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Once players have begun to
develop the skills of passing and receiving the puck, they need
to begin to figure out just when, and more importantly, why, to
utilize those skills. Hockey is not like football with designed
plays beginning from a standstill, or even basketball for that
matter, where the ball movement and player movement is slower
and more designed plays can be used. In hockey, virtually every
situation that a player is confronted with on the ice is
different as there are players in a variety of
different spots on the ice, moving at a variety of different
speeds. When controlling the puck, a player needs to be able to
assess the situation and make the best available play, whether
it is passing the puck to a teammate, or keeping it himself to
move it up the ice.
That’s not to say, that there shouldn’t be a “basic team
structure” or “system” for
controlling the puck, with players in the properly designated
positions on the ice (in any of the zones) when their teammate
has the puck. But what can’t happen is that the players feel
they “have” to pass the puck to a specific teammate in a
specific situation. That can’t happen, because they will never
learn how to read the play and make the best play available.
That is something that every player needs to learn to be able to
compete effectively as they progress in the game.
Every pass should have a purpose. If it doesn’t, it shouldn’t be
made. Teams, and
individual players work very hard to gain control of the puck.
Once they get it, every effort should be made to maintain it. So
every pass should be made with that in mind, team puck control.
The following are key points to instill in your players for
better team puck control.
Make the Easy Play
Great players make the game look easy. That’s because they make
the easy play. Going for the “home run” more often that not
results in a turnover, when the intended result could be
achieved with “a couple of singles”. Trying to pass through a
defender or trying to connect on a sixty-foot pass, is not the
right play, when you can make a 15-footer to a teammate with
more time and space to make a play once
they get the puck.
Make Quality Passes
It goes without saying that every pass should be on the stick.
If a pass is not made “tape to tape”, that split-second it takes
for the teammate to collect it and start to move with it is all
of the time it takes for a defender to close in on him and take
it away. Just as important as accuracy is velocity. Different
situations dictate different passes, but in most instances where
a direct pass can be made, the puck should be passed crisply and
on the ice. Bouncing, wobbly, slow passes allow the defenders
more time to adjust and pursue the puck. Crisp, accurate passes
catch defenders out of position and don’t allow them time to get
back into the play. Many players recognize the correct situation
to make a pass, but if they don’t deliver the pass with
authority, it doesn’t matter that they made the right choice.
Move the Puck Quickly
Recognizing which teammates are “open” and “where to move the
puck” are essential skills in team puck control. More
importantly, players need to be taught to recognize “when” to
move it, and the answer is IMMEDIATELY. By waiting just a split
second longer, that pass will probably no longer be an option,
especially if it is a “long “ pass.
Short Passes are the Best Passes
Occasionally, you can catch 3-4 opposing players out of position
and beat them all with one good, long pass. Short passes, 10 to
15 footers, are always the best passes for a couple of reasons.
First, they have a greater chance of success. It is much easier
to hit your teammate’s stick from 10 feet than it is from 50
feet. Secondly, the puck receiver will most likely have more
time to make a play with it when he gets it. As a long pass
makes its way to its target, so do the opposing players, as they
have more time to adjust. Often, just as the puck arrives, so do
the defenders, and the pass is never completed.
Create Something out of Nothing
If a puck carrier has no time or space to make a play, and is
being confronted by a defender, the best thing to do, rather
than try to beat the defender 1 on 1, is to move the puck to an
open teammate, then get open. By moving the puck to a teammate,
the player shifts the focus away from himself, which is only an
advantage if he moves quickly to an open area to receive a pass
back. The “give and go” is an essential part of team puck
control and can be used anywhere on the ice. But it is
only effective if the initial passer actually “goes” to open ice
after making the pass, and breaks down if the payer “gives and
watches”.
Use the “Extra Teammate”
Using the boards to make a pass to himself is the most basic
“give and go” play a player can make. Moving the puck off the
boards (or off of the back of the goal net), then skating around
the defender to pick it up is an effective move to create
something out of nothing. The boards can also be used to “bank a
pass” or “rim a pass” along the dasher boards in the corners,
when there is not a direct pass available to a teammate. |
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