Need Help On Play

[HockeyIsLife 0]

Try outs are in a week and I always mess up on a certain play.

When the opposition has the puck in our zone I am usually staying close to the defence men near the blue line since I'm a left winger. But when our defence men gets the puck behind our net I go the the boards and wait for it to come around but when I get the puck I'm not moving and no one is breaking so I end up getting nailed cause I'm just standing there. Should I dump the puck then chase?

Also when Our defence men have the puck and there is no pressure from the other team what is the best way to break out. Should I just circle the face off dot in our zone and gain speed and hope for the pass?

[blues_91 0]

If the D has to ring it around the boards, I usually let their D follow me in, nail him, and let the Center/Winger skate onto the puck. Usually results in my line mates getting a 2 on 1. You could also stay on the boards and put the puck in your feet, take the hit, and when the D bounces off you can make a nice outlet pass to the Winger/Center.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Keep your feet moving, dont just "stand" anywhere. If the D has the puck and there is no pressure you should circle to get your foot speed up. Your center should be cutting back up ice at this time as well and you can just feed him with a pass.

If there is pressure coming down on you, but your d is still open, give them the puck back, and force the other team to focus on them, then break, and possibly get a pass back from your d.

OR when you get it, and the D comes down to nail you, you can either throw it off the boards so your center can skate into it, or as a last resort, just dump the puck out of the zone and hope you get it again. Coaches wont want to see that, but they REALLY dont want to see you turning the puck over everytime you get it in your zone.

Hope that helps

Zach

[awall 0]

While we're on the topic of needing help with plays. I've got one. I'm playing I-League (Adult Novice) and play right wing when I'm not filling in as a practice cone. I'm getting the hang of staying on point and keeping the Dman out of play when the puck is in our zone. There are times when our D will send the puck around the boards, but being I-League it doesn't have much oomph and usually starts slowing down around the middle of the circle. My options seem to be...

A. Try for the puck and usually get the puck knocked away by the opposing center right onto the waiting stick of the Dman.

B. Hold my ground and don't get the puck and allow the other team to pick the puck back up.

C. Hang back to let their center get the puck and then try to be white on rice, until he takes advantage of a nice board pass to the Dman who gets a nice shot on goal.

Essentially there always seems to be a play to be made, but I ain't making it.

[Jarick 5]

Just stumbled across

, basic but very easy to understand and remember.

[D-MaN88 0]

I've played wing and D so I know this play from both perspectives. When I played wing and I saw the play you describe happening, I would float down closer to the D so he could maybe make a pass other than having to ring it around. If it came to him ringing it around the boards, I would turn my back to the D to shield him from the puck then I would yell for the center to curl towards my way towards the boards and would either try to gain possession with my feet to my stick or just catch it and the put a nice little bank off the boards to the curling center potentially causing a 2-1 with the other wing. (The suggestion of also looking to give it back is also good as it will more than likely give you and the D-Man both more time to make a better play) But also, whatever you do, just get the puck out, you do not want to take the chance of turning it over at the blue-line and them scoring off of it because coaches hate to see turn-overs at your blue-line and the offensive blue-line.

Now from the D-Man perspective, when I would play the man playing the ring around clear, one thing that always got me was when I went to pinch and hit the winger, a lot of the time the guy would play a little tip to the middle of the ice to the center curling so maybe you and your center/opposite wing could come up with a couple options and plays to get it out. More times than not though, the guy would usually turn towards the boards and either dump it out or bank it out.

One last thing is communicate. Let your line-mates know where to be and what you need them to do. Communication is key and should also come from the center and other players on your line to let you know where to play the puck and how much time you have. Communication is key and a must.

Oh and lastly, don't turn the puck over at the blue-line, coaches hate that.

Hope this helps somewhat coming from both perspectives.

[awall 0]

Thanks. I've got some ideas to try on my next game so I can't wait to play. From the video that was linked I realized that I need to float around a little more as I tend to stay too much on the defender at the blue line, almost in a man to man like coverage. One of my biggest problems is that I'm slow and the defenders are usually their best skaters, if they played any other position they'd usually be forced to move up a league lvl.

[Jordan 13]

A. Try for the puck and usually get the puck knocked away by the opposing center right onto the waiting stick of the Dman.

awall...if you're going to do this, the most common mistake I see players making is going too straight at the puck. What I mean is, say the puck either stopped or slowing along the boards, so you head straight at the puck (or the spot you figure it will be when you get there, if you approach the boards straight on, you will slow down and the center will catch you from behind.

If on the other hand you approach with a curl at the end you can pick up speed as you get to the puck. Then with a quick peek you can see if the d-man is pinching or getting back to his own end.

If he is pinching either hit your centerman in the middle if he is breaking out or hard off of the boards and right by the d-man.

If the d-man is retreating, you should be picking up sufficient speed to either try to get by him. If you get him to commit to you and then you can then make a pass or dump it in. Or, if you feel you have room, make him look silly and waltz right around him.

Any time, you are slowing down or not moving your feet as you approach either the puck, or someone with the puck, you will have trouble.

Good luck, give it a try.

[awall 0]

Any time, you are slowing down or not moving your feet as you approach either the puck, or someone with the puck, you will have trouble.

Thanks for that bit. I've been playing for about 2 years and recently just started coming to that conclusion. My tendency is to try to slow down to make sure I have the puck and then attempt to skate with it. I really need to spend some time just stick handling.

[oggy_3 0]

Anther thing that helps if your D is skating behind the net and passes you the puck and you have pressure right away just tap it back to the D if he is still moving and he can skate up the ice with it.

[bobovski 1]

This is a great thread, thanks to everyone who posted. I'm in a similar fix as HockeyIsLife and those who posted aren't just helping one (or even two) person(s).

[jeffw 1]

Just stumbled across

, basic but very easy to understand and remember.

Great video. I just forwarded it to all the guys on my beer league team and all the kids on the team I coach, lol.

[shifter 0]

Hockeyislife you should try and spend time on shinny games and stick and puck and practise getting passes and start skating with it.

[Jarick 5]

Oh man I wish the guys I was playing with last night watched that video. Three guys in front of the goalie and two chasing the puck leaving both their points wide open.

[Elwood 0]

Just stumbled across

, basic but very easy to understand and remember.

Great video. I just forwarded it to all the guys on my beer league team and all the kids on the team I coach, lol.

I just did the same =)

I wish there was a companion vid for o-fense

-E