Video by Coaching Project Guest Coach Kyle Maclennan, Head Coach of Weeks Majors U18 of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League (NSMMHL).
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Purpose: Develop confidence and efficiency in our defensemen’s skating, creating accountability in our forwards for their tracking and retrieval support, force turnovers at the defensive blue line or dump in’s
Focused Skills: Skating, pivots, angling, stick pressure, retrievals
Reads: What type of support does the puck carrier have? What type of support does the D have? Who is going to pressure the puck?
Potential Mistakes: Poor angling, lack of support for partner or tracking forwards, duplication of tasks (pressuring the same player)
Clip 1: Practice clip showing a simulated 1v2 and the tracking forward starting below the puck. On the whistle the D gap up inside the dots, while the defensive forward begins to back check. If the D recognizes the opportunity to attack the puck carrier with the forward angle
they do so, while the tracking forward insulates them on the inside and retrieves any loose puck.
Clip 2: In this correction clip you can clearly see the intention of the SSD to be aggressive and forward angle at the puck carrier. A misjudged angle allows the carrier room and the SSD to be left behind. In addition our tracking forward and WSD have some loose gaps and the play extends on and ends up in the back of the net. In theory, we had the right intentions, just a couple of misreads and failed execution. We can learn from this one.
Clip 3: Reinforcing clip showing the intention of our SSD to recognize great support and gaps by our F3 and WSD. Rather than back into the zone and allow the possession entry our SSD transitions forward and attacks the puck carrier on a great angle. The entry attempt is entry and we are back to offence.
