Topher Scott
@HockeyThinkTank • 26,545 subscribers
Every day trying to add a little something positive to the hockey world.
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COACHES: Here's an unreal power play look from the Ducks using two players behind the net. It's a Box + 1 with the low players below the goalline. With this look, they're able to get multiple defenders with sticks vacating the middle leaving the bumper player wide open for the goal. I think more teams, at all levels, should try this look moving forward. Great job by Anaheim!
Topher Scott170,235 Aufrufe • vor 3 Tagen
KIDS: "Be a goldfish." This is an amazing clip for all kids to see from Matthew Schaefer. Up by one with a few minutes to go in the game, he turns the puck over, gets beat, and it ends up in the back of the net. Tough play to say the least. What does he a few minutes later? Scores the overtime winner for his team. This kid is amazing. To have the short memory, leave the mistake in the past, and win the game for his team in overtime...that's BIG TIME and a great message for all young players out there. Your last play is in the past and the next play is the only one that matters.
Topher Scott27,621 Aufrufe • vor 13 Tagen
KIDS: This is why hockey is the greatest sport on the planet. In the NHL...goals equal money. The more you score, the bigger the next paycheck. But check out this unselfish play from Connor McMichael with the Caps. It's Cole Hutson's first NHL game, and Cole has a clear passing lane to McMichael with the net empty. But McMichael doesn't get ready for the pass...he's pointing at the net for Hutson to shoot the puck. Great teammate. Love this. Hockey is the best.
Topher Scott316,259 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten
KIDS: Nic Dowd is from Alabama. Went to Culver Military Academy. Played in the NAHL then USHL. Went to college as a 20 year old freshman. Played four years at St. Cloud. Spent a couple full years in the AHL before being an NHL regular as a depth player. Now on the ice taking the faceoff in the Western Conference Finals up a goal in the Dzone with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner on his wings. Everyone has a different path. And if your path is the long way, be a great teammate and a versatile player. Dowd is widely known as an unreal locker room glue guy. And a great role player. What an effort to score this goal beating everyone up the ice to seal it for Vegas. This is why I love watching the playoffs. Players who don't normally get the spotlight stepping up in big situations to help teams win. Hockey rules.
Topher Scott204,972 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
We talk about the Minnesota youth hockey model a lot, and so I get asked about it a lot. Why does Minnesota have not only the most players, but why do they develop the most elite players as well? One of the main reasons is that the path is simple to understand for players and families. You get into the game playing for your town, you play for your town all the way into high school, and then you go to junior/college hockey if you’re good enough. In so many other places, the path is confusing. Do I play town or club? When do I make the jump to AAA? Do I stay with the organization in my city or do I go to another club? What tier of hockey is right for my kid? The amount of options and decisions often leads to FOMO, confusion, decision fatigue, and a burnout for players and families. It also leads to a lot of jersey chasing and organization hopping rather than playing for something bigger than you, which is huge for a development of a love for the game. If we can simplify the path, tiers can work together rather than against each other, and create a model where families can better understand the path to help their kids achieve their dreams, our sport will grow and we will develop more elite players. We talked all about this on our latest podcast on what we’ve learned about youth hockey.
Topher Scott117,339 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
COACHES: Years ago I asked one of my smartest hockey development buddies who I should do a player study on. His suggestion: Mark Stone. I was like, "Really?" He said - "Dude, trust me." I was blown away. His hockey sense legit blew me away. His game doesn't "look" pretty, but he's one of the smartest players in the NHL. Here are a couple examples from last night. Incredible anticipation and a reading of the game. First defensively reading where the play is going to create the turnover and breakaway. Then reading the defensive structure and finding the passing lane for the breakaway and goal. If you're interested, zone in on Mark Stone next game. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Topher Scott156,461 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Kids: when the Colorado Avalanche won a Stanley Cup a few years ago they had a motto: TRACK OR DIE. They’re on their way to win another one with this mentality. Watch how hard they get back on the backcheck. UNREAL. It takes away the Wild scoring opportunity and then they transition the other way fast to score the OT winner. Amazing hockey. Track or die.
Topher Scott173,981 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
This is BEAUTIFUL. 🎥: Hockey Players Club (Hockey Profiles & Community)
Topher Scott415,397 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
COACHES: I had a Russian coach growing up and I can still remember vividly in my head, every practice, screaming "CUT TO THE MIDDLE!!" Here are two great examples from last night on why. 2 OT winners coming from multiple cross and drops or scissor plays. What does this do? When cutting to the middle and having support behind, it creates a situation defensively where there has to be a decision. Does the defender stay with their guy? Or do they switch? Both plays, you see two defenders going to one guy leaving the other player wide open for the goal. Encourage cutting to the middle in practice. It will go a long way in creating offense!
Topher Scott26,215 Aufrufe • vor 27 Tagen
If I’m a Michigan hockey fan, this clip would excite me about the prospects of winning a National Championship. They’re always going to score, but the little intangibles make this clip awesome. In the Dzone, all 5 players in position taking away space and creating the turnover. One of their top players has nothing on entry so he chips it in to start the forecheck and ozone rather than beat someone 1v1. Sustained ozone play with a disciplined F3 allowing the D to keep pucks in aggressively along the wall eventually leading to a goal. This is championship playoff hockey. In game 2, when most teams are trying to figure out their structure. Great stuff for Michigan fans.
Topher Scott31,253 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Just had this sent to me. Hockey parents need to figure it out. This is embarrassing.
Topher Scott570,640 Aufrufe • vor 3 Jahren
I’ve never been a part of a championship team where the best players weren’t the hardest working and most bought in players on the team. If you want to win, your best players have to lead the way with effort and being a great teammate. Check out Wild superstar Matt Boldy on these clips from yesterday’s game against Detroit. First, he scores a great goal after getting physical and helping to create the turnover. Next he threads a SWEET pass to Kaprizov for the game winner. Then – he gets in front of a one-timer on the ice 6on5 in the dying seconds with a one goal lead. Blocks a bomb from MORITZ SEIDER to seal the win. Minnesota is getting ready to make a run. Having Matt Boldy help lead the way is HUGE.
Topher Scott118,799 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten
COACHES: This is a clip that should be played in every locker room tonight. I always thought as a coach I could judge my team's readiness to play on faceoff intensity. If we were on our toes and ready to battle at the line of scrimmage, our team was ready to play. If we weren't ready to compete for pucks off faceoffs, we weren't ready to play. Watch Holmberg from TBL off this draw. It's like he's shot out of a cannon to win possession and it leads to a goal. The game is all about puck possession. And there are 50-60 faceoffs on average in an NHL game. That's 50-60 battles for possession for the puck. If your team is ready to go off the puck drop, chances are they're ready to go for the game. Awesome job and an awesome clip to show your teams.
Topher Scott17,027 Aufrufe • vor 24 Tagen
KIDS: Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake are both under 6 feet tall. But their absolute will helped lead the Canes to the Stanley Cup. This line has been one of the best lines of any team for the whole playoffs. Through plays like this. They are absolute dogs on second efforts, battles, and in the dirty areas. Just RELENTLESS on this shift. Winning races, multiple efforts, and eventually they get rewarded with the goal. These two set the tone all playoffs. And for all the smaller players out there, they showed us that it truly isn't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. Congrats to the Canes for reaching the dream and winning the Stanley Cup. And thanks to all of you who've been following along with these breakdowns all year!!
Topher Scott69,665 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
KIDS: Not every player can be Nathan MacKinnon on their team. But you can be Parker Kelly. Check out this 6on5 sequence where Kelly blocks five shots. That’s not a typo. Five shots in one shift. Parker Kelly is not going to play on the Avs' first line. But you better believe he's earned the trust from his coaches and his teammates to play a role somewhere on the team. Turn the volume up and listen to the Avs' bench after he blocks a few of his shots. Amazing. If you can't lead your team in goals or points, you can lead your team in gritty plays and heart. It's a way to get in the lineup, stay in the lineup, and play a big role for your team winning a championship.
Topher Scott244,683 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
KIDS: Dominik Shine's path to his first career NHL goal is incredible: -Four years of junior hockey in the USHL -Comes into college hockey at Northern Michigan as a 20 year old -Doesn't get drafted to the NHL -Plays four years of college hockey before signing a pro contract -Plays 8 years in the AHL before getting a call up to the NHL -Becomes the captain for a first place team in the AHL -In his 9th full professional season, at 32 years old, scores his first NHL goal. Very few players see the results of their hard work in the time they want to see it. Resilience is a super-power, and if this isn't inspiration to keep at your dreams even through the low moments, I don't know what is. Everyone has a different path. Congrats to Dominik Shine on his first career NHL goal!
Topher Scott97,844 Aufrufe • vor 8 Monaten
KIDS: Logan Stankoven is 5'8". I get asked a lot how a smaller player can advance to the higher levels of hockey. This clip is a perfect example. To be a smaller player, you have to have what I call "Little Man Syndrome". An off the charts compete and belief in yourself that it doesn't matter how big the player you go into a battle with, you're coming out with that damn puck. Check out this effort from Stankoven that completely changed the game for the Canes last night. It's a lost faceoff but he single-handedly, through pure will, won the puck back and scored. Amazing determination. Stankoven also played four years of junior hockey. Three of those years he was a captain on the team. To be a smaller player - your IQ, compete, and intangible leadership and life skills have to be off the charts to achieve this level of hockey. Logan Stankoven is a great example for all smaller young players with a dream.
Topher Scott66,701 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Yesterday I posted that the Flyers' 4th line all deserved assists on this goal by Porter Martone. Here's why: This is the game within the game. They're matched up here against Malkin's line and they spend the entire shift in the Ozone. Winning races and battles for pucks, wearing them out with possession forcing them to have to defend the entire shift. Selflessly changing in the offensive zone to get their top line out there against a tired Malkin line who eventually scores the opening goal. They played their role perfectly. Just look at the hard work and compete. They get an offensive line for the Pens to have to play in the Dzone for an extended period of time. And set the table for their own offensive line coming out next to do their thing. Amazing TEAM hockey for the game winning goal. The 4th line didn't get actual assists on the scoresheet, but you better believe they'll be on the team video for their effort in the morning.
Topher Scott75,772 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten