![[Jagr, Jaromir]](jagrpro.jpg)
Jaromir Jagr Jaromir Jagr- Jagr creates a terrible quandary for opposing coaches, because there is simply no defense for him. He can't be shadowed--there is not a player on earth who can stay with him--and when he beats his shadow he creates an odd-man situation. Teams have to concentrate on playing positionally, to try to cut down his passing lanes. Jagr is as close to a perfect skater as there is in the NHL. He keeps his body centred over his skates, giving him a low centre of gravity and making it very tough for anyone to knock him off the puck. He has a deep knee bend, for quickness and power. His strokes are long and sure, he has control over his body and exceptional lateral mobility. He dazzles with his footwork and handles the puck at high tempo. He brings sheer joy and a dynamic energy to the game every night. Jagr lives and loves to play hockey. His long hair flowing out from beneath his helmet, he's poetry is motion with his beautifully effortless skating style. Playing with the more defensive-minded Ron Francis as his safety valve last season again gave him even more freedom to freewheel, but the loss of Mario Lemieux will be keenly felt. With his Lemieux-like reach, Jagr can dangle the puck while he's gliding and swooping. He will fake the backhand and go to his forehand in a flash. He is also powerful enough to drag a defender with him to the net and push off a strong one-handed shot. He has a big slap shot and can drive it on the fly or fire it with a one-timer off a pass. One of the reasons for Jagr's wicked shots is that he plays with barely legal sticks. He gets them illegally curved on order from the factory, and sharp-eyed opposing coaches should keep a lookout for those he hasn't doctored to NHL specifications.
 |