Size matters, especially in the NHL.
Especially when a young player lines up on defense and his job is to stop opposing forwards from crashing the net, digging the puck out of the corners and creating offensive plays.
If you don't think so, look at the Boston Bruins, who put huge men like Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk and Adam McQuaid on the blue line. Dennis Seidenberg is not oversized at 6'1" and 210 pounds, but he is strong, powerful and athletic—and big enough.
Then there's Torey Krug. This rookie defenseman is 5'9", 180 pounds, and compared to the foursome above and second-year defenseman Dougie Hamilton (6'5", 199 pounds), Krug looks Lilliputian in the land of the giants.
That's the negative when it comes to Krug. He doesn't pass the eye test with flying colors. But get past those prejudices and easy judgements, and you have one of the most important players on one of the best teams in the league.
Even though Krug is short, he can more than carry his own weight with the Bruins.
He is a brilliant skater who can carry the puck up the ice with speed and purpose. This makes hi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
Why Torey Krug Is Still Underrated Despite Hype Surrounding Breakout Season
November 14th, 2013 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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