The prettiest spectacle afforded by a good hockey match, is the rush down the ice, four abreast, of the forwards. This play to a man of sporting instincts, verges on the beautiful.
When four men in a line, racing at lightning speed, approach the defence of their opponents, it is then that the goal-keeper of the attacked party sees danger signals floating in the air, because the assistance he will receive from his defence men, is, on these occasions, problematical. If they crowd in upon him, his view of the play is abstructed; if the cover rushes out he may not use the bodycheck, because he does not know which man will have the puck, and therefore cannot afford to waste time and energy on one who has already passed the rubber, or who will do so, and the point man must necessarily keep his position unless some fumbling occurs. But should the forward line advance four abreast? This is a serious question.
When such a rush is being made, one slip, one fumble, a fraction of a second lost, will throw at least three of the forwards off-side, out of play. It is a good deal safer and more satisfactory for one man, say the rover, to follow the three other forwards, slightly in the rear, so that if such a slip, such a fumble occurs, he will be close on hand to recover the puck, and quickly place his men in play.
