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DEFENDING IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE

Most coaches think from their own net out, so let’s look at neutral zone play when the other team has the puck. Often the neutral zone structure emanates from what kind of forecheck you employ. If you use a 1-2-2 forecheck in the offensive zone, you probably won’t benefit from having a 1-3-1 in the neutral zone. You’ll want to keep things consistent.

Among the primary factors that determine which type of forecheck you prefer are the skill levels of your players and the score of the game. For example, if you don’t have a deeply talented team, you may opt for a more passive forecheck, using a 1-2-2 or even a 1-4, in a sense steering the opponent’s puck carrier to one side and trapping him in that area. This is also a sound strategy when holding a lead. If, on the other hand, you find yourself trailing late in a game and needing a tying goal, you may want to employ a more aggressive 2-3 forecheck in the hope of forcing a turnover closer to the opponent’s goal.

The same options are available after losing a neutral zone face-off when the puck goes back to an opposing defenseman. You either send one player at the puck or attack the two defensemen at once, depending on your overall philosophy of the game or what your immediate needs are. A single player who is forechecking should take a route to the defenseman that will take away the defenseman-to-defenseman pass. Two players who are forechecking can delay the second forward so that it is a safer forecheck. Some coaches call this a one and a half.

The goal here is to regain possession of the puck. This can be done by individual effort, largely through skilled use of stick and body to separate the puck from one player or to force a poor pass. It can also come from taking away space so effectively that teams are forced to dump the puck into your end of the ice, where your defensemen can go back and retrieve it.

By creating a turnover in the zone, you immediately move from defense to offense. Being skilled in this transition is what separates average teams from those squads that are special. Teams with a good offensive transition can generate a quick-strike attack, one featuring speed entering the zone and plenty of options for the puck carrier.