Finding different ways to create offense
For all my struggling forwards (I know a few :0) and all my struggling coaches who cannot figure out why their teams are not scoring.
While I am traditionally known for my defensive style of play, working with defenseman mainly and the defensive skills articles I have posted. I do know a thing or two about offense.
This article will be dedicated to offense / three things to do on the offensive side of the puck and the video attached will help visually show and demonstrate the different ways to create offense.
On the offensive side of the puck the biggest mistake players make are stopping their feet and gliding / pushing the responsibility onto the puck carrier. We all know the most common saying in hockey “the most important player on the ice is the one without the puck” why that is because your ability to move without the puck, get to soft areas, get “lost” on the ice and find open space. Which can lead to a lot of goals or shots on net for your team. Yet something we see quite often at the youth level is the lack of movement without the puck. Movement with the puck even is not great but now imagine both moving with the puck and moving without the puck, so much movement, so many options. The team on the defensive side of the puck are going to be chasing the puck, constantly moving and having to cover space / players and eventually they will slip, make a mistake and you will score.
This video displays the multiple ways to create offense.
In this first clip, a traditional cycle, they go low, high player moves down the wall, keep it low, around the net, high slot chance. This is what coaches mean by movement without the puck, you see the net front F pop off he net and grab it, #92 on Nashville reads that, moves down the wall to cycle, after the initial pass though that player who passed it behind the net moves to the high slot. Constant movement, constant confusion. Grade A scoring chance.
0:25- Zone entries, this is a huge way to create offense if done correctly and players use their brain / are creative! I love this zone entry, enter the zone, recognize numbers, hit the brakes, dish to trailer to coming in zone, over to F on the far side, GOAL. You will also recognize the 4th player coming through the middle for middle lane support. This happens due to movement and timing. Watch 92 time his arrival to the spot he shot from. He goes out VERY wide, watches the play develop, waits, waits, stops, pass, release, goal!
Clip right after the one above, another “zone entry” example, chip low, create a 50/50, with the player driving the middle of the ice and the opposing defenseman, support the puck now, F3 waits to see what occurs from the scrum. Here it happens to land perfectly in front for McDavid to get a shot on net.
1:02: is one of my favorite clips, because it is a little untraditional but is becoming more common in todays game, the high F usage in the offensive zone. The Avalanche and MacKinnon are known for this. We see the play get pushed down low, the Leafs push the puck back high, as the puck is being moved high (you cant see it on the screen) but Marner (#16) is beginning to move high, gets to the top of the key / middle of the ice, receives the puck, shot. This way is becoming more common where we see teams work low, get it high and have two defenseman and a forward high basically running the top of a power play on the umbrella in a sense.
Last clip is similar to the 0:25 clip/goal from Nashville, Forward flys down the wall, hits the breaks, finds the D (trailer) coming into the zone, that D pushes it over to the other D on the weak side. Walks UNTIL pressured, shot, goal!
I think we get the point of this video and article. There are so many different ways to create offense. If you are a struggling forward right now or a coach struggling to find ways to get your team score. Try these three things.
FOCUS on drills in practice that are going to emphasize offensive zone possession and movement, do not be afraid of doing odd man situations in drills like 3 v 2, 4 v 3, etc while it is not like that in games it teach players the key points of offense to take into the game.
Emphasize good habits, try not to focus on the negatives of a drill, a shift, etc, find the good habits and focus on that. Not every shift is going to be a goal, 2+ shots on a net a shift or they may not score every game but are they understanding what you are saying and doing it? Yes, they will eventually get it and break through.
Work on skills within the o-zone, cycling pick ups, different types of catches into shots, different spots to shoot on the ice, deflections in front, cut backs low, puck protection. These details will lead to confidence and production on the ice in games!