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.
