** talker…
I think your blog would be better without me, I don’t fit in it, Good Bye, let’s go Devils.

"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"

by Elektrostal_Kid on Jul 5, 2011 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t leave, I enjoy your posts. We need the nice people to stay, haha.

by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2011 8:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

It does get a little dick-ish around here every now and then, but no need to be melodramatic.

Also yeah I agree that it seems that people are classifying Larsson as a good PMD-type

Status quo.

by nyynygnjd on Jul 5, 2011 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you that people can get like that on here, but, at the end of the day, you just have to let them be condescending and counter with well-reasoned, friendly points of disagreement. We need people like you….At least I do. It’s nice to have debates with/hear thoughts from someone who isn’t so aggressive and mocking when they vehemently disagree with your point of view.

After all, we’re all Devils fans. I enjoy all the debates I have on here, but I just wish that people would be a bit nicer while debating.

by Dr. Witticism on Jul 5, 2011 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

easy chief, i didn’t mean to offend you.

Joshd12
Brock University
BA. Sports Management, 2014
BA. Recreation and Leisure Studies, 2011

by joshd12 on Jul 5, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t think he meant you…

by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2011 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

still, no need to get upset over anything. It’s a blog, just read it and if you don’t like the comment, take it as a grain of salt. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Joshd12
Brock University
BA. Sports Management, 2014
BA. Recreation and Leisure Studies, 2011

by joshd12 on Jul 5, 2011 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I wasn’t trying to offend anyone by the way. Sorry, I was just trying to be funny. I was trying to make a joke about how we always expect the greatest things from our draftees. As a New York Giant fan I could make a similar joke about Prince Amukamaras expectations. Please don’t leave because of anything stupid me said

Ilya Kovalchuk is good at hockey

by 3 already on Jul 5, 2011 11:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

don’t be sorry, it’s just the correlation between the 2 answers & I overreacted. & joshd12 I never said my posts were facts, Really, I don’t have any problem with people sharing thoughts or disagreement.
On the other hand, It’s not a great feeling when people imply that your personnal opinion is wothless. Everyone is entitled to an opinion & it deserves to be respected, so am I ?

Anyway I’ll take a step-back & try to learn how the stuff works here, sorry everyone, that was childlish.

"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"

by Elektrostal_Kid on Jul 6, 2011 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Let's get specific

Another great read John!

Good defense-men all possess a particular set of skills that makes them become a defense-man in the first place. Good puck possession in their own zone, good tape to tape first passes, blocking shots, taking the body without penalty, etc… Puck moving is a particular skill that needs to be clearly defined, before we can assume what makes a good PMD. To me, a good puck mover is just that. A player that can move the puck around and in a positive direction. A good puck handler, if you will.

I see a PHD as someone who often takes the puck from behind his own net and charges up ice, maintaining possession into or through the neutral zone, until he makes an up-ice pass that results in the offense remaining on offense.

IMHO making the long pass does not count as puck moving. It’s passing.

Ok so lets get specific about puck moving. Making great first passes is just that, a pass. Putting pressure down low to force an offensive play is just that, and goals, assists & Corsi are what they are. What I am getting at, is when we try to define a term to be used to describe something, we should simply look at the meaning of the words and determine if they apply properly. So a PMD is a defense-man who can take possession of the puck and move that puck in a positive direction. One way to measure this would be to create a new stat that tracks the number of times a defense-man takes possession of the puck and moves it across two blue lines without loosing possession, in a positive direction. But that might be out right silly, I am just brainstorming here.

What I would ask, John, is what exactly does puck moving mean? Once an exact determination of that can be made, you will have the answer to your article.

Head shots are for the weak, a real man hits the body.

by Biggs Johnson on Jul 5, 2011 1:43 PM EDT reply actions

What I would ask, John, is what exactly does puck moving mean? Once an exact determination of that can be made, you will have the answer to your article.

Well, I can’t agree that passing and puck moving are two separate entities. A pass is just one way to move the puck. Akin to how passing a football and running with it are both ways to move it in the right (or wrong) direction.

Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog

by John Fischer on Jul 5, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions

In the interest of getting more specific and trying to nail down a clear definition of what a PMD is, I was trying to eliminate as much as I could to get an acute answer. In football passing and running are completely separate things, and involve two completely different plays and sometime even different players involved. So I have to disagree with you on that one. Yes both plays are intended to move the ball “forward”, but that is the whole point of the game and is very generalized. You can break ball movement down into different categories and play types, and thus come up with a more detailed idea of the game or what a player is particularly good at. I think that what we are trying to do here is get very specific with a particular type of defense-man. It really is just semantics, but we both think it is a worthwhile discussion, hence your original article.

What I am getting at is that it serves us well to whittle down this definition and its scope until we have a more specific definition, so that we can then apply a stat to it to quantify it. The fact of the matter is that the definition of a PMD may not be able to be shaved down and must encompass many talents into one definition, or it really is just an offensive defense-man (and I am not talking about Dennis Potvin here). But if we could determine which of those talents apply here, then determine if they are describing something truly exclusive, we will have our new definition, and maybe a way to apply some stats. Not to beat a dead horse, but maybe it really is just something that a scout or avid fan can only see by watching the game,and there truly is no real way to quantify it or qualify it without a having good eye for it. With that being said, I think the efforts to define a PMD might be futile.

Head shots are for the weak, a real man hits the body.

by Biggs Johnson on Jul 6, 2011 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

This is a cruel visual metaphor for the NJ Devils PMD woes as of recent years…sigh.

I hope to join Claude Lemieux in Hell one day for a beer....

by HELLAWAITS on Jul 5, 2011 3:47 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs

Is that stick legal?

by elesias on Jul 5, 2011 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

ahahaha

Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.

by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 5, 2011 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Please please PLEASE tell me that’s Top-Shelf Hockey. You know, the one where you were actually able to lift the puck with a shot? It was a game for home (not one of those big domes that you see in the arcade), but it actually had the realistic boards around the rink so the puck wouldn’t fly over. That game was so, so very awesome.

It doesn’t look like it here (I think the players in Top-Shelp had shorter, curved sticks to lift the shots), but maybe, just maybe, a yes would contribute to my sudden nostalgia for a game that I haven’t played in years.

by Dr. Witticism on Jul 5, 2011 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I just fell off my chair

I used to love that game as a kid. But I think you are right about the smaller sticks Dr. W. Oh never mind, I’m with you. YES!!!

Head shots are for the weak, a real man hits the body.

by Biggs Johnson on Jul 6, 2011 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Would Joe Corvo fit the definition? Would have been nice to be able to get in on his contract (One year remaining, $2.25M), but instead he goes to the Cup Champs for a 4th Rd pick. Wow.

by Skuba7 on Jul 5, 2011 5:12 PM EDT reply actions

Would Joe Corvo fit the definition?

I don’t know. That’s why I’ve asked the question. Does he? If so, then why? If not, then why not?

Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog

by John Fischer on Jul 5, 2011 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I can't really see it any other way but this one:

PMD has always meant, at least to me, a defenseman with the ability to take the puck in his defensive zone (usually under significant pressure), and somehow move the puck out and skate it through the neutral zone and either dump it in right at the other team’s blueline or skate it into the zone and either pass, shoot, or stall while other players arrive by using his slippery skating, puckhandling, and vision.

To me, being a PMD has nothing to do with point scoring. Let’s take Scott Niedermayer for a second, but pretend he didn’t score all of those points. In the end, he would still be one of the greatest PMDs ever because he had an almost supernatural ability to get out of even the toughest jams in his own zone — say, being pinned in the corner by two opposing players — and somehow protect the puck, swirl out, and carry the puck at least as far as the red line. This was also a specialty of one Paul Martin.

Passing is NOT the same as being a PMD. Any defenseman shouold be abled to make a breakout pass, though some do it better than others. But the PMDs are the defenseman that you can count on to singlehandedly move the puck up ice from what was a disadvantageous starting point. We have often seen an entire five man unit fail miserably to get the puck out of the zone, no less get it out to an advantageous offensive position. the PMD remedies that problem.

That, my friends, is a PMD.

by Dr. Witticism on Jul 5, 2011 7:27 PM EDT reply actions

So, in essence, a PMD isn’t just there to create offense. He’s also there to save you from any defensive binds while he is on the ice. How many times did we see a team forecheck and cycle us to hell for what seemed like hours in our own end, until the magical Niedermayer (or, to a lesser extent, Paul Martin) finally got the puch, eluded everyone, and took it straight out of the zone?

by Dr. Witticism on Jul 5, 2011 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions

And to clarify: my short answer would be that a PMD is not necessarily a high-scoring defenseman, and vice versa.

However, being able to do the things I described in my first post above usually leads to racking up at least a few points. Regardless, I don’t see how anyone can say that being able to make a clean, up-ice pass qualifies a player as a PMD. If that was the case, Henrik Tallinder would be quite the PMD. If doing the things I described in the above post don’t result in lots of assists or goals, they are ancillary to the fact that the player is able to singlehandedly get the team out of a bad situation defensively. I doing so, he creates the opportunity for his team to create scoring chances after they have penetrated the other team’s blue line. The PMD here might not get the goal, assist, or secondary assist, but he was the one who made it all possible by taking the puck from what looked like a hopeless defensive situation and suddenly (and, in the opponent’s case, very unexpectedly) transform it into a surprise offensive attack.

PMDs, to me, aren’t as much about points as they are about transforming dire defensive situations into amazingly offensive situations. However, one must concede that these skills will usually result in points for the PMD, but that can hinge on a lot of factors: quality of other teammates; whether the amount of time spent in the defensive zone before the PMD carried it out necessitates a line change instead of a full attack; ability of teammates to capitalize on opportunities; ability of teammates to recognize and exploit the other team’s unpreparedness for an offensive attack that they thought wasn’t coming or even possible; etc.

by Dr. Witticism on Jul 5, 2011 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you

A bit longer of an explanation of what I too was trying to say. Thanks!
And I still love that Top Shelf hockey. Now I need to find one on ebay and buy it.

Head shots are for the weak, a real man hits the body.

by Biggs Johnson on Jul 6, 2011 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

What Exactly Is A Puck Moving Defenseman Anyway?

A defenseman that doesn’t stand behind the net with the puck.

They all move the puck. Some of them are just better at it.

Go Devils
Go Jets
Need to lose weight?

by FrankG929 on Jul 5, 2011 8:34 PM EDT reply actions

Are you implying that two-way defensemen are the only ones who skate in two directions, then?

Status quo.

by nyynygnjd on Jul 5, 2011 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions

quite the contrary

Because all defensemen skate both ways, they’re all two-way defensemen.

Ergo, all defensemen are two-way, puck moving defensemen.

Go Devils
Go Jets
Need to lose weight?

by FrankG929 on Jul 6, 2011 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Though I think a “puck moving defenseman” has become somewhat of a unicorn term for a player that any team with some woes at the blue line needs, I guess I’ll take a stab.

I think, simply put, a puck moving defensemen is a defender who excels with the puck in his possession. A defender who can carry a puck out of his own end well, deliver good breakout passes, and set up plays in the offensive zone. Basically, a blue liner who can dictate the flow of a game while he is on the ice is a PMD.

Status quo.

by nyynygnjd on Jul 5, 2011 11:41 PM EDT reply actions