Why Sarah Nurse is a Star
With the inaugural season of the PWHL in full swing we wanted to continue our weekly series of in-depth breakdowns of the elite skills that make the players in the PWHL the best in the world. This week we are going to go in-depth on the skills and talents that make PWHL Toronto player Sarah Nurse a star.
Sarah Nurse might be the most well-known player in the women's game thanks to her jaw-dropping performances for the Canadian national team most notably at the Olympics. At the most recent Winter Olympics in Beijing Nurse had a performance for the history books as she set the single tournament points record for women's hockey at the Winter Olympics with 18 points in only 7 games. Her performance at the Olympics catapulted her popularity to a new level as she was suddenly being called the face of women's hockey. The Olympics wasn't a one-off though as she has consistently been a stalwart on the first line for Team Canada producing great results year after year.
Physical Tools
Sarah Nurse is a rangy, high-end finishing, play-driving power forward thanks in part to her unique size plus speed combination. Listed at five-foot-eight one-hundred seventy-nine pounds, Nurse has above average size for the sport as well as having a long wingspan. Nurse uses her frame exceptionally well on the forecheck as she can use her length to surprise the defenseman forcing the defenseman into puck battles along the wall which because of her reach and size Nurse wins most of the time.
Skating
For power forwards to have success with their physical traits they have to be able to get to the puck on time and to do that they have to be elite skaters, thankfully Sarah Nurse is an elite skater. Nurse is lightning quick in a straight line but she also has an impressive stop-start ability for a power forward which allows her to create separation on defenders in tight areas. Her size-speed combination is a matchup nightmare for anyone on the opposing team.
Vision
To ultimately be a play-driving power forward that has high-end finishing skills they have to have elite vision and a great shot. Nurse has a unique ability to be able to see open ice in the offensive zone before it often appears. She regularly scans the ice when she doesn't have the puck to anticipate where the open passing lanes will be so that she can create a scoring chance. When Nurse does have the puck on her stick she can make every type of pass in all three zones no matter how fast she is going.
Shot
Her best skill however is her elite shot which in my opinion is top five in the world. Nurse has a lightning-quick snapshot release because of how much her hands are in front of her body. She also has loose hands which allows her depending on what type of pass she receives to quickly change her hand position on the stick to get the shot off before the goalie can react. She is also elite at scoring off of the rush as she doesn't have to slow down to release the puck because of her loose hands which allow her to let a rocket go at full speed which is impressive. I would classify her as a distance and one-shot scorer which is a rare tool that only the best shooters in the world possess.
Sarah Nurse is truly one of the best players in the world due to her rare tools. No one in the women's game except for Sarah Nurse possesses the ability to be a player driving power forward while also having top five in the world finishing ability. Nurse had her breakout at the Winter Olympics but her standout skillset is why she has solidified herself as a star.
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