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It's Time to Dump the Dump and Change

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In life, it can be easy not to notice when something is wrong when it feels normal. On a grand scale, it’s easy to forget the societal ills, the combination of social and political failings in healthcare, housing, labor markets, criminal enforcement, and welfare, that funnel vulnerable people into homelessness. In the home, we make excuses for abusers, sometimes blissfully unaware of just how toxic their behavior is until a casual slip of the tongue among friends reveals that, no, that’s not normal. Within ourselves, we can do the same thing, not realizing how harmful our own habits are until confronted with a better way to do things. You should drink more water and be better about brushing your teeth, by the way. Hockey is no different, being a strange, cold little microcosm of life itself. Luckily it’s not as high stakes as making sure that the world has secure housing, making sure that we separate ourselves from abusers, or even that we have healthy habits. A wiser man than all of...
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Systems Lab 1

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I need to make more introductory tactic articles- I think there is simply not enough on the internet right now to help a casual fan or beginning player understand the game on a deeper level yet. That said, I got a little bored with it, which is why I haven't had the willpower to write any more in the last few months (if you're patient, I have a half-finished writeup on rush tactics), and I want to get into some more creative territory. That's why I'm introducing a new series: The Systems Lab. In these posts, I'll explore some tactical concepts of my own creation. We'll probe the tactics to figure out if they're any good, and if so, when they could be useful. We'' go over every phase of play at some point, both sides of the puck- breakout/forecheck, regroup/press, offense/defense, and powerplay/penanty kill. If people request things, I'll look into them, but otherwise it'll just be whatever strikes my fancy. Tactic 1: Posted Center Breakout Le...
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Box + 1 Defensive Zone Concepts

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 Box + 1 Defensive Zone Concepts The Box + 1 is a common zonal structure that teams use across all levels of hockey. It's simple, versatile, and effective. It's much maligned as a "conservative" approach used by old dinosaur coaches, but let's dissect it and see if that's the case. What is a Box + 1 anyway? The defense is named for the shape its players take up most of the time. They don't need to be exactly in formation, but more often than not, you'll see the defensemen and wingers forming a box and the center sitting in the middle. It's a tried-and-true system that works well for players who prefer to go around their opponents just as much as for players who prefer to go through them, as long as they are willing to be positionally disciplined. Why use a box + 1? 1. Outnumber the opposition in the low areas The offense will almost always keep two players high in the zone. They want to protect against the counterattack, hold the blue line, and be ...
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Center High Defensive Zone Concepts

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 Center High Defensive Zone Concepts Even the best teams spend a solid chunk of the game in their defensive zone. How a team handles that time is a big part of their identity. Do they focus on containing the puck outside, or put more pressure on the puck carrier to win it back now? Do they spread out to be ready for a counterattack or collapse to corral rebounds?  Today, we're going to discuss a fun d-zone concept: the center high zone. Traditionally, the center has to skate a lot and plays a pivotal role low in the defense. In a box+1, their role is to back up the strong-side defender and double team the puck if an opportunity arises, and chase to the other side if the puck switches. In a Czech press, their role is to fill in for whichever player is pressing the puck, taking up different corners of the zone as the puck moves. In a man coverage, they shadow an opposing forward, following them wherever they go. We'll get into the nuances of these systems another time, but suffi...
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