Creative Options in the Offensive Zone

Boys,

Connelly sent in the Marchand GWG from last nights World Cup decider. Connelly pointed out the creativity in Toews' zone entry. Instead of just dumping the puck in and forechecking, Toews bought himself time by cutting from left to right across the top of the circles. Both European defemsemen bit on the play and Toews left a drop pass for Marchand. Marchand fired with a quick release and the tournament was over for Europe. Note how number 4 (Jay Bouwmeester) jups up with Toews on the original attack to lure the defensmen down low. Once the D have retreated he pulls back into a defensive position and Marchand takes the open space in the middle of the ice. Even though he wont show up on the stat sheet for that goal, he played a role in opening up space for the the forwards.

Key Points:

• Get creative with how you attack once you have gained the blue line (ie. Gretzky curl, chip to space, buy time, etc)
• Catch opponents off guard by attacking when no one is expecting you to (shorthanded)
• Never be complacent on defense when on the powerplay
• Quick releases catch goalies off guard 

Link

PS. Note how number 4 (Jay Bouwmeester) jumps up with Toews on the original attack to lure the D down low. Once the D have committed to him down low he pulls back into a defensive position and Marchand takes the open space in the middle of the ice. Even though #4 wont show up on the stat sheet for that goal, he played a role in opening up space for the forwards. Great example of contributing to the attack while still maintaining defense as the priority.

-Coach Spence

Forechecking with a Purpose

There are a lot of things to love about Crosby's opening goal in the semifinal of the World Cup. Let's focus on his forecheck.

Crosby times his speed perfectly and takes an angle on the play that allows him to get stick on puck. The Russian D-man feels the pressure and the pass is deflected to a dangerous area (as opposed to behind the net or off the high glass). Pay attention to how Crosby did not over commit to making a big hit on the initial defenseman. By focusing on getting stick on puck and timing his speed, Crosby was able to quickly adjust to the deflection and disrupt the breakout. This led to a turnover in a dangerous area and Crosby's offensive skill took over. He converted a smart and calculated forecheck into a huge opening goal of an elimination game. Small details done right.

- Coach Spence

Face-off Set Play

Love this set play off the face-off from Bemidji State! The key was the hard, quick pass from the D-man which spread out the ice and allowed for a quick zone entry. Bemidji State was ready to go from the drop of the puck and they caught their opponents flat footed.

That didn't take long - @BSUBeaversMHKY going face-off to goal in a hurry. pic.twitter.com/ZP8UWdT5Tp

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) September 23, 2016

Bonus College Hockey:

One more look back at the magic of @QU_MIH legend Sam Anas. pic.twitter.com/n3Y1fWEtps

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) September 22, 2016

Shift Time

Team,

Just a reminder going into the season as to how long an efficient shift should last. There is no reason to be on the ice more than a minute. We want to encourage fresh legs and smart changes. This can be as simple as getting the puck deep (and changing) when you are 30 seconds into a shift instead of trying to challenge the opposing D.

Please read the following article on shift length and how it affects the game:

Mike Babcock and the 40 Second Shift



Example:

-Coach Spence

Volunteering Schedule for Saturday 9/24

                St. Ignatius Hockey Volunteer Opportunity

Saturday 9/24 – United Center 3v3 Street Tournament 

What: You will be assisting the Chicago Blackhawks Fan Development Department in running 3v3 street hockey tournament. You will help to shag balls that leave the arena, make sure kids signed waivers, and other duties as assigned. 

8:00am-10:30am

Haroldsen

Gilbert

J. Madura

S. Madura

10:30am-1:00pm

Wallace

Scherer

C. Mcfarland

Fischer

Blocking Shots for Scoring Opportunities

Blocking shots the correct way is not only important for safety but can also lead to scoring opportunities. 

As a winger, one of your primary responsibilities in the defensive zone is to position yourself in the shooting lane of the opposing team's defensemen. This prevents opposing D from taking a clear shot on net while also putting you in good position to defend the half wall or initiate the breakout. 

The angle that you take towards the defenseman is very important. If you charge straight at the D, not only will it be easy for them to deke around you, but you also set yourself up for a "fly by". 

In the following clip you will see Michael Frolik do a great job staying in the shooting lane and taking away options. Frolik’s stick is in the passing lane which leaves Yandle only one safe option, which is to dump the puck in deep. Instead, Yandle tries for the shot and surrenders a breakaway. This is a perfect example of how sound defense can lead to high quality scoring opportunities.

Link

Next we have Milan Lucic challenging a D-man at the point. Notice Lucic's speed as he attacks the point. He is not charging to the point that he will be out of position if the player dishes the puck or makes a move. He is content in the shooting lane and is slowly closing the gap. Lucic gets his feet together when the player releases the shot and ends up earning a game winner. 

Link

-Coach Spence

An ideal hockey play and what makes it so great. Featuring Pasiennik and Klein.

Why this is an ideal hockey play:

1.  Attacking the opponent while always being a threat to shoot or pass.  Read & React!

• If Max had in his head he was going to shoot or going to pass the play wouldn't be as good.  Max was ready to do both based off of what he saw in front of him.

2.  Recognizing time and space while on the ice.

• Max recognized he had room to skate the puck until the defender committed to him.  

3.  Drawing the opponent to the puck carrier, then dishing the puck to an open man.

• Timing is everything. Once he recognized the defender had committed to him, he was able to pass the puck to the open man.  In this instance the open man was in prime scoring position.  Which is the ultimate goal when making plays.

4.  Working hard to get open.

• Klein beat his opponent to an open area of the ice which allowed him to easily receive this pass.

5. Last but not least, hitting the back of the net!

• Hit the net! Start with your habits in practice, it's better to miss your spot toward the middle of the posts than toward the outside.

Concepts of Checking

Team, 

I liked these two videos on delivering body checks. Cory Sarich does a great job explaining how/when to pick your spots and Dustin Brown demonstrates the concept of shifting your momentum and staying low. Check out the two videos and I will highlight the key points below. 

Link

Link

Key points:

·         Match your speed with the opposition

·         Good stick position

·         Wait till your opponent takes his eyes off of you

·         Area of the ice matters. How much risk is there if you miss? Do you have forward support?

·         Power comes from your legs (outside edge)

·         Generate momentum going into the hit

·         Use deception to surprise the player (pretend you are skating backwards)

·         Transfer of power from back leg to front

·         Elbow and hands stay down. Make contact with your shoulder

·         Target the chest not the head

Let me know if you have any questions. We are going to do some hitting drills prior to the opener on the 24^th.

Bonus:

Link

-Coach Spence

Nutrition for YOUR body simplified (with math):

Calories are made up from proteins (4 calories/gram), carbohydrates (4 calories/gram), and fats (9 calories/gram).

Your body needs CARBOHYDRATES for HIGH INTENSITY ENERGY.

Your body needs FATS for LOW INTENSITY ENERGY.

Your body needs PROTEIN to retain and BUILD MUSCLE.

How much of each do I need?  That is different for everybody and takes a little bit of trial and error.  

For most of you who are lean and have trouble gaining weight:

50% of calories should be CARBOHYDRATES.

25% of calories should be FATS.

25% of calories should be PROTEIN.

If you need to lose body fat:

25% of calories should be CARBOHYDRATES.

40% of calories should be FATS.

35% of calories should be PROTEIN.

It’s also possible to be somewhere in the middle:

40% of calories should be from CARBOHYDRATES.

30% of calories should be from FATS.

30% of calories should be from PROTEINS.

The amount of calories you should take in depends on your body weight, body type, and weather you are trying to gain or lose weight.  Again, this is an on going process of trial and error, but the more in tune you are with your body and what you eat, the easier it is to figure out.

Multiply your body weight by 12 to lose weight, by 15 to maintain weight, and by 18 to gain weight.  That will give you a good calorie goal to start with.  Adjust as necessary!

I’ll use myself as an example.  Currently I’m 190lbs and I’m trying to lose a little weight and lean up.  Therefore I multiplied 190 x 12 = 2,280.  

So I need to lose body fat and my calories are at 2,280 therefore:

25% of calories should be CARBOHYDRATES = 142g.

40% of calories should be FATS = 101g.

35% of calories should be PROTEINS = 199g.

Last and most important, KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU EAT!  download an application and try to hit those numbers daily.  When in doubt take an educated guess.

Feel free to reach out at anytime for support.

Best,

Coach Atsoff

Elite Defensive Qualities

Team,

I really liked this article from Logan Couture on the top defensemen in the NHL. He does a great job highlighting the specific skills that separate the elite from the rest of the competition. I have elaborated on a few below. Please read the article before my notes.

The 5 Toughest Defensemen I've Ever Faced

• Changing the angle of the shot to get it through traffic (Burns, Giordano). This is a skill that defensemen should be working on everyday. The power of the shot is irrelevant if it doesn't make it to the net. Burns uses the half-slapper at the top of the point to get a quick release and increase the accuracy of his shot. 

• Understanding when it is time to bail (Burns). Great defensemen have enough self-awareness to understand when they need to bail on an offensive rush in favor of defensive responsibility. This is a combination of reading the play and factoring in your speed/energy level.  

• Creating Time and Space (Josi). This skill originates with the defenseman's confidence with the puck. In order to have an effective breakout, it is crucial that the forwards and defensemen are communicating effectively and moving up the ice together. This is made possible when the defensemen are comfortable hanging on to the puck and regrouping so that everyone can attack as a unit. 

• Feisty and Physical (Keith, Giordano). We want our defensemen to be physical and difficult to play against, but we cant afford to take penalties in the process. Out skating your opponent, managing your emotions, and establishing body position are good ways to avoid taking penalties without sacrificing physicality. 

Duncan Keith being ELITE:

Link for tablets

Never Say Die

Team,

I wanted to share this story on Jason Day and his journey to becoming a world class golf champion. He was striving every day to get better, to improve a little bit. Impossible not to root for a guy that shows his level of determination and sacrifice.

Link for tablets

Montreal Canadiens great, Jean Béliveau, put it best -

"Talent is a gift, but you can only succeed with hard work".