Wednesday Drill of the Week: Yale 2v1 Series

A different format for this weeks drill. We use an iPad app called Educreations to share things with our players. You can view this weeks drill here.

This is a 2v1 quick hitter series and is continuous. Forwards should focus on quick attacks, getting to the net. Defensemen need to have good sticks and awareness, being ready to clear rebounds and eliminate secondary threats.

Scoring Goals (Video)

On Saturday, I linked to a highlight video showcasing the goals scored in Game 2 of the Rangers/Canadiens series.

I took a more indepth look at that video today – check out the full breakdown here: https://youtu.be/R4mpDoFw03A

Scoring Goals

Last night’s game between the Rangers and the Canadiens was a clinic on how to score goals and generate offense in today’s game. You want to score more? Watch what these pros do, where they go and how these goals are scored: https://www.nhl.com/video/recap-nyr-3-mtl-4-fot/t-288491810/c-51451403

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Shamrock Chip

Shamrock Chip – a breakout/shooting drill incorporating a few individual skill elements.

The drill starts with Forwards on the blue line in line with the dots, a D at the top of the circle. F1 on the far side skates in with the puck and takes a shot. F2 in line with the D will exchange a puck while the D skates backwards and then opens up to make a breakout pass. The F comes down to the hashmark area to receive.

The F who exchanged with the D then skates up ice while F1 who took the long shot sprints to support. F2 will attack towards the dot line and chip a puck past the tire for F1 to receive. F1 then enters the zone looking to shoot far pad while F2 drives the net for a rebound. The D will follow the play up, receiving a pass from a coach for a third shot with a tip/screen.

D will work on their agility, making a good first breakout pass and joining the rush.

F will work on their ability to receive a breakout pass, make an indirect pass to a streaking player, and then drive the net while also shooting far pad.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Cutback Shooting

An individual skill drill for forwards this week. The drill starts with X1 (black) carrying a puck on a wide drive outside the dots. Continuing to drive below the goal line, X1 then executes a cutback. X2 (green) times his departure, leaving so that he will arrive below the goal line at an appropriate time to execute an overlap (or scissor) move with X1. On this overlap, X1 drops the puck to X2. X2 then drives towards the back of the net and cuts back, creating space to make a play. X1 has now continued to find the soft spot in the zone (just inside the dot). X2 passes to X1 who catches & shoots on net.

Forwards should focus on their individual habits in this drill – playing with their head up, keeping their hands away from their body, making plays at speed. Coaches can add in token defensive pressure on the drive and on the overlap play to help simulate game play.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: D Skill Shooting

This drill is a modified version of one that I watch Kyle Wallack run.

The drill starts with D on opposite blue lines and Forwards in two lines in the center of the blue line. F1 and F2 exchange a puck while F1 skates towards F2 (rapid fire bumps). F1 then mohawks out to the boards. Meanwhile, D1 and D2 have been exchanging a puck while D1 walks the blue line for a shot (1). D2 then places a puck for D1 near the top of the circle. D1 surrounds it and fires a quick up pass to F1. F1 skates in for a shot on net. D1 now follows the play up ice and recieves a pass from the opposite D line as they hit the blue line, catching and shooting in stride.

The drill then alternates sides, with F2 skating towards F1 line while bumping, etc. This drill could also be done full ice just using defenseman, as the drill primarily focuses on d skills (hence the title).

D Skill Shooting works four specific skills for defensemen:

1. Walking the blue line while passing (keep eyes up and quick release)
2. Surrounding a puck, finding your target before you retrieve and firing a quick up pass in the neutral zone
3. Joining the rush/activating from the offensive blue line
4. Catching a pass in stride and quickly releasing a shot

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Bowtie 2v0

This week’s drill is a skill development drill primarily intended for forwards

To start the drill, two cones are set up about 15-20 feet apart from each other. A coach is standing just below them with a mini-bumper (to simulate a long-body defenseman). The lines of forwards are in line with the cones, right around the blue line.

F1 begins with a puck, F2 without. F1 and F2 criss-cross and execute a drop pass. F1 and F2 then proceed through the cones in a figure 8 pattern (F2 has the puck – green). F2 and F1 then execute another drop pass above the cones (F1 receives the puck – black) before taking the outside lane to attack the net 2v0.

The coach times the bumper and uses it to simulate a long-body defenseman, forcing the forwards to pull up above the bumper or extend their reach and make a play behind the bumper. Ideally, F1 makes a cross-crease pass to F2 for a one touch shot. Far pad/rebound is also a play here for the forwards.

We have seen a direct translation from this drill in to games – forwards making extended reach plays and/or pulling up to make a cross crease play, both have resulted in goals off the rush.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Two Cone Agility

A simple yet effective agility drill for forwards or defenseman.

Player skates in from just above the top of the circle carrying a puck. The player does a figure 8 around both cones, then passes the puck to the coach standing at the far dot. Coach gives an instantaneous return pass which is one-touched into the net.

The drill is designed to focus solely on the players’ edgework. The variance lies in the skating movement around the cones. First have the player go through on one foot with just inside edges (right at bottom, left at top). Then just outside edges. Then two feet tight turn. Then open hip. Then stop at the bottom, crossover accelerate around the top.

Again, simple drill but change the skating movement to help develop edges, balance and acceleration.

Wednesday Drill of the Week: D Clear Compeition

This week: an individual skill drill for defenseman to help them work on their ability to clear pucks from the defensive zone.

Split your defensemen up into two groups, with one group on each dot. A player from the opposite group stands at the blue line, playing an offensive defenseman.

The first defenseman takes three c-cuts backwards, then open pivots towards the boards to retrieve a puck dumped in. The D is then trying to clear the puck from the defensive zone without it being kept in by his opponent at the blue line or going for icing. A team gets a point for every successful clear (w/o icing) – give the teams equal reps and keep score.

The objective is to utilize what we call “vertical hockey” to get the puck into the neutral zone – lifting it directly into the NZ or going high off the glass.

Some may say this coaches the skill out of hockey. I believe that this is a skill into itself – knowing when you are on an extended shift and under pressure, having the ability to lift a puck out of your zone without it going for icing.

 

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Four Lanes

No diagram for this weeks drill, just an explanation.

This is a great way to bring in quality skill reptitions into your practices. Can be done with any age, we do this with our players at Colby and I did it this morning with squirts. Emphasis is on quality of rep, not speed. Players have to focus on the technique of the skill they are working on.

How it’s set up: simply divide the ice into four lanes using cones. Put three lines of cones up the ice (the long way), two in line with the dots and one in line with the center of the ice. These cones can run from the tops of the circles in one end to the tops of the circles in the other. This creates four lanes up the ice.

Now start all of the players in one corner and have them go one direction in each lane (up lane one, down lane two, up lane three, down lane four and back in line). Each lane will incorporate a different skill set. They can work on any skill that you might want to practice. C cuts, ski edges, open hips, knee touches, 360 spins, stickhandling/dribbling, indirect self passes, weight transfers, etc, etc, etc. Think of any skill you’d work on and figure out a way to incorporate it into a lane setting. THen start the players from one corner. At peak capacity, there should be between 12-16 players going at once, with coaches spread out to monitor and encourage the skill reps.

Great work for players of all ages and a great way to incorporate skill and agility work without sacrificing repetitions and activity on the ice.