Coaching at the Board Redesigned
I was working with the high school team yesterday at our last pre-season practice. My last chance to work them through any problems they were experiencing.
One thing they wanted to work on was the powerplay.
I've tried to simplify my coaching this fall and gave them a few principles to think about:
Invite pressure into an area and kick out to space
When you break pressure, immediately skate at the next defender
Find the last 2v1 in the house and finish
We started 5v4 in zone and things didn't go as planned.
It was tough to watch. The PK was casually drifting up 3 high with very passive pressure, but the PP guys insisted on playing it as 3, 1v1's up top.
I let it go until the PP was experiencing visible frustration when they might be at the peak of their readiness to change.
I brought them over to the board and gave them the board and marker.
I asked the following questions:
How is the PK presenting? Draw where they are when the puck is high in the zone?
Where is the current numbers advantage?
How do we get the puck into that space?
"Okay great, show me."
If we could have finished grade-A chances, we would have scored 2 goals in the next 30 seconds.
Let the players work through it. They might just grab the board from me tonight at the game if they are seeing the opponent do something.
They might start being proactive about problem-solving.
That makes them better hockey players.
Hand them the board and pen.
Don't tell them the answers.
Develop thinkers.