Page:Hockey, Canada's Royal Winter Game.djvu/67

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bunched in front of the poles, he should lift without trying to pass the cover-point. His shot, in this case will often prove effective, because, having his two assistants directly in front of him, obstructing his view of the play, the goal keeper cannot easily stop a low, hard, well directed "puck," besides, he will deprive the cover-point of the pleasure of "using his body."

On approaching the cover-point, a forward, before passing the puck, should incline a good deal towards the opposite side to which he is going to send it, because in so doing he will force the cover-point to leave his place, and thereby create a better clearing for action.

It is a peculiar fact that defence men, in their positions, are usually less apt than forwards to get excited, which might be accounted for by this that it is a great deal easier for them to prevent a man from scoring than it is for him to score, and, besides, they are in their own territory moving at comparative ease, whilst the rushing forward tears down at full speed and has time enough only to think of how he may pass the puck or how elude the cover-point. The forward player has more to think of, more to do in order to score, than the defence men have in preventing him.