Reply To: Open thread for coaching discussion

[ICEMAN]

Hi Tom – coaches,

Hope you and the rest of the coaches will have a safe and Merry Christmas.

I'm coaching at the high school level, we have our 1st line that is really good – fast, anticpate each other, move the puck. BUT, our second, third and our fourth line – has no imagination, head down, throwing the puck, just bad hockey.

We will play some SAG's, but the 1st line dominates, I try to mix all 4 lines together – wishing for lines 2 thru 4 to learn to play against the "better" line (1st). They get frustrated, but we tell them to compete and they do, but I need to get lines 2-4 to work on their game sense and scoring ability. Those lines can shoot, are quick, just no hockey sense – moving to open areas, passing to space, inderect passing, we work on shooting drills…usually vs air. But we do 1v1's, 2v1's, etc.

Any advice from you and any other coach would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
Iceman
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Iceman, I think you have the kind of team that most coaches have. Smart players are not common. I think it is best to keep creative players together instead of putting a Play Ender with them. Luap's idea of changing the identity to an energy line or a checking line is probably the best advice.

Keep working on the skills and game sense to make them all better players and maybe a few more will become on ice thinkers.

Tomm