CEP Level 3 Manual - Rushmore Hockey Association

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S• Neutral Zone: enhance your opportunity toattack and limit your opponents chance ofentering your zone.• Offensive Zone: create a scoringopportunity and create continuous sustainedpressure.SITUATIONAL OBJECTIVES• Power Play: The question you need toanswer, especially in the offensive zone, doyou face-off for possession or do you attemptto score off the face-off?• Penalty Killing: Most coaches agree thatdefensive posture must be the first priority ina penalty killing situation. However, when ascoring or offensive opportunity presentsitself in a penalty killing situation, rememberthat power-play units do not tend to thinkdefensively, so seize the moment.Another area to consider is how to cover a faceoffin the defensive zone:• Identify what opposing player takesthe majority of the face-offs• Does your opponents put a playeralong the boards, should they becovered?• Pulled Goalie: This situation is the samewhich exists in a power play. Should you tryto score off the draw or play for possession?If there are only a few seconds remaining,there is no question. You must attempt toscore off a set face-off play.RESPONSIBLITY OF THE PLAYERTAKING THE FACE-OFF1. Take charge and be the “quarterback”2. Know the linesman, how they drop the puck,what they allow around the face-off circle3. Know the playing rules4. Know the face-off abilities of your opposingplayers. Know their strengths, weaknesses,and face-off strategies in all situations5. Know your team’s strategies in all situationsFace-Off Reads1. Read how the opposing team sets up2. Read the techniques of the opposing face-offplayer3. Read how the opposing face-off players holdtheir sticks4. Read how the linesman conducts a face-offKey Elements1. Arrive at the face-off dot:• Go to the dot when your teammatesare ready• Establish position over the face-offdot• Physically control the area where thepuck will be dropped• Be confident2. Stance:• Feet wider than shoulder width,knees bent, good balance over yourskates• Be in a position to take control, andmove quickly• Keep your eyes on the linesman’shand3. The Face-Off:• Use your whole body• Keep your arms close to your body• Use the power of your legs, shoulderand back4. Stick Blade:• Keep blade slightly off the ice• Use an up-and-down motion• Do not be too anxious nor tenseNEUTRALIZING YOUR OPPONENT• Block the motion of the opposingcenterman’s stick. This will create a loosepuck for you to sweep back with a secondswipe• Move quickly into your opponent, checkinghis/her stick, then body. The puck can beretrieved by a teammate• Stick check your opponent’s stick, spin intohis/her body, kick the puck back to ateammateFACE-OFF ALIGNMENTS - OFFENSIVE1. This alignment allows the center to attemptto win (draw) the puck back to the shooter(defenseman). The wings interfere (holdup)the opponent’s players so the shooter canget the shot away. It is preferable to have aleft-handed center taking the face-off in theright circle (and vice-versa) because it iseasier for him/her to draw the puck to his/herbackhand (see Figure 1).Figure 1The alignment in Figure 2 is again dependent onthe strength of the player taking the face-off. Thesituation here is to attempt to win the draw to theplayer on the boards who then passes back to thedefenseman for the shot on goal. This alignmentmay also open up the slot area and force thedefending team to place a man on your player alongthe boards.DFigure 2WCDWWWDCDThis is the most common alignment for a faceoffin the offensive zone (see Figure 3). Here theplayer attempts to win the face-off back to theshooter in the slot. Again, the player on the circle infront of the net attempts to interfere with thedefending player, so the shooter has time to releasethe shot. There is also a safety value in the presenceof the defenseman (a player for a backup shot orpuck control in the zone).Figure 3Offensive zone face-off alignment when youhave pulled your goaltender becomes veryimportant because you must win the face-off (seeFigure 4). In these situations, use your best face-offplayer and your most experienced players. Attemptto gain possession of the puck on the face-off andwork the puck for a good shot on goal.Figure 4 places a great deal of emphasis ininterference of the opposing players once the puckis dropped. The offensive team must tie up theopposing player in order to gain control and takethe best possible shot on goal. It is important in allplayer advantage situations that the shooter attemptto put his/her shot on goal.Figure 4WDCWWDDWWCD220 | USA Hockey Coaching Education Program Level 3 ManualOffensive Team Tactics | 221