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Some great examples over the past few days highlighting strong breakout retrieval habits under pressure — and the ability to connect exits to possession entries and, ultimately, goals. Notice the scanning habits prior to puck touches, creating short support and numbers around the puck, and then moving it to... show more

Kyle MacLennan

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14,566 views • 7 months ago •via X (Twitter)

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Two near-identical, principle-based clips that led to MTL goals last night For most of the game, MTL did a great job using Carolina’s greatest strength against them: their aggression. By eating contact and providing short support, MTL was able to beat F1 pressure and then trap the next two forecheckers in the process In both clips, MTL47 works back on a retrieval against an aggressive F1, knowing his limited time and space won't allow for clean possession play. He wins the line to the puck, absorbs contact, and keeps the puck available for 2nd quick support from MTL48 The next play is made to the wall, followed by a short bump to dot-line support. That allows MTL to exit, and get through the neutral zone with speed

Two near-identical, principle-based clips that led to MTL goals last night For most of the game, MTL did a great job using Carolina’s greatest strength against them: their aggression. By eating contact and providing short support, MTL was able to beat F1 pressure and then trap the next two forecheckers in the process In both clips, MTL47 works back on a retrieval against an aggressive F1, knowing his limited time and space won't allow for clean possession play. He wins the line to the puck, absorbs contact, and keeps the puck available for 2nd quick support from MTL48 The next play is made to the wall, followed by a short bump to dot-line support. That allows MTL to exit, and get through the neutral zone with speed

Kyle MacLennan

19,259 views • 3 months ago

Creating Time & Space With Middle (Dot) Lane Drive Three examples leading to goals from last night where puck carrier attacks middle ice/dot lane before kicking the puck out side. Driver then continues to drive THROUGH the opposition strong side D to create time and space for the puck carrier Additionally, this indecision for the WSD in regards to his read and coverage

Creating Time & Space With Middle (Dot) Lane Drive Three examples leading to goals from last night where puck carrier attacks middle ice/dot lane before kicking the puck out side. Driver then continues to drive THROUGH the opposition strong side D to create time and space for the puck carrier Additionally, this indecision for the WSD in regards to his read and coverage

Kyle MacLennan

24,796 views • 4 months ago

Transition To Defence - Immediately recover positionally to prevent dangerous counter attacks, restore defensive structure, and regain puck possession Pressure at the puck + reload to recover defensive side (above your check & support teammate pressure)

Transition To Defence - Immediately recover positionally to prevent dangerous counter attacks, restore defensive structure, and regain puck possession Pressure at the puck + reload to recover defensive side (above your check & support teammate pressure)

Kyle MacLennan

10,218 views • 1 month ago

COACHES: Three of Montreal's first-period goals last night came from great breakout principles under heavy forecheck pressure. Goals 1 and 3 are literal textbook breakout support clips. Under heavy pressure you want to have close support. Unreal job by Hutson to support his partner as he’s under fire. Great support from the center, low, getting into great position when the puck comes up to the wing. Just incredible. Goal number 2 is a great example of positionless hockey and decision making. It's a rim and players are in different positions but the whole line does a fantastic job in close support, making reads and providing options. Unbelievable, unbelievable job by the Canadiens against a team known for a great forecheck.

COACHES: Three of Montreal's first-period goals last night came from great breakout principles under heavy forecheck pressure. Goals 1 and 3 are literal textbook breakout support clips. Under heavy pressure you want to have close support. Unreal job by Hutson to support his partner as he’s under fire. Great support from the center, low, getting into great position when the puck comes up to the wing. Just incredible. Goal number 2 is a great example of positionless hockey and decision making. It's a rim and players are in different positions but the whole line does a fantastic job in close support, making reads and providing options. Unbelievable, unbelievable job by the Canadiens against a team known for a great forecheck.

Topher Scott

24,582 views • 3 months ago

COACHES: This is not a flashy clip but shows amazing breakout principles from each player on the ice. Great shoulder checks from D1 going back to get the puck on first touch, and then he activates up ice on the weak side. Great surf and defensive stick to force the dump from D2 - and then close support as D1 had heavy pressure. He's also shoulder checking. Great use of body to shield the puck from pinching D and outlet to C from the RW. Great low and slow support from the C behind the puck. Great job by the LW stretching out the opposing D creating the lane and space for D1 coming up the ice. Everyone shoulder checking. Everyone working to get up ice after their puck touch. If you go back and watch each player in this clip individually, it's beautiful. All of these little things add to a great breakout sequence that starts the play for the goal. An incredible clip to show your teams!!

COACHES: This is not a flashy clip but shows amazing breakout principles from each player on the ice. Great shoulder checks from D1 going back to get the puck on first touch, and then he activates up ice on the weak side. Great surf and defensive stick to force the dump from D2 - and then close support as D1 had heavy pressure. He's also shoulder checking. Great use of body to shield the puck from pinching D and outlet to C from the RW. Great low and slow support from the C behind the puck. Great job by the LW stretching out the opposing D creating the lane and space for D1 coming up the ice. Everyone shoulder checking. Everyone working to get up ice after their puck touch. If you go back and watch each player in this clip individually, it's beautiful. All of these little things add to a great breakout sequence that starts the play for the goal. An incredible clip to show your teams!!

Topher Scott

10,813 views • 10 months ago

Leo Carlsson ➡ Owning The Middle Two clips leading to goals where Carlsson plays goal line to goal line • Provides great defensive support in his own end • Supports underneath the puck battle through the neutral zone • Transports pucks effectively and with speed through the neutral zone • Attacks the middle of the ice • Distributes pucks off the rush

Leo Carlsson ➡ Owning The Middle Two clips leading to goals where Carlsson plays goal line to goal line • Provides great defensive support in his own end • Supports underneath the puck battle through the neutral zone • Transports pucks effectively and with speed through the neutral zone • Attacks the middle of the ice • Distributes pucks off the rush

Kyle MacLennan

10,478 views • 4 months ago

COACHES: For a lot of goals, you can rewind the clip back 10-15 seconds and you'll see some sort of effort or buy in play to win possession or get the puck back. I would show these clips to our players and call them "Effort Before Offense" plays. This goal from Vegas is a perfect example. Holtz explodes off the puck drop and wins possession for the team even though the puck gets "won" to Anaheim's side. Great effort, detail play. Then their star play in Jack Eichel wins a foot-race and battle to the puck in the offensive zone setting up Barbashev for the goal. Two great effort plays leading to the goal and a great clip to show your teams!!

COACHES: For a lot of goals, you can rewind the clip back 10-15 seconds and you'll see some sort of effort or buy in play to win possession or get the puck back. I would show these clips to our players and call them "Effort Before Offense" plays. This goal from Vegas is a perfect example. Holtz explodes off the puck drop and wins possession for the team even though the puck gets "won" to Anaheim's side. Great effort, detail play. Then their star play in Jack Eichel wins a foot-race and battle to the puck in the offensive zone setting up Barbashev for the goal. Two great effort plays leading to the goal and a great clip to show your teams!!

Topher Scott

11,845 views • 7 months ago

Marchand getting boo’d whenever he touches the puck. Then proceeds to score and immediately taunts the Vancouver crowd 😂

Marchand getting boo’d whenever he touches the puck. Then proceeds to score and immediately taunts the Vancouver crowd 😂

Spittin' Chiclets

477,580 views • 1 year ago

Clear offensive-zone identity shift for Carolina: • Hunt pucks • Outnumber opponents on and around the puck • Extend zone time through pressure and possession • Spread the ice low/high, release to back of net • Once possession is established and the opposition starts to wear down, create motion throughout the zone, especially downhill from the high ice • Pull defenders out of the slot, creating 1v1 isolation at the net front

Clear offensive-zone identity shift for Carolina: • Hunt pucks • Outnumber opponents on and around the puck • Extend zone time through pressure and possession • Spread the ice low/high, release to back of net • Once possession is established and the opposition starts to wear down, create motion throughout the zone, especially downhill from the high ice • Pull defenders out of the slot, creating 1v1 isolation at the net front

Kyle MacLennan

11,680 views • 3 months ago

COACHES: If we want to develop better hockey players, we need to talk more about work AWAY FROM THE PUCK. Here are two clips to show your players on this concept. 1. GIVE-AND-GO: One of my favorite youth coaches was from Russia and Tarasov's school of hockey...and his biggest pet peeve was passing and then not moving. He would literally stop practice and make us do a somersault if we passed and stood still. Our team won a national championship, we had half our team play college hockey, and his emphasis on this I think was a huge part of our development. Why is a give-and-go big? When a defender is on you and you pass it, that split second is when they're most vulnerable. They have to look at where the puck goes but also pay attention to you. By moving right away after passing, their attention shifts, even so briefly, which allows you to get open to get it back. Check out this AMAZING give-and-go between McDavid and Draisaitl. These guys are on another level and McDavid is truly superhuman at working away from the puck. 2. WORK TO SUPPORT THE PUCK: On the second clip, watch how hard Tarasenko speeds through the neutral zone to get to a spot of support. If he doesn't, this play ends in a dump in and an easy breakout. But he hightails it, like he's shot out of a cannon, and even though he doesn't get the puck, his speed without the puck allows him to get pressure on the forecheck. 3. WORK TO GET THE PUCK BACK: Then you have Kaprizov, one of the most skilled players in the world, working to track back on the forecheck. His effort helps create the turnover and he gets rewarded with the goal. If you want to play offense, the harder you work away from the puck defensively, the more you'll benefit offensively by getting possession back. Even the best players in the world only have the puck on their stick for maybe one minute during a game. As coaches and in player development, the more we can emphasize play without the puck, the more we'll develop smarter and better players.

COACHES: If we want to develop better hockey players, we need to talk more about work AWAY FROM THE PUCK. Here are two clips to show your players on this concept. 1. GIVE-AND-GO: One of my favorite youth coaches was from Russia and Tarasov's school of hockey...and his biggest pet peeve was passing and then not moving. He would literally stop practice and make us do a somersault if we passed and stood still. Our team won a national championship, we had half our team play college hockey, and his emphasis on this I think was a huge part of our development. Why is a give-and-go big? When a defender is on you and you pass it, that split second is when they're most vulnerable. They have to look at where the puck goes but also pay attention to you. By moving right away after passing, their attention shifts, even so briefly, which allows you to get open to get it back. Check out this AMAZING give-and-go between McDavid and Draisaitl. These guys are on another level and McDavid is truly superhuman at working away from the puck. 2. WORK TO SUPPORT THE PUCK: On the second clip, watch how hard Tarasenko speeds through the neutral zone to get to a spot of support. If he doesn't, this play ends in a dump in and an easy breakout. But he hightails it, like he's shot out of a cannon, and even though he doesn't get the puck, his speed without the puck allows him to get pressure on the forecheck. 3. WORK TO GET THE PUCK BACK: Then you have Kaprizov, one of the most skilled players in the world, working to track back on the forecheck. His effort helps create the turnover and he gets rewarded with the goal. If you want to play offense, the harder you work away from the puck defensively, the more you'll benefit offensively by getting possession back. Even the best players in the world only have the puck on their stick for maybe one minute during a game. As coaches and in player development, the more we can emphasize play without the puck, the more we'll develop smarter and better players.

Topher Scott

14,893 views • 5 months ago

KIDS: I had a Russian coach growing up, one of the best coaches I've ever had, whose biggest habit he instilled in us was moving without the puck. He would make us do a somersault on the ice if we passed the puck and just stood there in practice. All practice he would be yelling GET OPEN!!! Our team was the best I've ever seen with give-and-go's. We were programmed to always be moving to support the puck, especially just after we passed it. We developed so much hockey sense under him with that mentality as it continually forced us to anticipate where the play was going. That year, we won the National Championship and we had a ton of players end up playing college hockey. This is a PHENOMENAL clip of what he would have been so proud of. Pass, move, get it back, goal. Nolan Allan gets the puck, moves it quick, dashes right to the net while the defender watched the pass, and then receives it right back and buries. Absolute gold. Coaches, this is a great clip to show your teams on the power of moving away from the puck and the give-and-go. Great job and congrats to Allan on his first NHL goal!!

KIDS: I had a Russian coach growing up, one of the best coaches I've ever had, whose biggest habit he instilled in us was moving without the puck. He would make us do a somersault on the ice if we passed the puck and just stood there in practice. All practice he would be yelling GET OPEN!!! Our team was the best I've ever seen with give-and-go's. We were programmed to always be moving to support the puck, especially just after we passed it. We developed so much hockey sense under him with that mentality as it continually forced us to anticipate where the play was going. That year, we won the National Championship and we had a ton of players end up playing college hockey. This is a PHENOMENAL clip of what he would have been so proud of. Pass, move, get it back, goal. Nolan Allan gets the puck, moves it quick, dashes right to the net while the defender watched the pass, and then receives it right back and buries. Absolute gold. Coaches, this is a great clip to show your teams on the power of moving away from the puck and the give-and-go. Great job and congrats to Allan on his first NHL goal!!

Topher Scott

60,628 views • 1 year ago

Nikolaj Ehlers and Tim Stützle are the two best puck carriers in the Sens vs Hurricanes series. They rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively in entries leading to scoring chances at even-strength. Some good examples of using the middle of the ice to create space...

Nikolaj Ehlers and Tim Stützle are the two best puck carriers in the Sens vs Hurricanes series. They rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively in entries leading to scoring chances at even-strength. Some good examples of using the middle of the ice to create space...

Mike Kelly

31,938 views • 4 months ago

BUF PP Breakout Adjustment MTL made a clear effort to disrupt Dahlin on BUF’s initial PP breakout attempts. They were prepared for the drop and did a good job squeezing on him whenever he tried to manufacture an entry himself As the initial puck carrier, Dahlin’s job after the drop is to lay a subtle pick on a PK player, creating space for the drop players to work with. MTL initiated contact on Dahlin twice, which allowed them to jam BUF’s entry attempts and prevent clean possession In the 2nd, Dahlin and BUF adjusted. After the drop, Dahlin sprints through the middle of the ice, and the puck is slingshot back up ice to the stretch player, who bumps it back to Dahlin attacking the gap

BUF PP Breakout Adjustment MTL made a clear effort to disrupt Dahlin on BUF’s initial PP breakout attempts. They were prepared for the drop and did a good job squeezing on him whenever he tried to manufacture an entry himself As the initial puck carrier, Dahlin’s job after the drop is to lay a subtle pick on a PK player, creating space for the drop players to work with. MTL initiated contact on Dahlin twice, which allowed them to jam BUF’s entry attempts and prevent clean possession In the 2nd, Dahlin and BUF adjusted. After the drop, Dahlin sprints through the middle of the ice, and the puck is slingshot back up ice to the stretch player, who bumps it back to Dahlin attacking the gap

Kyle MacLennan

172,636 views • 4 months ago

Mark Stone won’t get credit on the scoresheet for this goal, but it is fair to say it does not happen without his work in the defensive zone beforehand Uses a skating screen and subtle pick on the COL forechecker to buy Andersson an extra half second on the retrieval Supports underneath the puck on the wall Second quick on the loose puck & makes the play to the inside under pressure to exit the zone

Mark Stone won’t get credit on the scoresheet for this goal, but it is fair to say it does not happen without his work in the defensive zone beforehand Uses a skating screen and subtle pick on the COL forechecker to buy Andersson an extra half second on the retrieval Supports underneath the puck on the wall Second quick on the loose puck & makes the play to the inside under pressure to exit the zone

Kyle MacLennan

10,543 views • 3 months ago

COACHES: Here is a GREAT teaching clip of something I see in youth hockey all the time. A player will skate the puck towards one of their teammates and will then pass it to them. It's one of my biggest pet peeves in the game. When you skate the puck towards your teammate, you're effectively bringing defenders towards them too so when you give them the puck you've put them in a difficult spot because now with more defenders near they have less time and space to make a play. This clip is a great example. The CHI defenseman skates the puck toward his partner and then tries to give him a pass. They turn the puck over with two CAR forecheckers now right there and the puck ends up in the back of the net. In youth hockey you see defenseman do this a lot and even more so they'll skate it towards their winger and then give them the puck either on the breakout or in the neutral zone. A better solution would be to move it right away or suck defenders towards you (and away from) your teammate so when you pass to them they'll have more time and space. Phenomenal teaching clip on time and space!!

COACHES: Here is a GREAT teaching clip of something I see in youth hockey all the time. A player will skate the puck towards one of their teammates and will then pass it to them. It's one of my biggest pet peeves in the game. When you skate the puck towards your teammate, you're effectively bringing defenders towards them too so when you give them the puck you've put them in a difficult spot because now with more defenders near they have less time and space to make a play. This clip is a great example. The CHI defenseman skates the puck toward his partner and then tries to give him a pass. They turn the puck over with two CAR forecheckers now right there and the puck ends up in the back of the net. In youth hockey you see defenseman do this a lot and even more so they'll skate it towards their winger and then give them the puck either on the breakout or in the neutral zone. A better solution would be to move it right away or suck defenders towards you (and away from) your teammate so when you pass to them they'll have more time and space. Phenomenal teaching clip on time and space!!

Topher Scott

38,600 views • 4 months ago

KIDS: We're seeing more and more short side shelf goals - and it's no accident. The way a lot of goalie are playing when the puck is at a bad angle near the goal line is they get on a knee with the "RVH". This leaves space above their nearside shoulder. Two great examples of players exploiting it here and scoring goals!

KIDS: We're seeing more and more short side shelf goals - and it's no accident. The way a lot of goalie are playing when the puck is at a bad angle near the goal line is they get on a knee with the "RVH". This leaves space above their nearside shoulder. Two great examples of players exploiting it here and scoring goals!

Topher Scott

41,426 views • 9 months ago

Greatness isn't for the chosen few, it's for the few who choose it. If you want to be great, your habits match your goals. If you want to be great, you want to learn and get better. If you want to be great, you hold each other accountable. Jeff Capel on what it takes:

Greatness isn't for the chosen few, it's for the few who choose it. If you want to be great, your habits match your goals. If you want to be great, you want to learn and get better. If you want to be great, you hold each other accountable. Jeff Capel on what it takes:

The Coaches' Journal

195,253 views • 3 years ago