Having "Offensive" Defensemen On Your Team, Is Like Having An Extra Forward !
Whether you're
playing ice, roller or street hockey, your defense is one of your most important aspect of the game. If you can't stop your opponent from scoring, you'll never win a game. Bobby Hull played with many of the great defensemen of his time and with their help, and over his career, he played in 1063 NHL games, accumulating
610 goals, 560 assists, 1170 points, three Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Memorial
Trophies, a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, and a Stanley Cup Championship, and
adding, 62 goals and 67 assists for 129 points in 119 playoff games. He played
in 411 WHA games, scoring 303 goals, 335 assists and 638 points, adding 43
goals and 37 assists in 60 playoff games.
In 1983,
As the star of Roller Hockey Magazine's Instructional DVD
series, Bobby states, "Many of the tips and techniques shown in the Roller
Hockey DVD series are the same ones that I used when I started playing, and
have helped me reach a high level of success in the game of hockey."
Famous NHL players that have influenced the game with their offensive
dominance include, Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Brain Leetch. Having a
player on your team that can both defend your goal and strike fear on the
offensive plays, will greatly help your team score more goals and win more
games. Here is a basic breakdown of the mechanics of being a great defenseman.
DEFENSIVE ZONE
Whether you're involved in retrieving a puck that was dumped in your zone,
or involved in a faceoff in the defensive zone, you have several options when
you gain possession of the puck and you have only a few seconds to make a
decision. Your main goal is to move the puck out of your zone and put your team
on the offensive. When you get the puck, your options are:
1. Carry the puck behind your net and either look for an open man for a pass
or start to skate up the court yourself and then find the open man for a pass
out of your zone.'
2. When you get the puck, and you are being forechecked, pass the puck to
your defensive partner behind the net or shoot the puck around the boards to
the far winger.
3. If you're quick and a great stickhandler, you can carry the puck out of
the zone yourself, but this is a far riskier option.
4. Have a set play where you make a long pass to one of the centers or
winger who breaks out of the zone toward center court.
TRANSITION PLAY
The main goal is to move quickly from the defensive zone to the offensive
zone. The defensemen have several options when moving from defense to offense
in the neutral zone.
1. D to D Passing. Passing the puck between defensemen can reverse the flow
of the play to the opposite side of the rink and relieves the immediate
forechecking pressure.
2. Break-in Passing. The defenseman can pass to a winger or to the center that
is breaking toward the opposition zone.
3. The Dump-in. The defenseman can shoot the puck into the opposing zone but
the drawback is that if your team fails to regain possession, you are right
back on defense again.
4. The Carry-in. If you do carry the puck up court, make sure that somebody
covers your back and protects your goal.
PINCHING IN
"Pinching" describes when a defenseman moves in from his point
position to keep the puck in the opposition zone. If he can reach the puck, he
can then make a pass or take a shot. Either way, if a goal is scored, he will
get a point. But he needs to be careful to pay close attention to the flow of
the play. If it is on the other side of the rink and the puck arrives before
the players, the defenseman can pinch in with little fear of leaving his
partner to face an odd-man rush. But if the flow of the play is on the same
side as the defenseman, failure to reach the puck may result in a 2 on 1 or 3
on 2 breakouts for the opposition.
POINT PLAY
Once the puck is in the offensive zone, the defensemen have the opportunity
to become more involved in the offense. Often time, the winger and center will
pass back to the defensemen if they cannot make a play. Here is where they can
create scoring opportunities.
1. Take A Shot. Taking a shot from the blue line is a low percentage shot
but more goals can be scored from rebounds, deflections, and screens on the
goalie from other players.'
2. Pass. Think ahead of the plays that you have been practicing and when the
time comes, pass to the open man or if you can't see a safe pass, make a move
and create one.'
3. Fake Shot. The fake shot can make a defenseman freeze so you can either
move and shoot or pass to an open man.
4. Dump The Puck. If you don't have a clear shot or pass and you are being pressured, you can always dump the puck back in the offensive zone and hope your teammate can pick it up.
Learn more on stick techniques with the Bobby Hull Defensive Strategies DVD.
