05Sep 2012 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

How to Beat a 2-1-2 Forecheck

Coaches' Corner, Defensive Zone, Philosophy, Team Strategy, Team Systems
How to Beat a 2-1-2 Forecheck During the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, I did a video dissection of Ryan Carter's game-winning goal against the New York Rangers. The video got quite a few hits that night, and I had a number of requests to dissect the play from the defensive point of view. People wanted to know what went wrong, and what the Rangers could have done differently to prevent the goal. So I put together a follow up video, showing how I would have beaten the 2-1-2 Forecheck the Devils were using. Since we're ramping up for the new season, I thought it would be a good idea to brush up on beating the most commonly run forechecking system, the 2-1-2. 2-1-2 Stack vs Spread There are two types…
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27Jul 2012 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Penalty Kill Forecheck Angling Drill

Penalty Kill Forecheck Angling Drill

Checking & Angling, Forecheck, Hockey Drills, Special Teams, Team Skill Drills, Team Systems Drills
Penalty Kill Forecheck Angling Drill The Penalty Kill Forecheck Angling Drill works really well to teach proper angling technique for F1 & F2 on the PK forecheck. Here's the diagram and explanation: Penalty Kill Forecheck Angling Drill 1. Breakout man skates in, and opens up to either side for a breakout pass from the coach 2. F1 and F2 angle to take away the skating lane and passing lanes, respectively 3. If F1 and F2 fail to eliminate the breakout, the breakout man passes to the NZ coach for a give and go, and a shot on net Note: This drill can be run as a 2/3 ice drill by eliminating the option for a shot on goal. Play would end with the pass back to the NZ coach Enjoy!…
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23Jul 2012 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
MacDonald Forecheck Drill

MacDonald Forecheck Drill

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Breakouts, Checking & Angling, Defensive Zone, Forecheck, Hockey Drills, Offensive Zone, Team Skill Drills, Team Systems Drills
MacDonald Forecheck Drill The MacDonald Forecheck is a nice little drill to work on forechecking lanes and angles. Here's the diagram and explanation: MacDonald Forecheck Drill 1. On whistle, forecheckers take a lap around the center circle 2. As the forecheckers finish their lap, coach dumps the puck in 3. Forecheckers attack, 5-man unit breaks out 4. After the breakout occurs, puck is passed back to the coach 5. 2 of the 3 forwards peel out to take a lap around the middle circle, becoming the new forecheckers (forwards must communicate who goes!) 6. As forecheckers finish the turn, coach dumps the puck in for a breakout from the far end 7. New 5-man unit moves into the end that just broke out Enjoy! Jeremy   USE THIS DRILL IN…
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12Sep 2011 by Jeremy Weiss 2 Comments

Penalty Kill: Forecheck

Special Teams, Team Systems
Two variations of the "T" Penalty Kill Forecheck I've always been a fan of the "T" PK Forecheck. If done correctly, it is very effective at stopping the other team's breakout, and causes a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone. Over the years, I've developed a slightly "beefed up" version of the "T" Forecheck, that is more aggressive, and just as safe (if not, safer!). In this video, I show you both versions. As you'll see in the video, the second version can actually cause a lot of offensive-zone turnovers and odd-man rushes... ON YOUR PK!! Enjoy!
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05Sep 2011 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Forecheck: 2-3 Press

Offensive Zone, Team Systems
Start the game with a BANG using the 2-3 Press! The 2-3 Press is a really fun forecheck if you have the right group of players for it. If you have a fast, hard-hitting team, you can use this forecheck to strike fear into the hearts of the other team, and make it so they're constantly looking over their shoulder for the rest of the game! I like to use this forecheck for brief "spurts" during a game because it is very high-tempo, and uses a lot of energy. So give it a try for each line's first shift in the game, or maybe the first shift of each period. This will help get your team off to a fast start, and should give you some momentum in the process.…
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