Simmonds studied net-front presence of Smyth, Handzus

ESPN.com profiles the success of Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds.

Simmonds, on how his 6-foot-2, 183-pound frame is more lanky than hulking:

“I think it helps me out, actually," Simmonds told ESPN.com. "I’ve got really long arms, so if someone’s boxing me out, sometimes I can still get that extra inch or two inches, just enough to get my stick on the puck. People may see I’m not the heaviest or the biggest guy, but I think I use that to my advantage."

While with the Los Angeles Kings, Simmonds would stay after practice to pick the brains of Ryan Smyth and Michal Handzus about improving his net-front presence.

"I’ve always played in the hard areas," Simmonds said. "It’s obviously a tough position to play; not a lot of guys want to go to the front of the net and get hacked and whacked and stepped on and all that other stuff. That’s just the player I am. I’ve got to be in the thick of it."

Source: Katie Strang, ESPN.com