New season, same old regrets. This one haunted me all week:

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https://i.imgur.com/ZPxh8rL.mp4

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I originally clipped this one because I thought it was funny. I thought I had given the guy a pretty good shove, but on replay I barely moved him. Then I realized it's actually a great example of something we try to teach the brand new players:

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https://i.imgur.com/tPC7tb7.gifv

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As I skate the puck in down the wing, two defenders close on me. I did *not* dump the puck forward in a quick panic, where they would have easily gotten it. Instead, I tried to make a play. I turned my back to them to shield the puck and was hoping to see a trailer or the point man open. A defender tries to go through me, and I end up on my knees and he gets turned around and off balance. My teammate is supporting and grabs the puck, so we maintain possession. Especially on offense, it's better to neutralize the defender in a one-on-one battle than to just give up the puck immediately.