Are you allowing too many quality scoring chances, giving up too many goals, playing under .500 hockey, or losing too many one goal games?
If this sounds a little like your team I urge you to read the following tips.
Last time, I sent you some Youth Hockey tips on how to score goals. Today I am going to give you some tips on how to prevent goals. By utilizing both, they will help keep your team competitive in most games.
Preventing goals is just as important as scoring goals especially if you do not have the luxury of having a multitude of gifted goal scorers.
Some Coaches will need to adjust their game plan and strategy slightly by playing a bit more defensively. Simply by reducing quality shots and taking away goal scoring opportunities you will be on your way to playing competitive hockey.
Believe me, as a former coach, it is much easier to prevent goals than it is to score them and if done correctly will play a key role in making your team more competitive during the regular season and will help take you deep into the playoffs or tournament rounds.
Remember, Defensive hockey helps win Championships.
Most young Forwards know their primary role is to score goals when their team has possession of, or controls the puck.
However, many don’t understand their secondary role is to regain the puck and to prevent goals when the opposition has possession of the puck.
This is called Defensive Hockey and young Forwards don't realize this. It must be explained by the coaches and understood by the players. Coaches or parents must take some time and teach then the purpose and execution of different forechecking and backchecking systems at your practises or Team meetings.
Forwards must learn to come back to help their defencemen in their defensive zone to corral any rebounds or loose pucks and to cover open players and block the prime shooting lanes from the point and the slot area to your net.
If parents or coaches can explain to their child or players what to do and where to go when the opposition have the puck, and teach them when and how to forecheck and backcheck correctly, by forcing the puck carrier from the centre ice lane towards the boards to a bad shooting angle, and cover open wingers all the way back to your goal line, you will be well on your way to preventing goals against and playing a very competitive hockey.
The faster players go from offensive hockey (trying to score goals) to defensive hockey (trying to prevent goals) and vice versa with every change of possession of the puck by using quick transition speed, the more successful your team will be at both scoring and preventing goals.
Defensive Hockey starts the moment the opposition gain control of the puck. Players must Forecheck in the Offensive Zone trying to regain possession of the puck by legally taking the puck carrier off it to create a loose puck.
Forecheck - by either using the aggressive 2-1-2 puck pursuit system or the more defensive 1-2-2 Neutral Zone trap system.This is a coaching decision based on the skating and checking skills of the players s/he has available and the skills of the opposition.
In the offensive zone, the first or closest player must go after their puck carrier and angle him towards the boards separating him from the puck by either stick checking, or body checking (if allowed.) If successful this will create a loose puck for your team-mate to recover.
The second closest forward picks up the loose puck and goes to the net for a shot, or looks to pass the puck to the third forward situated in the high slot, or he can pass to an open defensemen on the point for a clear shot on goal.
The best forwards in the League win all the foot races and all the battles along the boards and in the corners for the loose puck.
They don't wait for things to happen, they make things happen. You must be aggressive and want the puck to be a successful checker. Don't sit back, go after and fight for the puck immediately.
Backchecking - if the forechecking was unsuccessful and their puckcarrier beats the first forechecker and is leading a rush out of his end, the 2 other forwards must quickly peel off and start backchecking through the neutral zone and into their defensive zone by covering the two wide wingers all the way back to their goal line.This will prevent them from receiving a pass or going to the net for a shot or rebound. It will also eliminate any odd man rushes and will help your defencemen provide solid defensive zone coverage.
Defencemen should try to play the puckcarrier outside their Blue Line if the wings are covered. And if possible force him to the outside of the rink preferably to his backhand side and a bad/poor shooting angle.
Remember, the 3 forwards do not simply chase the puck carrier; they have specific defensive jobs to do. Their role is to help their defence by preventing any odd man rushes by covering the wings.
If forechecking and backchecking are coordinated and executed properly the opposition will generate very few quality scoring chances and your goals against will drop significantly.
Here are some tips to help prevent quality scoring chances & goals against:
1. Reduce the number of quality shots from the slot and point by covering these players and block any shots originating from here.
2. Angle any shooter to the outside of the rink preferably on his backhand side to a bad shooting angle. If the goalie allows a goal from the boards it is not your fault.
3. Clear all rebounds into the corner or out of the zone.
4. Eliminate all odd man rushes, keep it 1on 1, 2 on 2, or 3 on 3, but don’t allow any 2 on 1’s, or 3 on 2’s. This is extremely important in order to play competitively.
5. Play your position, don’t be running all over the ice and maintain on ice balance.
6. A defenceman must always cover the closest opposing player in front of the net, while his partner fights for the puck in the corner.
7. Get the puck quickly out over your Blue Line, then over the Red Line then shoot it in deep and forecheck if you have no better option or play at ther Blue Line.
8. Reduce your undisciplined penalties in the offensive and neutral zones.
9. When the puck is in your defensive corner, players should collapse toward your net (like killing a penalty) to form an box in the area from the slot hash marks, to the puck side half wall/boards, to the pucks corner and to the front of your net.
These are a few defensive tips to help young male & female forwards & defencemen play their position correctly and will help them prevent goals if executed properly.
Whether you're 5 or 75, these same defensive (preventing goals against) skills are required and will allow you to play competitively in any League you play in.
Yours in hockey,John ShoreyAuthor “Hockey Made Easy” - Canada's Best Instruction Manual
