Keys to Dominating a Hockey Game

From my experience, any type of hockey can be successful, from the dump-and-chase to a run-and-gun freewheeling offense, as long as it follows certain rules to winning in hockey. You don't have to have the most skilled team, or the most physical team, or even the fastest team, as long as your team wins in the key aspect of a game, possession. Anyway, I'll list the 5 most important keys to dominating a hockey game (Not winning; winning a game requires simply outscoring the opposition, and there is no sure-fire way to do so, although dominating the game certainly helps).

Controlling Board Play
Probably the most important part of dominating a game involves winning the puck battles. There is no understating the importance of this task. *These puck battles are generally fought along the boards, making it important to control the board play. While in the offensive zone, winning the puck battles is important to keep the cycle going, while in the defensive zone, it is important to gain control of the puck, enabling a team to start the breakout.  Winning puck battles involves *two important reactions: identifying the one-on-one puck battles, and then acting on it. As a result, it is important to always have *situational awareness, even without the puck. When you notice a chance to win a puck battle, it is important to attempt to *isolate the other player through positioning. You should position yourself in such a way that your own body eliminates as many passing outlets as possible, depending on the positioning of other players on the other team, while allowing teammates to provide support. After positioning yourself properly, you should be *physically imposing enough to legally limit the other players movement, while placing yourself in the best position to receive the puck. The best way to do this is to directly place your body between the other player and the puck, but this isn't something that is possible at any time. It is possible to hold someone up against the boards in order to accomplish this goal, assuming you are not in a good enough position to place a body check (Watch how a player like Anton Volchenkov does this). A lot of the time, the best players at this will *establish positioning on an opposing player just before the puck reaches them, virtually eliminating any chance that he will lose the puck battle. But no matter how it is done, it is very important to win puck battles, as that allows for consistent offensive pressure, or an opportunity to transition from defense do offense. 


The Breakout
The next most important part of dominating a game is done through making crisp, tape-to-tape passes. This is most evident in the Breakout, arguably the most important situation in hockey. A team that cannot breakout properly is a team doomed to a constant siege at the hands of the opposition. The breakout varies coach by coach, but there are always certain variables in it. For example, besides passes needing to be easily handled, it is important to know *when to skate with the puck (i.e. when there is open ice to the slot; when there is not, much of the time the player is funneled towards the boards where there is no where else to go; unless the player is exceptionally fast, he cannot consistently skate with the puck through small openings). It is also important to make *smart decisions; once you have the puck, NEVER throw it away. Making blind passes often results in giving up possession of the puck, and icing the puck should never be done unless you are exceptionally fatigued. When making a pass, don't just analyze if the intended recipient is open at the time. *Take note of any opposing players in or skating near in his general direction, because it's important to not hospitalize your teammates. If you catch a defenseman too low in the zone, pass the puck in front of the teammate so he can skate into it, or if you catch a defenseman too high in the zone pass it lower into the zone so your teammate can take it back with momentum. *Passing to a player in the slot is ok under three conditions:
1) There is nobody else within a sticklength of the eventual puck trail
2) The pass is hard and accurate
3) The intended recipient is not currently turning
The first two rules are common sense; the third one is important because it makes the teammate vulnerable for the immediate seconds after catching the puck. There are exceptions to the rule, but generally do not do it. It is important to note that is it possible to take advantage of the net. One can *reverse the puck to relieve pressure. For more on reversing the puck, look at the first post on the Breakout.


The Forecheck/Backcheck
It is very difficult to consistently create *good scoring chances; generally, these only happen when the other team has a defensive lapse, meaning it is *difficult to dictate the offense. The forecheck and the backcheck both are defined as defensive pressure with the purpose of creating a turnover. The forecheck is vital for *offensive zone possession. Most forechecks can be effective if used properly; generally, a more aggressive forecheck is better at forcing turnovers, but is easier to beat. The keys to an effective forecheck are *support and *pressure. Without going to much into the different forechecking strategies, it is important for players to buy into the team concept of the forecheck, and work together to create turnovers. The backcheck is basically the forecheck in the neutral zone. It is important to creating turnovers as well. *Communication is important for the backcheck, as is *awareness. It is important to be aware of players who are open on the other team, and what they are going to do. It is important for the forwards to provide *pressure to the outside, which eliminates options, forcing a dump in. The defensemen should be prepared to move in *any direction at any time, stepping up to take away a pass/lay on a big hit, without being lost in the play. Communication among defensemen is most important; the *slot should never be open, always attended by a defenseman, and there should always be at least one defenseman *safely behind the play. It is important to understand the immediate situation you are in, whether it is a 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, etc..., and make judgements based on your assessment. 


A Strong Cycle
It is also important for a team to have strong chemistry between the players. The *cycle is the best example of this. It is impossible to consistently generate high-quality scoring chances, but the cycle helps increase the frequency of these scoring chances. The cycle is moving the puck with the intention of moving closer to the net; contrary to popular belief, the cycle isn't just skating around in a circle and banking the puck off of the boards. A good offensive zone cycle should involve at least *four offensive players in the zone, so it is important to have defensemen who can dictate the offense from the point. The most effective cycle moves from *down low to up high; if a scoring chance can't be generated from down low, it should be restarted higher in the zone. The cycle is effective in that it *tires the opposition, *helps with puck control, *keeps the puck out of your zone, and *leads to breakdowns in defensive zone coverage. A team that can continue a cycle using smart decisions at the point and smart decisions with the puck is one which can dominate puck possession.


Heart
The final piece of the puzzle is Heart. Hockey is one of the most difficult, albeit exciting, sports in the world, and willpower is the variable most easily influenced by the player. Outworking the opposition is something that enables less-skilled teams defeat more skilled teams (See 72' Summit Series, 1980 Olympics). Outworking the opposition is something that enables a team to overcome all odds to win the game. A hockey game cannot be won by a team that refuses to block shots, sacrifice the body, and take the hit to make a play. Heart is what makes hockey great. Heart is what makes a player a Champion.

Tips on Nutrition and Training for Hockey (Off-Ice)

Training is a very important part of being a successful hockey player, and it's the easiest thing to for one to control; however, only the person training can control this. In order to workout efficiently, you must follow the basic rules of working out: don't cheat, remain consistent with your workouts, have good form etc... and most people who workout on a regular basis already understand these rules. So instead on focusing on how to work out, I'll focus on which exercises to do, how to maintain good nutrition, and when/how often to workout each body part specifically. Like my most recent post, rather than follow normal format, I will just use links. Lots and lots of links.

The Basics:

• Focus on working out not by bulking up with simple machines, but by using the forces of inertia, changes of direction, flexibility, adaptation, balance, and agility. The best way to do this is with a workout plan that, rather then using machines to overload muscles, uses a combination of plyometrics, interval aerobic training, anaerobic exercises involving many muscle groups, flexibility, and diet
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47p78F5Fzuw muscles used in hockey 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5voicU-mGc&feature=related thought this was pretty cool
• The off-ice fitness variables that have consistently been found (by research) to predict skating speed and acceleration for hockey players of any age and skill level include are vertical jump height and 40 yard dash time, push-ups per minute, sit-ups per minute, and hamstring flexibility. However, this is not a direct correlation.
• The most important muscles used in skating are the quadriceps, the hip ab/adductors, and the buttocks. The hips are very important for pivoting as well.
• Training should be periodized: "A training program should always be considered as ongoing and should be broken down into long and short term blocks or periods of time that can be termed “cycles.” Breaking a program down into cycles is helpful for prioritizing your training goals and requirements. The cycles can vary greatly in the amount of time that they span. They are designed to apply more focus on certain goals and needs while placing less attention to others based on established priorities. Macrocycles are long term cycles that may take several months to a year and help to set the priorities and time lines to accomplish training goals or address individual needs. Macrocycles will need to be broken down into more manageable segments called "mesocycles. Mesocycles would enable a person to better track their progress, reassess their goals, design new routines and make any needed adjustments (to training, diet, sleep, rest etc) in order to stay within the time lines of the macrocycle. Mesocycles can vary widely in length, usually ranging from 3-12 weeks. A normal 6-8 week mesocycle works well for most people. This is enough time to experience significant and measurable results, yet not become bored with the resent routines. This time frame is also short enough to allow a person to identify and correct controllable problems and adjust for uncontrollable variables that may have surfaced before they can inhibit further progress. People should reassess and gather as much pertinent data as possible between mesocycles to help design the new routines and appropriately for continued success."
• http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/designing-training-routines-using-periodization.html This will help with designing a workout plan. 
• http://www.stumptuous.com/periodization 
• Here's some plyometrics http://www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/article.asp?ArticleID=294 http://artofmanliness.com/2010/05/21/beginners-guide-to-plyometrics/ http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometric-training.html http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometricexercises.html http://www.plyometrictrainingexercises.com/ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw27.htm
• If you do need to bulk up, refer to these links: http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/nutritionbasics/a/bulkingupdiet.htm  http://www.military.com/military-fitness/weight-training/how-to-gain-weight----but-its-hard-to-fight-mother-nature
• Nutrition: http://trueperformance.hubpages.com/hub/Exercise_of_the_Day_-_August_21__2007 http://www.peakperformance.on.ca/tipsandtools/powerfuel_hockey.php 

Hockey Sense

The main point of this blog is to help players understand where to be positionally and what to do in certain circumstances in game action, that should be applied most of the time. This was created so that I (Or anyone else who reads this) can fall back to the basics of my hockey style whenever I forget something/slump. Anyway, these tips are almost "Black and White" rules for my playing style, although they are not followed 100%, there is some deviation based on game conditions. However, equally important to these "Black-and-White" rules is hockey sense, which can't be taught, only developed. So I'm going to summarize what hockey sense is and how it is learned/developed, using the internet as a resource (Since I can't afford to spend $300 on the USA hockey intelligym.)

Understanding the Game

http://www.marbleheadyouthhockey.com/league/download.aspx?FT=1&ULL=7443866&LID=80&FileID=36328&Inline=true&Thumb=false

• Hockey sense is the ability to read the game, understand the game, and react accordingly. Use it while attempting to maintain positioning.
• Puck carrier is the player who is supposed to make play happen. On the attack he brings offensive pressure towards the net by skating the puck or passing it to a teammate. If an opportunity to score comes up, it is his responsibility to take it; this is done by shooting the puck. It can either be a direct shot (A shot with the intention to score) or an indirect shot (A shot with the intention to be deflected/rebounded). It is his responsibility to decide which type of shot to take. A good puck carrier knows how to create time and space to help better opportunities form; this is done by skating (Mainly by increasing and decreasing speed, and changing direction) and by faking (Making an opposing player think you're going to do one thing and do another). The main idea is to work the puck lower into the zone, but if nothing comes out of it, it is best to look behind you or on the other side of the ice for open ice (Usually where you're teammates have more time and space than you). Keep in mind that a pass can be to the open ice if your teammate will get to the puck before anyone else on the other team, this is especially effective when wrapping the puck around the boards, or when making a pass to a player who is not open in a scoring position. It is also important to note screens on the goalie if attempting a shot. 
• Offensive players without the puck provide support and options. They should attempt to get open (No one blocking passing lane) and provide width and depth (i.e. spread out) They are also ready to provide defensive support. They set up screens, find open ice, and react according to the other team (Example given if a defender is in lala land, sneak around them).
• Defensive players defending the puck carrier have three main objectives: stay in the play, pressure the puck carrier, and get the puck. This is done by taking away space using gap control, steering the opposing player with your stick, and being physical. It is also a defenders responsibility, especially a defensemans, to notice what the immediate situation is. If surrounded by three opposing players and you have only one other defender in the immediate area, you switch to 3-on-2 mode and your main objective becomes to keep the puck out of scoring areas by staying in passing lanes and angling. If you notice a 3-on-2 and you're not in it, assuming you're not covering anyone, it is your responsibility to help out. If you are covering a player and they get rid of the puck, it is your responsibility to stay with that player until you are needed elsewhere (On the rush, covering another player, etc)
• Defensive players not defending the puck carrier have the responsibility to be active and move, be ready to support their teammates or fight for a loose puck, and stay with the other players on the other team. The distance from an opposing players depends on how threatening he is to score; in the slot and near the puck, be ready to jump on them in an instant and stop them from receiving a pass, and the further they are from the slot and puck, the further you can be. You want to be in a position where you're anticipating where the puck is going, and be as close as you can to that place while being in position and defending dangerous scorers. It's important to keep your head on a swival, because a player can become a scoring threat in an instant and it's important to be able to defend that player.
• You are on the attack as soon as your team gets the puck.
• The puck is faster than any player.
• On offense you want depth and width.
• You must move from narrow space to broad space, increasing time and space to make the right play.
• Players without the puck must determine where they are needed, whether by finding free ice or by covering scoring threats.
• Goals are scored from the slot.
• Defending starts as soon as the other team gets the puck.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=550636

• Hockey sense is understanding situational play. Understanding where I'm supposed to be as the non-puck carrier, where I'm supposed to be on the forecheck. … It's all situational play.
• Watch certain NHL players, but not just for the highlight-reel plays they make. Instead, watch their favorite players and teams, and keep an eye on the more mundane tasks players do that might help their team win, whether it's backchecking, forechecking or puck support.

Developing Hockey Sense

http://www.evelethyouthhockey.com/page/show/69897-hockey-sense-can-be-taught

• The first step to teaching hockey sense is teaching skills. The skills are skating, puck handling, passing and shooting. For young players through the Bantam levels, considerable attention should be paid to skill development. 
• The game of hockey is a continuous series of “common reoccurring situations.” The more players are exposed to the situations, the better they become at reacting to them. More specifically, 1-on-1, 2-on-1, and 3-on-2 would be considered situations that occur over and over again. With experience and good coaching, players will learn to react instinctively as they are involved with these scenarios. The options available to players in these situations can be taught in practice and then experienced in games. It is essential to demonstrate and teach multiple options to players so they have the ability to react to quickly changing situations. Running these situations from many different spots on the rink surface will help your players learn to adapt to a variety of situations and potential ways to deal with them.

http://exactsports.com/blog/hockey-sense-what-is-it/2010/03/08/

• A skill consists of “the ability to bring about some end result with maximum certainty and a minimum outlay of energy.” Develop Skill First!!!!!!
• TECHNIQUE + PRESSURE = SKILL
• Practicing drills in isolation does not reflect a large number of variables associated with implementing this skill in a constantly changing game situation. Emphasis on technique has generally resulted in the production of skillful players who possess inflexible techniques and poor decision making capacities. Decision-making is the foundation that determines level of success achieved by athletes in any sport — it is the cornerstone of “hockey sense.” While skills are very important to successful performance, it is is the athlete’s conceptual abilities that make the difference.

http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1095

• I thought this was interesting, what NHL players are drafted for:
  Team 1: "We consider puck possession ability to be the most important quality for our draftees, as that is how you control the game. Puck skills and hockey sense is what we prioritize, not only because they are key to controlling the game, but because things like skating and a player's body are much easier to develop."
  Team 2: "We draft for possession. Those are the kinds of players we want. Players who can think the game, move the puck, control the puck—that's what we're looking to draft.
  Team 3:"Right now, the NHL isn't a league where you can get more quality chances than the opponent with consistency. It's really just about getting the puck out of our zone and getting it into theirs. That's why we emphasize skating, work ethic, and a player's physical game. We want players who will backcheck hard, help get the puck out of our end, get it in deep the other way, win a battle, and get the puck on net. We want players who will help generate shots."
   
• "Most of Detroit's scouting staff has been in place for more than a decade, and its sense of what constitutes effective possession play is intuitive rather than codified or numerically defined. "You just have a sense," Holland says. "The type of player you want, the type of situation you reference for your next game, you see it."
• So not surprisingly, we are going to have to go on a bit of a limb when we scout for possession, just because there is not a perfect consensus as to what traits make a good possession player. This is not just based on my discussions with those three teams, but a general feeling from the industry. My approach and philosophy, which is reflected in my prospect rankings, is that for forwards puck skills and hockey sense are top priorities to control possession, with skating close behind, while for defensemen, puck-moving skills and hockey sense are at the top, with a defender's physical game being pretty important to his defensive-zone possession game.

http://www.hockeyagility.com/scihock.html

• The game rhythm is rapid transition from offensive to defensive actions with slow, fast or quick temp (speed). The player who can match the game rhythm transitions smoothly without frictions can have greater chance to win. In addition to that, the game rhythm has rapid transitions of directions (trajectories) of players and the puck. To match that obstacle for the player requires to be a solid skater with “Hockey Sense of Mind”.
• In survey of 50 Russian hockey specialists we see that absolute strength (power) is the last of eleven essential characteristics of an ideal hockey player
• Adaptation means shortening the time it takes to adjust to each new game situation during the player’s shift. The player must observe the situation, orient to it, decide what to do and act. The player who can consistently adapt more quickly to the situation will have a significant advantage. Adaptation is the most important skill of hockey tactics. There are two basic ways to adaptation: by anticipation and by improvisation.
• When we have enough situational awareness to understand a situation in advance, we can take preparatory actions. This is anticipation. At other times we have to adapt to situation on the spur of the moment without time for preparation. This is improvisation. To be fully adaptable we must be able to do both.
• Any hockey skills start in the head, where mind acts in a split-second before body. Dynamic intensity of the game at any age and levels of hockey become restraining factor for the mind “think quickly” and for body “react rapidly and adequately”. It is the mind “above the neck” that directs “below the neck” body activity in the game. This is a law of nature and the victory comes to ones, who keep on game thinking, trying, experimenting and looking for options. To find the right solution in a complicated situation is the athletic art, which is needed not only in hockey, but in real life as well

• Brain cells, eye muscles, memory storage, recognition, attention, anticipation, reacting and other cognitive parameters - speed, rhythm, gravity and space control - can be developed and improved in parallel with physical development.

• Skills to improve: Flexability, Balance, Coordination, Strength, Quickness, Endurance, Control, Stick handling, Mind
• "90 percent of hockey is mental, and the other half is physical."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/45351-creating-the-perfect-hockey-player

• Skating—Quite simply the most important attribute required to play in the NHL and even more important to be a superstar in the league. (i.e. Scott Niedermayer, Paul Coffey)
• Shooting—Second most important attribute to make the bigs. Now for the sake of this exercise, the player that possesses the best overall shooting skills will represent this attribute. ( Slap shot, Wrist shot & Snapshot). (i.e. Ilya Kovalchuk, Brett Hull) 
• Stick-handling/Puck Control—The art of controlling the puck. (i.e. Alexei Kovalev, Denis Savard) 
• "Hands"—The ability to control the puck, receive difficult passes, roof loose pucks, in and around the crease. (i.e. Zach Parise, Steve Yzerman) 
• Passing/Play-making - Perfect timing and precision distributing the puck. (i.e. Brad Richards, Wayne Gretzky) 
• On-Ice Vision—Ability to see the playing surface in a way that allows for plays that other players would otherwise not see. Anticipating the developing play. (i.e. John Tavares, Wayne Gretzky) 
• Hockey Sense—Makes the correct play 9 times out of 10. A step ahead of the play, rarely caught out of position or off guard. Born to play hockey. (i.e. Patrik Elias, Wayne Gretzky) 
• Skill—Skill is defined as that player that makes all aspects of the game look effortless. Makes plays at top speeds, shows creativity with the puck, and has an endless supply of moves. (i.e. Ilya Kovalchuk, Mario Lemieux) 
• Strength—Strength is not to be confused with size. This is the player that wins loose puck battles. Controls the puck with players draped all over him. (i.e. Zach Parise, Peter Forsberg) 
• "Heart"/Leadership—This last attribute is more intangible than the other 9. But we as hockey fans use these two terms often to describe that player that just seems to get the job done out on the ice. This is the type of player loyal to his organization and teammates. Always seems to be the best player on the ice when the game really matters. (i.e. Ryan Callahan, Steve Yzerman)