Top Performing Playoff Teams Spend Little Time Regrouping in Their Own Zone

The more you play with the puck in your d-zone, the greater the opportunity for your opponent to steal it and create a scoring chance. Puck movement emphasis is on getting the puck up ice as quickly as possible to a player on the move or into an area a teammate on the move can retrieve it. Can the Blackhawks stop playing “patty-cake” with the puck in their own zone and make meaningful breakouts with it?

Top Performing Playoff Teams Establish a “Game Rhythm” with their Footspeed and Quick Puck Movement

Watch how certain defensemen on certain teams absolutely kill the up-tempo rhythm and pace of their team by constantly slowing the game down, standing still, and often putting, or keeping, the puck in their own zone. These defensemen have no clue about keeping game pace going shift-after-shift. Can Blackhawk defensemen not be pace-killers next season and will the Blackhawk front office avoid these types of Dmen?

Top Performing Playoff Teams are Exploiting the Dreadful Behind-the-Goal-Line Defending of All NHL Teams

Shocking, but true, no NHL team seems to have an answer for defending when the other team has the puck behind their net. Often, all of the players on the defending team become hypnotized into puck watching and lose track of where the other players they need to defend are. A key reason is that all of the defenders either are facing the puck=carrier (and have their backs to everyone else) or the defender(s) have their back to the play entirely. If defenders would learn to be parallel, not directly facing the puck possessor behind the net, their awareness of players beyond the man-with-the-puck would greatly expand. The Blackhawks were not good defending plays from behind their net. It’s essential they learn how.

Top Performing Playoff Teams Get the Puck to the Net as Often as Possible

While there are still point blasts that get through and wind-up in the back of the net, teams that direct the puck to the net in hopes of a rebound or redirect are seemingly never out of a game. The Pittsburgh Penguins have tipped or redirected in a crazy amount of goals. This has become a team skillset with players tipping the puck with their blade or shaft – high tips, low tips, redirects from anywhere in the offensive zone. With this as a team skillset, the quality of the initial shot matters little, just that the shot gets past the first defender. Will the Blackhawks develop the art of tips and redirects as a team skillset?

Top Performing Playoff Teams Fuel Their Power Play with Relentless Puck Retrieval

When the Blackhawks surged to the top of the Western Conference last year, much of that surge was led by power play success. And much of that success was the result of Jonathan Toews doing what he does best on the power play: winning 10-foot races and board battles to retrieve shot rebounds and keep possession alive. When one player is “on a mission” to get every rebound, suddenly, all of his power play mates are, too. With that energy, teams not only outwork the short-handed team, they outnumber them in battles. Enjoy the tic-tac-toe puck movement during these playoff power play moments, but be sure to notice if that pretty goal you just saw was really the result of the power play unit just flat-out outworking the short-handed crew on every rebound – and tiring them out – which set the stage for the precision-passing goal.

Top Performing Playoff Teams Have Players that Get to Dangerous Scoring Areas Undetected

How does this happen? One way is by being low, behind the goal line in a corner, with the puck. And then quickly moving the puck along the backboard, all the way up to the point man on the other side of the ice. And then briefly delaying any movement after the pass – before moving quickly to the front of the net for a tip or rebound. Time after time, players behind the goal line with the puck who
move it are then left alone uncovered as the defending team puck watches what the point man is doing with the puck. This allows the undetected player to slip into position at the perfect time to deflect the point shot. The Preds Forsberg and Arvidsson try this play, and variations of it, all the time. Crosby may be the best at “getting lost” as he is able to arrive in the slot at just the right moment. He does this from any angle and position in the offensive zone through the use of constant movement. So, tip goals do not have to be the result of a player standing still in front of the net. There are other ways to get the job done. The Bruins Bergeron is a master at lulling slot defenders into thinking “he’s covered” and then “backing out” away from defenders for a quick pass and shot. He may move only a few feet – but that small space he creates gives him the room to score. Will the Blackhawks have players emerge next year who can get to dangerous scoring areas undetected?

What other trends have you noticed?

The post High Level Team Play on Display in NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Some subtle, but highly impactful things, the Hawks are doing or failing to do, are keeping the team from playing to their potential and playing consistently.

Game Readiness: For nearly three years, the Hawks have struggled to play a full sixty minute game. Often, the Hawks start games slowly, and are dominated by their opponent in the first period. Whatever game prep the Hawks are doing individually and as a team, is not working. Really wonder what kind of mental training and visualization the players do.

Game Tempo: For all the gushing Hawk announcers were giving Vegas last night, their success was driven by three simple things: full-speed foot movement by every Golden Knight, never giving up on a play, and quick, decisive puck movement. Setting a team’s “foot tempo” happens in training camp and in practice. Really wonder what demands the coaching staff have made of the players to move with the effort, desire, and purpose Vegas does. Any team can move like Vegas did last night if the “foot tempo” is ingrained into the players’ playing DNA. And really wonder why the entire Hawk bench isn’t on an extremely short shift leash – including the Dmen.

Game Awareness: Poor in-game decisions often drive the poor play of the Hawks as a team. Things like players skating by their own bench only to decide moments later to go for a shift change when they reach their own zone. (A top talent player that is tired is nowhere near as effective defensively as an average player with fresh legs.) Players passing the puck to teammates who are going for a shift change and have their back to the play. Forwards passing the puck back into the Hawk zone to Hawk Dmen, who are gassed and in need of change. Hawk Dmen unable to execute simple D to D passing. Hawk Dmen constantly standing still with the puck in their own zone. Hawk Dmen constantly telegraphing passes. Hawk Dmen constantly slowing the game tempo down, instead of pushing the pace. Young Hawks who turn the puck over, but then compound their mistake by chasing the puck all over the Hawks defensive zone – leaving their man alone – and that man usually scores the goal for the other team. Really wonder what is driving some players’ decision-making.

Game Toughness: Like individuals, teams have an identity. But you would be hard-pressed to describe this year’s Blackhawks on-ice team identity. A team’s on-ice identity is forged by the collective psyche of Hawk players, coaching staff, and GM. A team without an on-ice identity is usually easy to play against. And far too often, the Blackhawks are easy to play against. Compete level doesn’t mean “meathead hockey” – it means that the team and each individual player is committed – together – to winning every shift. Blackhawk fans have not seen this kind of team commitment often enough. Really wonder about the endless hype of the billion dollar Blackhawk brand. Has the promotion of the “off-ice” team identity created unnecessary obstacles for the players to consistently play their best hockey?

The post The Little Things Make the Difference Between Winning and Losing appeared first on The Rink.

Here are seven specific things the Hawks can do that should lead to more power play goals:

1. Have multiple Hawks hitting the blue line with speed during offensive zone entries. Many times the only Blackhawk hitting the line with speed is the puck carrier. The other four players are either standing still or slowly gliding. All are spectating. Or, a slowly moving puck carrier makes a pass to the only teammate hitting the line with speed. Having multiple Hawks hitting the line with speed creates more options and puck support to make plays off the rush. Too much emphasis on avoiding going offside instead of trying for a dynamic goal-scoring play.
2. Run a set face-off play to generate a quick scoring chance after winning an offensive zone draw. The Blackhawks have a tendency to revert to “setting things up” when they win puck possession in the offensive zone. The end result is a power play that has too many players always in first gear with their feet. The
   Blackhawks should be looking to score as quickly as possible after every offensive zone draw they win. And their desire to do so should be reflected in their intensity and determination.
3. Use the high tip to expand the power play shooting arsenal. The Hawks seldom execute the high tip as a shot option on the power play (or at any strength). Goalies around the NHL know this. And so, they don’t have to worry about it, making their life on the penalty kill a lot easier. The high tip is tough for the goalie to pick up, creates slot chaos, blown penalty kill coverages, and goals.
4. Set moving screens in front of the goalie with two forwards. Of the current Hawks usually on the power play, only Artem Anisimov consistently “holds his ground” right in front of the net. Other Hawk forwards would be more effective as screeners by moving across the front of the net, from post-to-post in units of two, crossing right in front of the goalie. If no shot comes, cross again. And again.
5. Let Patrick Kane go one-on-one with his first penalty kill defender. Activate an NBA-style clear out play for Kane. Have the other four Hawks all move to the other side of the ice, as far away from Kane as possible. Or, have all four Hawks all plant themselves right in front of the net. Give Kane the green light to create something the forces the penalty killers to react to what he is doing.
6. Take a page from the Red Army on offensive zone entries. The Red Army hockey team expanded their thinking about the attack blue line. They were comfortable running entries in which a player, already in the offensive zone with the puck, would pass the puck back to a teammate moving at top speed in the neutral zone. To avoid offside, the player who just passed the puck would then have to get back outside the blue line into the neutral zone before his teammate entered the offensive zone with the puck. The “passer” quickly re-entered the offensive zone as a “grade-A” passing option for the new puck carrier.
7. Review the overall team philosophy about what it means to be on the power play. Coach Quenneville often mentions that it is important for a power play to at least “establish game momentum” (if no goal is scored). Do Blackhawk power play players consistently outwork the penalty killers? Win board battles? Win puck races? Make smart puck management decisions? Raise their game to an even higher level of intensity and focus? To some degree, power play time should be a constant competition that power play players earn.

The post 7 Ways to Jump-Start the Blackhawks Power Play appeared first on The Rink.

Beyond the mechanics of how the player is shooting the puck, I evaluate the shot selection type the player chooses, for the game situation he is in.

In the heat of an on-ice battle, players may work very hard and very smart to create goal scoring opportunities for themselves. They may also have strong shooting mechanics. Good for them.

But, if they make the wrong shot selection type, for the situation they are in, the likelihood of a goal is greatly diminished. Not so good for them.

And, if they continually prioritize super-fast release and super-hard shot every time they shoot, instead of where they are shooting the puck, not so good for them. These players need to expand their shooting arsenal.

There is a particular shot type that Auston Matthews worked all summer on to help increase his goal scoring probabilities. The shot is called the, “Two-Touch” shot. The “Two-Touch” is a cousin of the “One-Timer” but differs slightly:

• The shooter stops the pass he just received for a split-second before shooting (first touch).
• The shooter then quickly snaps his shot off (second touch, “Two-Touch”).
• Watch this clip of 656 goal-scorer, Brendan Shanahan, the master of the “Two-Touch”:
  
• Ignore the brief Maple Leaf shoot out attempt at the beginning
• Disregard that the clip is from a recent alumni game, everything is textbook “Two-Touch”
• Listen for the sound of the “Two-Touch” – the two touches are very audible in the first replay
• The last replay of Shanny’s shot gives you the full view of how the “Two-Touch” shot is done

The “Two-Touch” can be used as a “safer” One-Time shot. It allows the shooter to place the puck where he wants it before shooting. He can “flatten” the puck if it is rolling or bouncing to him. A great shot choice when ice conditions are poor. And, when mastered, the “Two-Touch” gives the shooter more accuracy of where he wants to shoot, with only a split second delay, vs the One-Timer.

Auston Matthews uses the “Two-Touch” with great success when receiving passes, while facing the net in the slot, from teammates behind the net. He also uses the “Two-Touch” to score many goals from in- close on the back door side. Matthews can shoot the “Two-Touch” almost as quickly as the One-Timer and knows it is a tremendously effective shot from in-close. (He’s usually much closer to the net than the Shanny clip.)

Many Blackhawk shooters, instead of using the “Two-Touch” from the same Matthews goal-scoring areas, rush their shots by opting for some version of the One-Timer. The result is often poor puck contact, a save by the goalie, or the shot missing the net altogether.

I give full marks to Richard Panik for the number of goal scoring opportunities he creates in-close. But he tries to One-Time too many pucks in the “Matthews areas.” Using the “Two-Touch” shot more often would produce more goals for him.

I also give full marks to Nick Schmaltz for the goal scoring opportunities he, too, creates. Schmaltz would also benefit greatly by adding the “Two-Touch” to his shot arsenal. He uses a very long stick which can make it more difficult to consistently rip One-Timers. With his buttery soft hands, the “Two Touch” would allow Schmaltz to “tee-up” a snapshot instead of rolling the dice on a true One-Timer. Would also like to see Schmaltz “open his body up” more often when he is a shot option. Nick could also pull the puck in closer to his body during his shot release for a more powerful shot.

These are Two Hawks that need the “Two Touch.” But, most Hawk forwards should be using it much, much more.

Next time you watch a game and a Hawk shanks a One-Timer from in-close, or shoots it right into the goalie, or misses the net, don’t let your mind tell you, “That was a tough shot to execute.” Rather, let your mind tell you, “That was probably a goal if he would have ‘Two-Touched’ it.”

The post Two Blackhawks That Need to Learn the Two-Touch Shot appeared first on The Rink.

An old warrior whose life was etched in deep crevices across his face. Bumping into him during a puck battle was like bumping into a brick wall. Well into his 60s, he held his own against players in their 20s. A combination of strength on his skates and game smarts only a pro could have. Who was this guy?

Hearing I was from Chicago, he asked, “You playing Thursday? I show you something.” The accent was thick. Discovering I was part Czech, he roared like a lion in laughter.

“Yep, I’ll be here,” I said.

Fast forward to Thursday. The game was over. He waited until the locker room had cleared out. “You like Blackhawks?”

“I love the Blackhawks. Have been a Hawk fan since the Original Six days,” I replied.

“You remember Original Six?” he asked.

“Like it was yesterday. It’s why I love hockey. Nothing more exciting than a Bobby Hull end-to-end rush at old Chicago Stadium to get you out of your seat.”

He slowly reached into his coat pocket and unfurled a very old newspaper clipping.  It was a photo of a hockey player. A hockey player in full uniform wearing the red Blackhawks jersey. Chief Blackhawk’s profile was a definite tell that the time was the early 1960s. It was him.

“I play something like six games for Blackhawks during Original Six. I lied about my age.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You got time for quick story?”

“Sure. Would love to hear it.”

“When I was young man in Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union still control everything in my country. Very little freedom for the people. But I became very good hockey player. Czech hockey people tell me to go get visa so that I travel to Canada and play hockey in NHL. I go to visa office and big, fat Russian guy won’t approve my visa. I have no family in Canada. My family very poor. I try next month. Same fat Russian. No again. I try again. No. I try for many years. Same fat Russian guy in visa office. No.”

“Too many years pass. I stuck in Czechoslovakia. I’m not kid. My NHL dream dying. Friends say ‘keep trying.’ Soviets still in charge. I go to visa office. Big, fat Russian not there. Old lady who works in office know me from hundreds of visits. ‘Igor sick today.’”

“I get in visa line. Different guy behind desk. Now my turn. I tell new guy I want to go to Canada. Play hockey. NHL.  He looks at me. ‘Hockey. NHL. I love hockey. I love NHL.’”

“Bang! He stamps my visa. I will never forget sound. ‘Good luck’ he says. ‘I know you will make NHL.’”

“’Thank you. Thank you,’” I say.

“When I turn corner in building, where no one see me, I start to run. I would have run all way to Canada. I hold my visa tighter than anything I ever hold.”

“When I home, I cry and cry. Both happy and sad cry.”

“But I did play NHL. For Blackhawks. I love Blackhawks. They knew I much older than I say.”

I slung my equipment bag over my shoulder. Stunned. Completely stunned.

“Next time, I want the long version. Want to hear more. Much more,” I said.

“OK, we talk. You Czech. You love Blackhawks. You understand.”

As the locker room door flung open, the roar of his lion laugh filled the empty rink.

But there would be no more next times. No long versions of his incredible story. He died before we could talk again.

The post Breaking the Toughest Trap in Hockey History appeared first on The Rink.

Mindset: Every prolific NHL goal scorer begins each shift with the idea that, “It is possible for me to score on this shift.” The goal scorer doesn’t worry about how he will score. He’s just totally open to the possibility that he will score.

Play Recognition: The goal scorer puts great emphasis on understanding where the puck is likely to be next, based on where it currently is.  Like a chess master, he allows himself to think one, two, even three moves ahead of where the puck will be, while chaos and danger churn all around him.

Shift Management: Pure goal scorers understand the ebbs and flows of a typical NHL shift. They know when to use maximum energy on a shift. The goal scorer doesn’t burn his shift fuel during harmless situations. He moves like the predator he is, striking at just the right moment.

Space Dominance: The goal scorer takes control of the space he likes to score from. The more complete the goal scorer, the more spaces he thrives in. He takes control of his “shooter’s space” by moving there at the right time and in the right way, with or without the puck. He may or may not be physically gifted or strong, but his space dominance reflects the ways in which he scores goals.

Shot Arsenal: The pure goal scorer hones his scoring approach to what works best for him. He uses the shot types that are money most often. He works on generating a quicker release and creating more shot deception to maximize the effectiveness of his shot arsenal.

Skating IQ: The goal scorer’s skating shouts at teammates to give him the puck. Whether he is bursting through a neutral zone seam or slowly gliding into an open, soft space in the offensive zone, the goal scorer uses his skating style to demand the puck for a scoring chance he has just created.

Net Vision: Pure goal scorers see a shot path to a goal from anywhere they shoot.  They’ve trained themselves to focus on how the puck can go in, not on goalie fixation.

Separation of Hands and Feet: The goal scorer’s hands and feet can operate independently of each other. That is, the goal scorer is capable of “calm hands, dynamic feet” whenever the goal-scoring opportunity requires it.

Stick Choice: The pure goal scorer chooses a hockey stick that best fits his shot arsenal and playing style. It’s a mindful choice which reflects his need for consistent, high-level performance. Stick length, stick lie, shaft flex, curve type, curve depth, face angle, even stick blade flex are all evaluated.

Change: The goal scorer is a serious student of the game. He knows that in order to produce at high levels, he must be willing to change what needs to be changed from any one of the other nine paths.

The post The Ten-Fold Path of the Goal Scorer appeared first on The Rink.

How can the Blackhawks be more effective in the offensive zone slot? Let’s take a page from NHLers past and present who developed a specific move or moves that made them top slot performers.

As you read about each slot performer, ask yourself, “Which Blackhawk already has this skill and should be using it more? Or, which Blackhawk needs to add this skill to his game?”

Here are the moves of some top slot performers:

The Holmstrom: Tomas Holmstrom won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. His play perfectly exemplified “net-front presence.” At six-feet tall and 200lbs., Holmstrom was not the biggest or strongest player on the ice. But once in front of the goalie, he was immovable. Holmstrom dug the inside edges of his skates into the ice at an extreme angle, creating a base that couldn’t be pushed. Then, he used his great hand-eye coordination to redirect shots into the net.

The Brett: Brett Hull scored 741 goals during his playing career. Yes, Brett had a great shot. And, he had something else. The ability to find soft spots in the slot to unleash it. One of Brett’s signature moves was to enter the offensive zone very late on a team rush in order to be “the forgotten man.” Hull also had a great “disappearing act” in the offensive zone when his team had the puck. He did this by moving away from and in the opposite direction of where the puck was being moved. Defenders would lose interest in him, the puck would be reversed, and bang! another goal. The Blues Tarasenko mimics Hull’s late arrivals and disappearing acts. Tarasenko often “hides” motionless against the boards to get open.

The Gretzky: Gretz’s hockey accomplishments are vast and well-documented. One of my favorite Gretzky moves is quite subtle. Gretz, without the puck, would use the net as a pick to lose a checker. He was now free to make a play. I once saw Gretzky skate ‘round and ‘round the Hawks net three times to lose Chris Chelios, who ultimately got accidentally picked by a teammate.

The Crosby: Crosby has perhaps the best timing of moving without the puck in the NHL. The timing is most evident when the Pens are on the power play. Crosby moves into soft, empty spaces WHILE the puck is moving from one of his teammates to another. The PKers are puck-watching and lose Crosby during that crucial moment. Crosby is now open to shoot and score from the slot.

The Bergeron: Another very successful power play routine is used by the Bruins Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron uses a short “give and go” with a teammate who is positioned below the goal line. Bergeron starts the play with a pass, chip, tip – getting the puck to his teammate any way he can. Tightly covered, Bergeron escapes his check by backing up away from the front of the net. His teammate quickly passes back to Bergeron and a high quality chance is created.

The Ovie: While Bergeron backs straight back facing the net, Ovechkin backs up “sideways” to create his shot. That is, Ovie backs up in the direction of the sideboards on his off-wing to create space and relieve checking pressure. Often, there is no defensive coverage “behind” a player when he moves sideways and backwards with the puck in front of him. This is also another signature Crosby scoring move.

The Tavares: With two hat tricks in the last week or so, John Tavares is red-hot. Tavares is a beast down low. One of his defining moves is the use of the Mohawk skating stride. The Mohawk is when the heels of each skate face each other. Tavares uses it to protect the puck, get quickly around the OZ net, and go across the net from post-to-post to score.

The Big Buff: I still very much miss seeing Dustin Byfuglien in a Hawk uniform. During the 2010 Cup run, Big Buff used his size and strength to overpower slot defenders that were already checking other Hawks. Buff’s presence created a “tag-team” advantage for the Hawks in front of the opponent’s net. Either Buff scored on the play or his now freed “tag-team” teammate did.

Most great slot scorers use more than one signature method to do so. In today’s game, Crosby’s toolkit is full. Auston Matthews is quickly getting there. Hopefully, some Hawks will get there, too.

The post How the Slot is Won appeared first on The Rink.

At the time, Hitch was not coaching. He was an analyst for Sirius/XM hockey and probably other outlets, too.

“Nobody is going to beat this Blackhawks team. Nobody. When I look at the tape they’ve got ‘5 in the picture’ all over the ice.”

“5 in the picture.” The perfect way to describe ideal puck support by a team whether they are attacking or defending.

As a contributor to The-Rink, I hope to do for you what Hitch did for me.

Here are a 5 “big picture” things I look for when watching a hockey game. (I’ll cover more in future articles.)

• How well are Blackhawk defenders working together to exit their own zone?  Often the first “tell” of how a game may go is which teams’ Dmen cannot consistently exit quickly and cleanly after a dump-in. That team is usually in trouble. The Hawks 2015 Cup run featured a lot of “shuffleboard passing” between Hawk Dmen. They fought off a forechecker with their bottom-hand and arm, while pushing the puck to the open D partner with their top-hand/arm. I see very little use of the shuffleboard pass this year by Hawk D.

• Center play. The center is a 200-foot player who acts as a third Dman in his own zone, provides puck support all over the ice, often begins the offensive rush through the neutral zone, takes faceoffs, and usually influences the overall tempo of his team’s attack. If a team gets a good night from all four of its centers, that team usually wins. Look to see if the Hawk centers are moving in the right direction — that is moving in the direction the play is about to go or is going. On a bad night, you will see Hawk centers moving in the opposite direction.
• Team skating. I’ve said this numerous times but it’s a huge tell of how competitive a team will be that night. How are players changing direction when the puck changes direction and/or possession? Are they stopping and starting or making big “aircraft carrier” turns? The team that stops and starts the most wins the most puck races and battles.
• Team passing, Speed of puck movement dictates how fast a team can play. Nothing slows a team down more than poor passing. A poor pass brings everything to a grinding halt. It either creates a loss of possession or a puck battle. Beyond obvious poor passes that miss the intended player, look for passes that the passer should not have made. These are passes in which the passer is not only passing the puck, but “passing the problem” of heavy pressure onto a teammate. Players that continually “pass the problem” need to rethink how to better cope with pressure situations. Strong passing is the engine of special teams play, especially the power play. (Let’s talk PP another time.)
• Possession creators and killers. This is one of the ‘game within a game’ things I follow when watching the Blackhawks. John Hayden has made several fine plays this year by turning 50/50 pucks into Blackhawk possessions and ultimately Hawk goals. Hayden did not receive an assist on these plays, but he made the play that began the chain of events leading to the scoring chance and goal. Watch for these important plays that make all the difference, though the player does not get a point. On the flip side, is the possession killer. These are plays in which the Hawk has the puck, has time and space, and makes a poor decision of what to do with the puck – ultimately “giving” the puck to the other team. (See Hawk PP.) Possession killer plays are often the catalyst for a goal by the other team, though the killer may have gone for a line change and won’t even get a minus for his flub. Look for Hawk players that are consistent possession killers. Do they turn the puck over in the same areas of the ice? In the same way? In the same situations? Is there a pattern?

A big thanks to JJ, Gate, and everyone at The-Rink.

The post How I Watch a Hockey Game appeared first on The Rink.