A Detailed Analysis of the Winnipeg Jets’ Penalty Kill Forecheck and Defensive Zone Coverage Setups

In this video we walk through a detailed analysis of the Penalty Kill Systems the Winnipeg Jets are using. Remember, systems play is very subjective – everyone has their own opinions… this is my two cents worth!

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to look for:

FORECHECK:

• 1-3 Forecheck: F1 tends to commit too early, allowing the Wild defenseman to walk out from behind the net uncontested.
• F1′s Angle: Breaks my cardinal rule for trap-style forechecks – DON’T GET BEAT BEHIND YOU!
• NZ Transitions: Jets rely too heavily on picking off passes in the neutral zone, and not enough on solid angling and positioning. This won’t work as well against the better teams.

PK DEFENSIVE ZONE COVERAGE:

• Triangle +1 against Umbrella: Not a good systems match-up in my opinion. Angles are off, and it allows the opposing team’s “Quarterback” to easily pass to whomever he wants.
• Standard Box against Overload: Good systems match-up, but the Jets need to tighten up on a few things (see next few points)
• Weak-side Forward: Tends to over commit, leaving the opposing far defenseman open
• Net-front Coverage: Jets are letting a player sit right in the middle of their coverage, in front of the net
• 5 on 3: Too passive (in my opinion)

Cheers!

Jeremy

Technorati Tags: Angles, Angling, Cardinal Rule, Cheers, Defenseman, Defensive Zone, F1, Net Jets, Neutral Zone, Transitions, Triangle, Two Cents, Umbrella, Winnipeg Jets, Zone Coverage

Two simple variations of a 2-1-2 forecheck

The 2-1-2 forecheck is generally one of the first set-ups young players learn. It is simple to understand, and can be taught at very young age groups. In this video we outline two possible variations of the 2-1-2 that you can choose from based on the other team’s strengths and weaknesses.

The 2-1-2 Stack puts extreme pressure on the puck-carrying defenseman, and makes it virtually impossible to break out up the strong side of the ice. The Spread is used to combat the D to D pass behind the net. In either set-up, our F3 and our two Defensemen need to anticipate and get to the proper position quickly!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Age Groups, Defenseman, Defensemen, Extreme Pressure, F3, Forecheck, Proper Position, Puck, Set Ups, Stack, Strengths And Weaknesses, Strong Side, Ups, Variations

The Extreme Passing Kit is a Great Way to Incorporate Passing into your Off-Ice Workouts

Passing is a skill that most players don’t think about working on away from the rink. The main reason they don’t think to work on passing is pretty obvious: because you need a partner to pass to, and to receive passes from… Unless, of course, you have the Extreme Passing Kit.

Overview:
The Extreme Passing Kit is a really cool skill pad & passing rebounder combo, that will let you work on multiple skills such as regular passes, touch passes, and one-time shots.

The Extreme Passing Kit comes in two different models, the One-Timer Model (which you see in this video), and the Bungee Cord Model. The only difference between the two is that the rebounder is removable in the One-Timer Model, and can be mounted onto another shooting pad, or even your dryland flooring tiles. This feature gives you a little more flexibility than you have with the Bungee Cord Model.

On the Bungee Cord Model, the rebounding bungee is mounted right onto the skill pad, making the unit completely self contained (which has it’s benefits as well, in my opinion).

Both models use the 4×8′ roll-up shooting pad (huge!), which is light weight, durable, and portable. You can easily roll it up for storage when you aren’t using it, or pack it in the car to bring it to a new dryland training location.

My Experience:
The Extreme Passing Kit comes already rolled up for you. When I first unboxed mine, it had retained the shape of being rolled up (which is to be expected), and I had to sort of “pry” it open and “reverse roll” it a bit on the ends to keep it from rolling back up on me. I let it sit out on my driveway in the hot sun for about an hour, and it flattened right out.

Once the shooting pad had flattened out, I mounted the rebounder to one end (it just clamps on), and went to town!

One thing you’ll notice about the Extreme Passing Kit is that it works really well with pretty much any type of puck. I’ve used mine with regular black pucks, FlyPucks, and Green Biscuits, all of which slide really well, and stay flat off the rebounder. In fact, the pucks stayed flat enough that I was actually able to work some one-touch passes as well (which actually surprised me a little).

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Extreme Passing Kit is definitely a worthwhile product to add to your Home Hockey Training Center. It is well built, versatile, portable, and the surface area of the skill pad is big enough to use it for shooting, stickhandling, or passing.

Technorati Tags: Buddies, Bungee Cord, Clamps, Coach, Coache, Conclusion, Defenseman, Defensive Stance, Dimensional Model, Dryland Training, Flexibility, Flooring Tiles, Hassle, Hot Sun, Incorporate, Kit Overview, Models, Puck, Real Player, Realistic Experience, Self Contained, Shape, Skates, Storage, Time Shots, Timer, Token Resistance, Training Tool, Triangle, Triangles, Workouts

Use the Attack Triangle to Mimic a Defenseman in a 1 on 1 Stance

A number of years ago, one of my coaching buddies told me he had just bought 10 Attack Triangles to use for his team. I took a look, but didn’t totally see the value. I thought it looked a little gimmicky, and it seemed like it would be a hassle to bring that many on the ice each practice.

It wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I actually got the chance to use the Attack Triangle, and when I did, I liked it a lot!

The Theory
The Attack Triangle is designed to mimic a defenseman in a 1 on 1 stance. You’ve got the stick and two skates, and they’re positioned exactly where a real player would have them. The fact that it’s a 3-dimensional model makes for a more realistic experience for your players. For example, if you start your move too late, you’ll hit the the stick and lose the puck. If you don’t pull your stick back in time, it’ll get caught up in the Attack Triangle’s stick, and once again, you’ll lose the puck.

Off-Ice Training
A big part of effective stickhandling practice is just getting your reps in, plain and simple. This is where off-ice training with a tool like the Attack Triangle can come in REALLY handy. Instead of having a partner stand there, mimicking a defensman’s stance for countless reps, you just set up the Attack Triangle, and go to town. I definitely recommend getting one or two of these for your off-ice training center.

On-Ice Benefits
This training tool can also work in your favor as a coach during practices. In the past, I’ve often had a coach offer “token” resistance in a stickhandling drill, and basically stand in the way, in a defensive stance, and let players make moves around him… maybe you’ve done the same? While this method can work, it’s taking at least one coach completely out of the equation! Now instead of coaching, he’s playing “token defense.” Definitely not the best use of personnel in my opinion. Why not throw down an Attack Triangle and let your coaches be free to coach?

Conclusion
The Attack Triangle is a really good tool, with a lot of possible uses. In my mind, having one or two for your off-ice training center is a no-brainer. It will help you to develop your dekes and moves in ways that are much more realistic. On the ice, I also see many uses for the Attack Triangle. The only question is how likely are you to bring them to the rink and back every practice? If you have a situation where you can leave them safely at the rink somehow, then I’d definitely consider picking up 10-12 to use in place of cones.

Technorati Tags: Buddies, Coac, Coach, Defenseman, Defensive Stance, Dimensional Model, Hassle, Puck, Real Player, Realistic Experience, Skates, Token Resistance, Training Tool, Triangle, Triangles

The Michigan Tech 1 on 1 Drill is fantastic for working gap control, passing, agility skating, and many other skills!

This is one of my favorite 1 on 1 drills because you can use it to work on so many different skills. Make sure your forwards swing fairly deep into the zone to receive the breakout pass. This will allow the opposing defenseman time to close the gap properly and play the 1 on 1 the way he or she should in a game.

Also, make sure your defensemen get outside the blue line… that gap MUST be closed, and the defensemen need to be able to get their speed up quickly after the pivot.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE for a PDF of the Michigan Tech 1 on 1 Drill

Technorati Tags: Agility, Defenseman, Defensemen, Forwards, Game, Gap, Michigan Tech, Pdf, Pivot