Avalanche fourth-line center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare skates into the faceoff circle with a simple goal of securing the puck before his opponent.
Easy enough, right?
Not really.
“It takes technique, but it also takes a lot of experience and studying,” Bellemare said. “It’s the way you place yourself, the way you put your hands, the body language of the opponent, his habits, which referee it is and where they drop the puck; because some drop it in different areas than others.
“There’s way more to it than trying to win a stick battle.”
Extreme attention to detail earned Bellemare a reputation for faceoff excellence, and the Avs are hoping he shores up a team weakness.