Hockeyhelper

Monday, January 2, 2012

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)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Tips on Playing the Front of the Net (5 on 5)

Some people don't need tips playing in front of the net. These people are generally 6'9, 255 lbs, and born in Slovakia. Defensively the thing is, while most defensemen shouldn't have trouble clearing the little kid out of the front of the net, sometimes there are two little kids. Or a big kid. Or worse, two big kids. Even somebody like Chara wouldn't be able to manhandle Byufuglien and Anthropov at the same time. And what happens when Chara turns into Dan Boyle? Playing the front of the net isn't as simple as pushing somebody away. This post isn't just about pushing someone out of the way though. It has to do with how to play the front of the net in general, depending on the play, and using everything to your advantage. For example, what is the point of standing in front of the net, screening the goalie, when there is nobody to clear out of the front of the net? Offensively, it's important too. As a defenseman, I'm thinking "Why do I need to be in front of the net?" Well, my playing style brings me to the front of the net sometimes. When I sneak into the zone, the point isn't to just sprint back to the blue line. Defensemen have to start getting more comfortable playing where a forward usually plays. It usually doesn't backfire. Look how well players like Brent Burns and Dustin Byufuglien transitioned to defense, just because they are comfortable playing as a forward. When a defenseman carries the puck up, they don't just have to pass it and get back to defense. They can pass it and crash the net and play the front of the net instead. So without further ado, let the tips begin.

On defense, playing the front of the net is an important skill. It's easy as long as you stay alert. Remember to have your head on a swivel, always. If someone is going Tomas Holmstrom in front of the net, as in standing in front of the goalie to screen them, first check back-door. That doesn't mean back-door immediately in front of the net. This means back door all the way up to the top of the circle. If someone is crashing back door, you have to make that person a priority. If no one is back door (And no, the corner is not back door, but you should keep an eye on someone in the corner), then move onto the person in front of the net. If you can, meaning you have the position on the other player, put your stick on their back and give a little push. Try to get them square in the back though, because if you focus on one of their sides more than the other, they can roll off of you. It's not cross-checking unless you start the motion with the stick not on the person. If the stick is on the person and you just give a little push, you won't get a penalty. If you're in a one ref game though, and the ref isn't looking, go all out on a cross-check to the back though, because it hurts like hell and may draw a penalty. If you can't push the person out of the way, start working on their legs. Give a slash or two on the toe of their skate or the back of their calves, and chances are they'll get distracted. Also, use your extensive vocabulary. In front of the net in a big game, I turn into Sean Avery. If you get slashed or something, fall down and try to draw a penalty if the puck isn't in a scoring position. Really, you should be trying to draw a penalty as much as you are trying to move the other player while tying them up. If they are immune to Sean Avery tactics however, and you can't move them, switch over to simply lifting their stick from behind them. You don't want to stand next to them and help screen your own goalie. Also, you should limit your activity in front of the net (Except for the talking) to when the player actually is a factor in front of the net. You shouldn't cross check the other player when the puck is tied up in the corner and there is no way it's getting to the front of the net. Usually you save that for when someone is setting up with the puck, shooting, or when the puck is at the point or in the slot. Also, once again, head on a swivel. If you see someone crashing back-door, or someone snuck out from the corner and set up back door, or if someone sets up high in the slot, that person is the priority, until the shot comes. That means go in a position where you can easily intercept a pass to them while staying as close to the person in front of the net as you can (Unless that person is already covered). If your team is functioning properly, whoever left the person high/back-door in the first place should cover the guy in front of the net for you. If no one is in front of the net for you to cover, you should cover the person nearest to the net not already covered. Try not to go into the corners though your defensive partner is already there. If you get caught in the corner with your d-partner, and someone sneaks in the high slot or back door, things can turn ugly. If everyone is covered, and the person who should be in front of the net on the other team isn't there, and there is no one back-door (Remember up to the top of the circle) you should be around the hash marks on the strong side, ready to either go back to cover for the person who lost in the corner, or to join in on the breakout. If the puck comes up to one of the wingers on your team, you are close enough so that you can swing and act as a center, making the rush start a couple of seconds early. If the puck is lost to the other team down low, you're in perfect position to intercept a pass to the weak side defenseman on the other team, step up and prevent someone from going to the net, or to cover someone who decides to crash back-door. If the puck is thrown around the net, you are in a good position to skate far side hash mark on the other circle and let the puck meet you there (You don't want to chase the puck, so it's easier to look around for the play while waiting for the puck, rather than looking at the puck chasing it, wasting energy and time). For the third time, the most important rule in front of the net is to be aware, so head on a swivel. If when you're on the hash mark, if you notice someone on the other team backing away from the corner to the front of the net, be ready to jump on them in case they get a pass (You should be close enough to them if they do get out of the corner that you can get to them faster than they get a pass.) Also, if the puck is dumped into the zone, and your defensive partner gets to it first, stay around the hashmarks and watch out for anybody coming into the zone late. If you get too far back in the zone, they might get a good chance. A good rule of thumb for playing anywhere in the defensive zone is to stay as high as possible in the zone while still covering your man.

Now for the offensive side of playing the front of the net. As a defenseman, this only applies to me a few seconds each game (Unless my coach puts me on offense for the power play, which happens sometimes), but might as well maximize those few seconds. First of all, if the puck goes to the point, or is in a scoring position for whoever has it, step in front of the goalie and screen him. Feel free to talk to the goalie and any defensemen who tie you up as well. If the puck isn't in a scoring position, fade away up into the mid to high slot back-door. If you get the puck there, you get a gift-wrapped goal, barring the goalie turning into Tim Thomas. If you're being covered, you should try to move to the side , using the other defenseman as a screen, and hopefully to get into a position to roll off of them (Try to move to the slot, so if you get the puck, you get a better chance then you would horizontal to the net. If there's a rebound, don't hesitate to hit to the net no matter where it is (Unless you get it while crashing the net, when you have more time). When crashing the net, go straight for the goalie 100%. If he has the puck covered, give him a snow shower, and hope he gets up a little in retaliation. If the puck comes out, be a little patient unless you can guarantee a goal and wait a second to move a bit and pick a corner. If you crash and someone covers you, run them (Unless it's the goalie). Make it look like they hit into you though, so you don't get a penalty (That means don't drop your shoulder or lift your arms too much; also, make sure you don't hit them head-to-head.)

Breakdown: (Defense)

Head on a swivel.
Remember that back-door extends all the way to the top of the circle.
Make sure you're not covering your goalie too
Use the English language.
Try to draw penalties.
If circumstances favor you covering someone in front of the net, try to push them with your stick (Try not to knock them down); if the ref isn't looking, unleash a cross-check on them.
If you can't push someone, slash them around the ankles, toe, back of the calf, wherever.
If this doesn't work, lift their stick.
Head on a swivel.
Chill when the puck isn't getting to the front of the net, but remember to talk.
Head on a swivel.
If your d-partner is in the corner and no one is in front of the net, stay near the hash-marks.
Don't sink too far into the zone when covering the front of the net on a dump-in: stay near the hash-marks when you can.

Breakdown: (Offense)

Screen the goalie when the puck is in a position to be shot.
Talk to the goalie and defensemen who tie you up.
Fade away up into the mid slot back-door while the puck isn't in scoring position.
Move to the side (Preferably to the slot) when you're being covered, and try to roll off of the other defenseman.
When in front of the net, get the rebound to the net as fast as possible.
When crashing, if the goalie covers the puck, give him a little snow shower.
When crashing, take time to pick corners if you get a rebound, unless you're sure you'll score.
If a defenseman gets a body on you when you're crashing, run him, but make it look like he tried to hit you.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tips on Playing the Point

There are many different types of players, especially on defense. These players can be grouped into broader catagories, mainly offensive players and defensive players. The biggest difference between these two types of players is that offensive players are smarter in the offensive zone and usually start the rush, while defensive players are smarter in the defensive zone and usually stop the rush. The ideal defenseman is somewhere between these types of players. In order to be in the middle of these two playing styles, you must know how to play in the offensive zone, which most defensemen don't know how to do. Unfortunately, a lot of forwards haven't realized the benefits of passing the puck to the point. So a defenseman must learn how to play the point by themself. Players like Mark Streit and Andrei Markov are considered two of the best power-play defensemen because of their hard shots and their offensive intelligence. Sometimes a team will put a forward on the point, especially if they lack offensively-intelligent defensemen (New Jersey Devils). Playing the point is an all the time thing though, and it's more important to know how to play the point when both teams have all of their players.Teams may change their forecheck, and it's advisable to listen to your coaches, but this post is for a team with an aggressive forecheck, or at least for aggressive defensemen.

The first rule of playing the point is to be aggressive when you can. Try to play low in the zone (If you ever have a chance to watch Niklas Kronwall on the Red Wings, do it, because he's good at staying low in the offensive zone.) You should try to be around the top of the circle, not at the blue line. If you see a chance to step up when you're on the strong side, do it. The best time to step up is when you're playing the point, and the winger/center on the other team is about to get a breakout pass. A good rule of thumb is don't do it unless there are at least three people down low on the other team in the zone though (Low means below bottom of circle with little momentum, in corner, or in front of the net with no momentum). If you're not going to step up and take the puck, at least try to gap up and get a stick-length away (Or two just to be safe). You shouldn't step up if you're more than two strides away also (Except under certain circumstances). Read the play; that means if there are two people on your side when you want to step up, and you are the only person on your side, even if you have support in the center, don't step up. When you step up, make sure if you can't get the puck, get the body. That means tie the person up, him them, whatever, as long as they don't pass you. If the puck is shot around the boards, try to meet it a low as possible in the zone, rather than at the blue line. Also remember your goal in stepping up is to keep your team on the attack. If you get the puck, even if you have no time, don't just dump it back in, control the puck. Eat it along the boards and get some help, or skate to open ice, or make a pass to an open person (Be wary of passing to your D-partner though). The point is to stay on the attack, not give the other team a breakout. If you can, cut to the slot (With your head up) and take a low, hard wrist shot. Defensemen have to also remember to step up even if there isn't an intended recipient of the pass, meaning that the other team just wapped the puck around the boards. Usually you should be able to get to the puck in the corner, and you should have some time to do something with it. If you do step up, the forwards should cover the point. The way to look at the offensive zone forecheck is that there are three "active" attackers and two "passive" ones. The passive ones are the ones on the point, and the goal is to get them into the play. The offensive zone is really just a cycle, where the three active attackers attack, and if one gets beat one of the passive attackers (Who are kind of in reserve) step up and make sure that whoever has the puck is pressured and covered. When they do step up in place of a forward, someone has to go back into "reserve" to cover for them. Remember that the first pass to the wingers/center usually beats the attackers, and that usually means step up. When someone on your team has the puck, and you are weak side, get open for a pass as close to the net as possible without being covered (Use your discretion). If you get the pass, shoot it hard and crash the net, then skate back to the point when the puck goes to the corner or is covered by the goalie. The hardest person to cover in front of the net is the defenseman who times the play just right enough to get the puck and get into scoring position at the same time. Remember, you should try to be open for a pass at all times without being irresponsible defensively. Depending on where all of the other players are on the ice, you should have a large area or a little to work with. And if your team has the puck, you can work with a lot more ice, so keep possession. Now that what you do when you don't have the puck is out of the way, it's time to focus on what to do when you have the puck. First off, if you have an open lane, take a couple of strides and take a hard, low wrist shot. Don't take a slap shot unless you are on the powerplay (And have time) or have a really hard slapshot. If you don't have an open lane, your first look should be back door. If someone is open, don't hesitate to make a hard pass. If it looks like no one is open, remember you can bank it off or around the boards. You don't want to throw the puck back into the corner, because then you're throwing it back into traffic. Same rule applies in the neutral zone and defensive zone; you generally don't want to put the puck back to where you got it from. If you get a pass from the corner, don't put it back there unless you have no other choice. If no one is open back door, look to your defensive partner. If he's covered, make a decision between skating it and adapting to what happens, or dumping it into the corner (Preferrably to the weak side corner). It's always a good idea to keep your feet moving on the point, and use as much ice as possible. When taking a shot, shoot it low, and try to get it back door where hopefully someone can deflect it. Also, look for the open area's when it seems no one's open (See post on passing)

Breakdown:

Stay low in the zone
Play aggressively on the point
Step up when you can, but only when three people are down low on the other team
When you get the puck, don't just throw it away, do something with it
Time the play when you are weak side to get a pass in scoring position
Take low, quick wrist shots in liu of hard, high slapshots
Look back door, and to your D-partner
Keep your feet moving, and use all available ice
You should try to be open for a pass at all times without being irresponsible defensively

Monday, November 8, 2010

Tips on the Mental Game

Believe it or not, the mental game is important. Some people think it's really important, around 70-80% of the game, others ignore it completely. I think it's around 50% of the game. No matter how stupid you may be on the ice, if you have much more talent then everyone else you should be one of the best. An example of this would be Eric Lindros. Not saying he didn't anticipate the play, but most people in the NHL did it better than him. However, his skills were unmatched, and he was one of the strongest as well. Another example, again inaccurate, is Ilya Kovalchuk. Once again, he does read the play, but he's not good at it. He is one of the fastest in the game, has great hands and a great shot, and he's 6'3. That's why he's a 40 goal scorer. On defense, he seems semi-retarded, and he isn't good at passing or finding the open man, but when he has the puck, he can do incredible things with it. What stops Ilya Kovalchuk and Eric Lindros from being on the same level as players like Mario Lemieux and Alex Ovechkin? The mental game, whether it's emotional control, positive thinking, resilience, anticipating the play, or whatever it is. Mario Lemieux and Ovechkin are big, strong guys like Lindros and Kovalchuk, and the skill levels are similar, but where Kovalchuk is a 40 goal scorer, Ovehckin is a 60 goal scorer, and where Lindros is a point per game player, Lemieux is Lemieux (A 2 point per game player). One of the best at the mental game was Wayne Gretzky. It's been said so many times, but it's completely true. He had so much patience with the puck, that he forced you to make the first move. He was so disciplined he didn't chase the puck, but let the puck chase him. I can guarentee if he ever made a bad play, he probably forgot about it. One thing about great players is their ability to forget. Weak play for a couple of shifts or a couple of games in the past, or an unfortunate incident doesn't affect their efficiency. An injury or cheap shot doesn't change their mentality. Look at Sheldon Souray: He's been injured multiple times from fighting and getting cheap shotted. I think a few weeks ago in the AHL he got into another fight and broke his hand. He is incredibly tough, both mentally and physically. After he broke his hand, he continued fighting with his other hand. And later in the year when he returns, he'll continue fighting. Look at Marian Gaborik: He gets injured all of the time. He still hasn't decided to sacrifice those 10 goals to play safer. The mental game is often ignored and is also the hardest part to teach. To be good at it, a player has to want to be good at it. There are many aspects to the mental game, from resilience to toughness to positive thinking to anticipating the play. Anticipating the play more directly affects your game more than anything else, and therefore accounts to about 25% of your mental game (In my opinion.) The other aspects of mental play are more about consistency and how willing you are to winning.

The first half of the mental game is everything that is not anticipating the play. This is more about managing your thoughts and emotions in order to play a consistent game. It is incredibly hard to do, and it basically involves brainwashing yourself into being endlessly positive and fearless. I'll start with positive thinking, then go on to resilience and make probably make another Ilya Kovalchuk reference (Just angry the Devils are losing a lot) then emotional control, then team play, then toughness, then imagery. So first off is positive thinking, a.k.a. brainwashing. You have to be so positive that you never think you're playing badly. The truth is, you are rarely playing poorly, even if you think you are. I remember a week or so ago, I finished a game which we won 2-0, and I felt like I played horribly. After the game, my coach told me he thought that was my best game of the year so far. Don't focus on the past, unless it is positive. Think about it like this: you probably could've made a better play two or three times per shift. About one time every two or three shifts, you make a bad decision and it shows. That means you screw up once or twice every two or three shifts. That screw up lasts for about half a second. The average shift is probably 50 seconds. That means every 1:40, you make .5 seconds of bad plays. Don't focus on that half of a second. Also, as far as the plays that you could've made better choices, that is about 2 seconds every 50 seconds. The truth is, you should look pretty good for the majority of your shift. Another thing about thinking positive is to tell yourself you are good. For about a minute or two before I go on the ice or go to bed, I tell myself a few positive things about my game; "I'm a great skater," "No one can skate faster than me," "I'm a good hitter," "I read the play really well," or stuff like that. Don't worry about what other people like your teammates, coaches, or fans may think. Just worry about what you think, and play your way. Don't let what you think they think control you. Eventually what you think they think is better. If someone is bothering you, I've heard praying for them works. Eventually, your opinion will change, even if they don't. If you feel awkward doing a religious thing, then I guess you can write an imaginary letter to them or something like that. Another part of thinking positive is confidence and pride. You have to be proud of your accomplishments. No matter what, if you play hockey, you are probably better then 80% of the world's population, maybe more. If you score a goal in a game, don't downplay your achievement during the celebration. Don't overdue it like a certain pro named Alex Ovechkin do, but celebrate a little. As for confidence, it is important. You have to trust yourself more than anyone else. A coach once told me "If you don't think you can convert, don't even try, because it won't work." That means if you don't think you can do it, you can't. If you think you can do it, you should convert more often. And have confidence in more than one part of your game. If you are your team's best sniper, that's great, but if you haven't been scoring, don't get frustrated but start passing a little more and playing defensively. A well-rounded player is usually consistent, because their performance doesn't revolve around one thing. Enough with positive thinking, you should understand by now. Resilience is important, and if you plan on playing junior, college, or any other high level hockey, resilience is one of the things coaches and scouts look for. Basically, resilience is not giving up. If you get a pass and it bounces off of your stick, one of two thoughts go through your head: "Get the puck now" or "Screw it, someone else will get it." Now for the Kovalchuk reference. A lot of Devils games I watch, I see Kovalchuk miss a pass and lose interest in the puck. Not that he should lose his position and chase the puck, but he should give a second effort. Not good what he does. Resilience can also be backchecking hard, fighting for the puck in the corner, or even going after rebounds. One of the most important times to be resilient is when you are playing the body while defending the rush. It may last for a second or two, but if you're going against someone bigger and stronger than you, and you give up for a split second, they will go through you. If you ever watch that really small kid on your team play closely, you will probably see he has one of the best work ethics on the team. One kid on my team who is about 5'2, 90 lbs is the hardest working player on my team. Whenever he gets beat, he outworks the other person to get the puck back. Sometimes he goes a little overboard and gets a penalty, but he does outwork everyone. You have to stay with them; if you fall down, you still have to try to get the puck. Basically, resilience is commitment. Even though it is scary, it has its rewards. One kid on my team, a forward, is one of the most hard-working, resilient players I have ever seen. Although his skill level is questionable, he gets ice time because he is one of the best penalty killer in the league. He's definitely the best penalty killer I've ever seen. Emotional control is next. Once again, very important. It's okay to have emotion during a hockey game, but you have to control it. First of all, don't take stupid retaliation penalties. It's stupid. It can cost you the game. If you want revenge, get that players number, then wreck him the first chance you get. My coach likes to say two minutes at the most, but make it worth it. That means if you have to finish your check late or charge them or something, do it, but then forget about it. Or even better, you can hit them cleanly. Protect yourself, but if you retaliate badly enough, the other team will retaliate. Then you may get hurt; so you're not protecting yourself. Also, be one of those people who draws penalties. You don't necessarily have to be Sean Avery, but in front of the net and in corners learn how to play physical without drawing a penalty. Tie up a player in front of the net, push team, lift their stick, and if you're lucky they'll do something back. In the corners finish your checks hard, and don't hold back. As far as emotional control goes, it is important to focus, even when you're not on the ice. On the bench, get into a routine in which you do something on the bench. I like to pretend I'm one of the players on the ice and see what I would do. But you can also do something like thing of words that rhyme with other words, or count backwards as low as you can starting from a random number. Anything which keeps you from thinking about your last shift really, because you want to prevent bad thoughts. If you come off of the ice angry, take ten deep breaths, drink some water, daydream about fairies and unicorns, do whatever it takes to chill out. On the ice, since you can't do that, just remember not to get more than two minutes. You should be having fun during hockey, and you can't do that if you're angry. If you want to take out your anger, go play football. I think I mentioned this before, but if you're not doing something well, such as scoring or hitting, then focus on the other parts of your game like passing or playing well in the corners. Although your skill level never varies from day to day, sometimes you don't play as well as you normally do. It's better to stop doing something before you get frustrated then to keep doing it and get even more negative and angry. An important part of emotional control is being able to stay calm under pressure. If you hold on to the puck a second longer and make the better play, it will make you a much better player. A few days ago, I tried playing a game after pulling my groin. I skated about 1/10th of my normal speed though. This made me slower at pretty much everything, and pretty much made me hold the puck a second longer than normal because I got the puck a second later than normal. Although I sucked, I did see a couple of really good passes I normally miss, and made some good plays I normally don't. Moral of the story is to not panic under pressure. The best scorers and passers want the puck and have the patience to hold onto the puck a second longer than everyone else. Next time you watch a superstar play, watch how they hold on to the puck a little longer than everyone else. They usually touch the puck the same amount of times as everyone else, but they seem to have the puck longer. That is their patience. Also, remember to try as hard as you can but don't try too hard. The last game I played I was benched after hesitating before stepping up on someone, which led to me being benched for a shift or two. I came back skating about 100 miles per hour. I ended up getting the puck, skating around the net, skating the puck up, and almost getting leveled; even though I wasn't leveled, the pressure forced a turnover. That is a good example of getting frustrated, and because I tried too hard, I made more problems then I should've. Remember that hockey is a team game, and you can't do it yourself. When you try to do it yourself, you play worse. Speaking of team play, it is important to be a team player. It is possible to play and be seen as a star, while still hurting your team. Remember, the ultimate goal is to win (Or have fun, depending on how you see it.) Although everyone wants to be Ovechkin and take 10 shots per game trying to snipe them all top shelf, it doesn't work (Unless you are Ovechkin.) If you have to snipe top shelf and hope the goalie misses the puck, then I suggest passing to a teammate in a better scoring position instead, or at least creating a better chance by holding onto the puck a little longer. If there are no teammates in a better scoring position, and you can't create a better scoring position, shoot low and crash the net for a rebound. Once you get the rebound, that's when you snipe top shelf. Try to stay in your position. You may look good skating around and always being near the puck, but your teammates can do that just as well as you. You're better off letting your teammates play the puck on their side and providing support then being a puck hog without the puck. Another part of being a team player is adapting to your teams needs. I swear to God (Or Allah, or Budda, or whoever) that if another forward hangs while on a penalty kill on my team, I will kill them. If it's defense time, make an effort to play defense. If you're losing 5-0, now's the time to hand and play offense-first. If your teammates are being outhit, then start hitting back. Usually, the best player at doing that on a team wears a C. Either the best player at that, or the player who draws the most fans like Kovalchuk did and Atlanta and Ovechkin does in Washington. But most captains are not one-dimensional players such as: Ryan Getzlaf, Zdeno Chara, Jarome Iginla, Eric Staal, Johnathan Toews, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dustin Brown, Bryan McCabe, Jamie Langenbrunner, Shea Weber, Mike Richards, Mikko Koivu, Chris Drury, and Shane Doan, just to name a few. They may lean more towards offense than defense, or visa-versa, but they play both ways. Also, team players make their teammates look better. Look at what Crosby did to Kunitz. He made him a pretty good player despite injuries. Know your teammates tendencies and skills, and don't be afraid to pass. Next is toughness. It is important to be able to battle through adversity. If you are hurt, if your team is losing, if you are playing weakly, you have to have the ability to get back on track and play as though nothing happened. Toughness isn't just for external pain and injuries; mental "injuries" can be just as devastating. One thing a lot of coaches say is "The score is always 0-0." This means that even if you're winning 10-1, the games not over, and if you stop playing hard, you can lose that lead, no matter how unlikely it seems. As for injuries, my only advice is don't be stupid. If you have an injury, let it fully heal. However, when it is fully healed, forget about it. If you come back from an injury and on your first game back say "Well, I separated my shoulder a month ago, so I can't play that well." If you can't play that well, then don't play. If you just have a boo-boo, suck it up though. It won't screw over the rest of your life if you make it worse, unlike a real injury. Another example of toughness is overcoming fear. If the other team is bigger and stronger than you, and maybe a little dirty, you can't just let the get the puck. Watch out for yourself, but play to win. In my opinion, the best players to win with are the though players who have skill, but aren't afraid to throw a hit or take one. Those tough players can be anyone from Dennis Potvin to Bobby Orr to Gordie Howe to Cam Neely to Brendan Shanahan. Even a player like Ovechkin. However, it usually isn't a player like a Crosby. Obviously this doesn't apply to Crosby because he is Crosby, but a good example would be the difference between Paul Stastny and Mike Richards. Both players are about equally talented, similar height, but Mike Richards plays a Philly-hockey style while Paul Stastny doesn't. They put up similar numbers, but most people think of Richards as the better player, because he's a little tougher, both physically and mentally. The last thing besides anticipating the play is imagery. Just know you can simulate real-life game situations in your head to determine what you do. My favorite way to use imagery is to play Hockey Ultimate League on NHL11. It's not as good as a scrimmage, but it puts you in situations similar to game situations which you must react similar to how you would in a game. If I ever want to drill a habit into your head, I usually play a few games on NHL11 using it as much a possible. For example, because of NHL11 I reverse a little more readily, sink into the defensive zone more often, and play a little more aggresively near the far blue line. Maybe it just works for me, but if you have it I'd suggest trying it. If you don't have it, then mental imagery works well too, but it kind of gives me a headache. Lastly is anticipating the play. I won't go in depth into situations and what to do. So I will summarize anticipating the play as: skate with your head up, know what you do before you do it, don't just throw the puck into an open space and hope it's a good pass, adapt to the situation, and don't block out your surroundings. Be aware of the play outside of what you are trying to do. Obviously that's not everything, but just make the play you think is best. There is no right way to read a play, and that's why people can excel playing with different styles.

Breakdown

Just read it; I'm too tired to summarize this

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Top 10 Hitters of all time in the NHL