Tactics to work on

11/7/01 Chalk-Talk

Key Concepts:

Positioning

Self-discipline

Whole-ice awareness

-Cover for defenseman who pinches or rushes.

-Double team in corners: one man check while other gets puck.

-Cycle and Replace when forechecking (includes neutral zone).

-On penalty kill (one man short), off-side forward gives priority to covering the

deep slot.

-Penalty Kill Aggressive Box: a forward and a defenseman place themselves

on opposite sides of a puck carrier, close enough to poke-check, and in

a passing lane: again, off-side forward gives priority to covering the

deep slot.

-In general, to maintain puck control, we must outnumber opposing players in each “micro-play”:

--For example, if one of our players is controlling puck in a corner, another of our players

should be in close proximity as an outlet.

--Basically DOUBLE-TEAM opponents in as many situations as possible so long as we do not

get caught giving up an odd-man rush (finishing the check should generally prevent this.

--Similarly, when we have possession of the puck, we want to have TWO attackers around the

front of the opponent’s net in position to outnumber a defenseman and receive a pass, or convert a rebound.

-Constant motion on offense:

--If you are not moving to create a passing target, you are SPECTATING.

--Spectators belong in the stands or on the bench: NOT on the ice!

-The more crowded the zone, the faster the puck needs to be passed to maintain control.

-Every player needs to be able to play every position for the most fluid hockey machine.

-Forecheck and backcheck in such a way as to prevent odd-man rushes.

-Prevent shots from the shooting funnel at all times...

-The deep forechecker(on the puck-carrier) plays the BODY, not the puck. TAKE YOUR MAN OUT OF THE PLAY (finish the check)

--Shallow forecheckers look to cut off passing lanes - force them to break out up the middle (the most risky place)