Yukon Rush - Who has been the top defenseman?

[Ricer13 2,664]

      The Yukon Rush have played 13 games so far this season. They currently hold a record of 7-5-1 putting them 6th in the VHLM standings. The team has been hot and cold to start the season as they try to build some chemistry with one another. The bright spot on this team so far has to be the defensive core they have put together. Three of Yukon's defensemen are in the top 4 for defensemen scoring in the VHLM but which defensemen has been the most valuable for their team so far in the early season. I will take a minute to breakdown the four candidates and let you decide whos been the most valuable defender for the Rush.

 

Zyrok

Zyrok started off slow but has recently jumped into a tie with Ray Sheilds for the points lead on the Rush roster. He is currently 2nd in defensemen scoring with 22 points in 13 games. In those 22 points he has 3 goals and a whopping 19 assists. He has clearly shown that he is a puck moving defensemen as he has been the key playmaker on this team so far this season. His defensive numbers are just as impressive as he currently has a +7 rating and 22 shots blocked. He strays away from the physical side of the game and that is okay but where he needs to improve is his shot. He has one of the lower shooting percentages on the team with a 9.68 % shooting percentage. If his play as of late is any indication of how Zyrok is going to play the rest of the season then the Yukon are in for a real treat.

 

Alex Armstrong

 

Alex Armstrong has been Zyroks partner all season long so far. The two have proven to be a force out their together on the ice. Armstrongs currently sitting at 19 points which is third on the Rush in points and third among defenseman scoring in the VHLM. He has 6 goals and 13 assists and an impressive shooting percentage of 13.33%. He isn't afraid to shoot the puck and has done so very efficiently this season. I would say his defensive play has been better than Zyroks as he currently sits at a +11 plus/minus and 17 blocked shots of his own. Alex has only gotten better as the season has progressed and with him and Zyrok playing together this has to be one of the top pairings in the VHLM.

 

Bo Burrows

 

Next up we have the GOAT - Bo Burrows, this player has also been a force for the Rush this season. He came out of the gates hot and has remained consistent so fair this season. He came out so hot that he was pushing to take a spot on the top line. Burrows sits only 1 points behind Armstrong and is 4th in defensemen scoring in the VHLM. He has 5 goals and 13 assists but has a higher shooting percentage than both Zyrok and Armstrong with at 14.29%. He isn't shy about playing the physical game either as he currently is second on the team with 45 hits behind only Ray Sheilds. Where Burrows needs work however is on the defensive end of the ice. He currently sits at a plus/minus of -7 which is tied for the worst among defensemen on the team. He isn't afraid however to put his body on the line as he has blocked 20 shots as well. I am excited about what Burrows is bringing to this team and he could very well push for a spot on the top line if he continues to progress this season. After all he is the GOAT.

 

Joe Jacks

Lastly I wanted to talk about Joe Jacks. He is an new up and comer in this league and probably hasn't been the best defensemen for the Rush but that is okay. He is only going to get better as the season rolls on but lets take a dive into his season thus far anyways. He only has 5 points in 13 games and all five points have been assists. He has a 0% shooting percentage and needs some work in his defensive zone as he is tied with Burrows at a -7 plus/minus rating. He is tied among the Rush defensemen with 20 blocked shots but does shy away from the physical play as he only has 14 hits so far this season. Playing along side Burrows is only going to make Jacks a better player and this defensive core is sure to show him the way to becoming an elite defender in another season for the Rush.

 

      Well there you have it, the Rush Defense have been spectacular so far this season. Its hard to say exactly which defender has been the Rush's MVP so far this season because they have all played so well.  Can either of them break away from the pack and become to the true number 1 defender on this team or will they all continue to push each other all season long and become one of the best defensive cores the VHLM has ever seen. I am interested to hear about who you think is currently the best Rush defensemen in the comments below!

 

      In a couple weeks I am going to break down the forwards and the season they have had at that point. I will highlight the success stories as well as the disappointments to that point in the season. There is a lot of good info to be unpacked there and I am hoping at that point some of our forwards have broken out of their shell and start contributing on a regular basis for the Rush. At some point  would also like to include an article about the Rush's starting goalie Nicolas Fomba as well and touch on the VHLM career he's had to this point and whether or not he can get the job done for the Yukon Rush this season. Thanks again for tuning in I hope this was and insightful read.


word count: 1011 

 

[Ricer13 2,664]

claim 1/2

[Walter Fizz 84]

4 hours ago, Ricer13 said:

Next up we have the GOAT - Bo Burrows, this player has also been a force for the Rush this season. He came out of the gates hot and has remained consistent so fair this season. He came out so hot that he was pushing to take a spot on the top line. Burrows sits only 1 points behind Armstrong and is 4th in defensemen scoring in the VHLM. He has 5 goals and 13 assists but has a higher shooting percentage than both Zyrok and Armstrong with at 14.29%. He isn't shy about playing the physical game either as he currently is second on the team with 45 hits behind only Ray Sheilds. Where Burrows needs work however is on the defensive end of the ice. He currently sits at a plus/minus of -7 which is tied for the worst among defensemen on the team. He isn't afraid however to put his body on the line as he has blocked 20 shots as well. I am excited about what Burrows is bringing to this team and he could very well push for a spot on the top line if he continues to progress this season. After all he is the GOAT.

 

Say I’m the goat act like I don’t know, but fuck it I’m obviously winning

[Zyrok 173]

Thanks for the kind words Krice, appreciate it and will work on that stuff that you've said

[Ricer13 2,664]

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