Here’s a great example of how defencemen should look to join the rush. By coming late with speed the defender completely misses him.
Beauty goal for the OT winner by my nephew, Ben Chiarot!
Defensemen
Defensive Tactic: Hanging a Forechecker on the Net
This tactic involves two steps:
- “Baiting” the forechecker into thinking he’s got a chance at catching you.
- Cutting as tight as possible behind the net, at an angle that makes it so he can’t stay with you.
Good Defensive 1-on-1
The key points shown in this example are as follows:
- Properly managed gap; two stick lengths as they cross the blue line.
- Good upper body posture; arms loose, but compact. Hands at the hips.
- Poke check, not swipe check; you can poke check and miss all day long, and still maintain proper body positioning.
- Stick on stick, body on body.
- Re-closing the gap; after the Swiss player turns back, the Russian defenseman re-closes the gap to maintain proper positioning in case of a re-entry.
Breakout Options in Action
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- Quick up
- Wheel
- D-to-D
- Reverse
The Importance of “Good Sticks”
The value of having a “good stick” sounds obvious, but many miss the fact that “good stick” doesn’t involve lunging at the opponent to knock the puck free. By simply presenting your blade in the area of the offensive player’s puck-handling (stick-to-puck) while maintaining your defensive positioning, it’s stunning how often you make them do … Read more
Skating with NHL defensemen Ben Chiarot and Kevin Bieksa
Ben is Coach Steve’s nephew and helps us out from time to time. This video was made a couple of years ago while Ben was still playing for the Winnipeg Jets (He’s with the Montreal Canadians now #8). This video shows how even the pros have fun while they are training.