It’s also no accident that the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins

it’s no secret that the Panthers have sorely missed sidelined centre Marcel Goc (concussion) because of his faceoff skills.

It’s also no accident that the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, featuring centers Patrice Bergeron, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley and Gregory Campbell are first in the NHL in faceoff percentage (55.2).

Or that five of the top six teams in the Western Conference (Chicago, Minnesota, San Jose, Vancouver and Detroit) are among the top seven faceoff percentage leaders in the league.

Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews, Wholesale nfl jerseys  Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, San Jose’s Joe Thornton, along with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Carolina’s Eric Staal are considered the game’s best faceoff practitioners.

Is there an art or skill to winning faceoffs or do ‘cheaters’ prosper by prematurely jumping the draw?

“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying,” said Weiss with a smile.

Weiss said after awhile you get to know the tendencies of opposing centers and former Panthers centre Brian Skrudland, one of the craftier faceoff practitioners, said he even studied how linesmen dropped the puck.

“First of all, winning faceoffs creates offensive chances and you decide where it’s going,” said Skrudland, the Panthers director of player personnel. “You’re not chasing and you get to save energy.”

Skrudland joked he used to buy linesmen beers after games so maybe, “he’d accidentally throw it in the corner for you.”

Veteran NHL linesman Pierre Racicot scoffed at Skudland’s off-ice strategy but he did name him as one of the game’s best faceoff cheaters.

“Skrudland was the master back when faceoffs were fast and furious and were more a swordfight,” said Racicot, a 19-year linesman and Weston resident. “His signature move was whacking the other guy’s stick, take him out of the play and kick the puck backward.”

The linesmen handle all faceoffs except at the start of periods and after goals, which the referee oversees.

Racicot said he will chase any player Cheap mlb jerseys   who makes contact with his opponent’s stick before the puck hits the ice or if a player tries to jockey for a better angle on the puck drop.

“We call it the ‘home-team sweep,’ “ Racicot said. “The home team gets to put their stick down last on the ice so he’ll try to spin out of position and barrel through. That’s when I’ll pause for a fraction of a second so he doesn’t gain an advantage.

“I’ll tell the guys, ‘Sticks down, don’t make contact, square and fair.’ “

Time of possession is just as critical to NHL success as it is in the NFL.