Reply To: What Happens in a Hockey Shift

[Tom Molloy]

Paulie,

I don't know exactly what you mean by a weak side lock. If it is to force the team all the way across the ice that seems pretty hard to do.

I would think it better to deny the middle lane and keep the puck on the outside.

I would use th e1-3-1 torpedo like I describe in a posting about a week ago. Forget about the stretch breakout but forecheck with the C and RW in an I and #1 force the puck wide, #2 read to double team, take the D to D or back pressure.

The left wing stay above their rw on the fast break and the rd stay above their lw. The ld play puck side.

This way you have pressure on the puck and deny the quick up to the wing. You have 3 above the puck so they won't outnumber you on the rush.

Basically the lw plays his side and lw in the offensive zone and ld in his zone, the rd plays like a rw in the offensive zone and rd in his zone. The ld stays on the strong side point on the attack but plays like the low F in his zone supporting on each side. (it may sound crazy but the Red Bulls won the Continental Cup for supremacy of club teams in Europe last month and are leading the semi's 3-1 and should be in the finals for the fourth year in a row) They play almost what I just described but the C plays low in the zone which I don't like myself.

If they are better than you then you have to create turnovers inside their zone and get shots and traffic at the net and if they breakout you have to back pressure the puck carrier while everyone else gets back hard and finds sticks in a tight box and one around your net.

I watched the Flames try to sit back vs Detroit last night and it was a sad sight to see them never touch the puck as they stood there saying "we are all back and standing here."

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'