Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed
earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice
and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The
simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players
break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill
forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize
themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially
worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center
ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to
their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach
can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four
penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the
coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout
zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point.
Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before
switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can
start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
FIGURE 14.13 Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players
move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the
whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive
zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout
position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The
drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the
drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and
gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck
back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
FIGURE 14.14 Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the
net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before
passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
FIGURE 14.15 Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and
chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can
use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite
sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier
on the other side and receives the puck. She makes a chip pass off the
boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping
the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the
other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at
the net.
FIGURE 14.16 Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.