- May 1, 2011
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It works in NHL because of the easiness of breaking out and you can't really use your body to protect the puck from a poke check.
In real life, D-men rarely cross over because putting a righty on the left side forces them to clear the zone by playing it with a backhand off the near boards or using their forehand to throw it down the middle of the ice or far boards - not as easy. Forwards play on their natural wing because theoretically they'd be putting their bodies in between the puck and the defensemen, an added level of protection. Elite snipers like Kovy and Ovi are different because playing off wing allows them more net to shoot at, but it also makes them prone to turnovers and worse defense.
I have no problem with it being the preferred way to assemble the lineup, but not for it to be mandatory. It was partly the cause for a lot of bad lines last year, and it also keeps Gionta at center instead of Carter because both Gionta and Bernier are right handed shots.