Quote:OPTION 2 - Defending Defensemen

Written Task: Tell me what your player wants the defensemen on their team to do to help them out. If your player is a defenseman, tell me what you do to help your goalie out?

There are a few thing Jae-ik wants the defensemen to do.

The first is to chip in offensively. A lot of the time plays start in your own zone, and that means beginning with swift and precise puck movement from the defense. If the D can't complete a pass in their own zone then you're going to have a tough time generating offense.

The D also need to be responsible defensively. That means only pinching when you know that a forward can cover for you on the backend. Poorly timed pinches with no chance for a forward covering almost always means an odd-man rush going the other way, and that's just putting too much pressure on the goalie.

Finally, the D need to be aware of what's happening in front of the net at all times. Sometimes that means clearing the crease, other times that means ensuring you maintain good body position and stick position on your assignment in the slot. Most goals are scored from in front of the net, so it's up to the D to ensure that they're playing with that in mind.