I think we’ve all noticed that our breakout could use some serious help sometimes, especially against teams that lay on the low-zone pressure. Being that the defensemen are the quarterbacks, we dictate the pace/style of each breakout. If the defensemen make a shoddy pass or get stuck with the puck we seriously hurt the entire sequence and vice versa. Since it all starts with us, I decided to pull together some juicy tips on how to put together a killer breakout as a defensemen. First, as a partner defensemen without the puck, it is our duty to always be open to the other defensemen. Keeping the stick on the ice and in the spot you want a pass is crucial; we serve as both an extra angle that might be more accessible to up-ice wingers and centers and as safety valve if the other D gets in trouble. Secondly, attempting to make longer first passes will prevent the breakout from getting stuck or rebounded in the low zone. If a winger/center is posted or swinging at the blue line, getting the puck to them will automatically gain the neutral zone, get us that much closer to the redline, and give us a lot more room to regroup if need be. Also, if the middle of the ice is open when skating up the puck, the D shouldn’t be afraid to take advantage of that lane to give himself more passing options. Lastly, if the breakout starts from the D-zone corner, the weakside D in front of the net should always be thinking of joining the rush at that point. They are the most viable option for the new rush after the weakside winger. We have a very solid defensive core this year and if we can learn some high level breakout chemistry and passing options we can be the anchor of quarterbacking this team and getting us back on offense as quick as possible. Keeping the throttle on the offensive and not letting them come up for air is the kind of team we are.
No comments:
Post a Comment