D-to-D passes are one of the more dangerous passes in hockey if not well-thought out and there’s nothing worse than being on the receiving end of a hand grenade.
If defenders are on their toes, the passes can often be picked off and at that point the goalie is the last line of defense. Players can make an effort to catch someone, but they’re most likely gone…unless you never even let them get started.
Yesterday, in the KHL playoffs, Ak Bars defenseman Ohtamaa Atte pulled off a brilliant move by stealing the opponents stick before a breakaway even started.
Rather than the player getting a breakaway or a penalty shot, Atte was just given a holding the stick penalty and the other team did not score on the powerplay. His team ended up losing 2-0 and is down 2-0 in their series anyways, but still in this moment, this was Cleary the right move.
Keep that in mind next time your D partner pulls the pin on a puck and lays it right on your stick to get picked off.
