Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[RedWingFan]

Great question and replies. Last fall I went to watch a game with intentions to watch a particular player and try to learn something to help the kids I coach. I had heard great things about this player as far as game intelligence goes. His physical skills were not too far above everyone else, but what he did with those skills was on another level

a few things I saw

-great puck skills. He used this to give himself more time to survey the play and decide on next move/pass/shot. There were other players between these two teams with high level puck skills but they did not use these skills to do anything other than try to dangle and force themselves to difficult areas

-Deception. Skated with and without the puck always seeking empy areas of the ice. Never seeked a defender just to make a move on them. Without the puck, he was constantly changing slightly the direction he was moving with simple/slight changes of angle and speed.

-Deception. Was not in triple threat position as much as he should have been but he was constantly trying to appear he was passing or shooting towards a direction he was not planning on going to.

-He used angles against the boards very well. He used the boards like a 6th teammate a few times.

I enjoy watching some past games of Mario and Wayne to figure out what made them so far above their peers. One of the things that stood out to me was that they were more productive than players who were stronger, faster, better puckhandlers, shooters, etc. I remember watching the Pens play live a couple times and being amazed at how Kovalev looked like he was from another world with his smooth, quick hands that made NHL players look like poor puckhandlers. But then during the game seeing Mario make simple moves with just a drop of the shoulder or head and not even move the puck to create time and space.