Pronger remembers Brad McCrimmon
By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer, Sept. 9, 2011:
It isn't a stretch to call Brad McCrimmon the most influential person in Chris Pronger's career.
"He had a great deal to do with it," Pronger, the future Hall of Fame defenseman, said on Thursday, one day after McCrimmon was among those killed in a plane crash carrying the professional Russian hockey team he coached.
Pronger said McCrimmon gave him advice that has stayed with him during his entire career: Play with an edge.
"He'd always say, 'You want them [the opponents] to be unprepared,' " Pronger said. "Maybe slash a guy . . . maybe be in that gray area. If they never know [what's coming], it keeps the other team off-balance. And I've tried to live by that sword in my career, and he was certainly right in a lot of aspects."
Of course, Pronger, considered the dirtiest player in the league by his peers, took "slash a guy" to heart, but in general "Play with edge" is a good advice...
"If they never know [what's coming], it keeps the other team off-balance," this is what Ovi was missing a bit last season, the opponents studied his videos and knew for the most part his next move. His physical condition at the start of the season didn't help the case, because when Ovi is on top of his form, he creates his own space, like Boudreau said.
Disclaimer: I am in no way Pronger or Flyers fan, but it's a good read... :-)
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I agree with TJ. I'm no Flyers or Pronger fan either, but "Play with edge" is exactly what Ovie--and the Caps as a team--lacked in abundance last season.
For Ovie in particular, his predictability with moves plus his poor conditioning and being out of shape to start the season set the tone for his drop in offensive production. The rest of the team followed suit, which led to Boudreau's switch to a more defensive system.
If these issues have been addressed--and it seems Ovie has done his part to correct his conditioning and other mistakes--and if the Caps can strike a balance between being an offensive juggernaut and being defensively responsible, then maybe their mission for more playoff success will be finally be accomplished.
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