Хоккей. Атака: нейтральная зона : контратака

Counters

The difference between counters and regroups is that counters require speed while regroups are more controlled. A team wants to counter quickly when the opponent isn’t set up in a neutral zone forecheck. Quick counters often result in odd-man rushes. When the turnover happens, the opposition is moving aggressively on the attack and often cannot react quickly enough to get back. This is why it is important to practice counters with speed. When a team counters, the intent is to catch the opponent moving toward the offensive zone and then quickly pass the puck up to the forwards and hopefully get an odd-man rush. If this happens 50 percent of the time, then your team would be considered a very good transition team. The other 50 percent of the time the pass is confronted by pressure, and the puck carrier must look for a play or dump the puck into the offensive zone.

Practice repetition will help teach defensemen to read the forecheck and then pick the appropriate option. There are times when players counter quickly but then the puck carrier is confronted or runs out of space to carry the puck, which leaves the player with only two options: either dump the puck in or chip behind pressure.

Dump-Ins

Dumping the puck in is one counter option when players are confronted. Some teams like to designate where to always dump the puck so that skaters off the puck will know which area to move toward. There are four options for players when dumping the puck.

1. Cross-corner dump-in: This is effective because it forces the defensive team to switch coverage from one side of the ice to the other, and in doing so they may lose defensive position. Effective cross-corner dumps also give the offensive team a chance to get to the puck first. Make sure when dumping the puck that it does not move into the area where the goaltender can play it. Try to dead corner it by placing it in the corner so it stops there (figure 2.2).

2. Hard, wide rim: The puck carrier shoots the puck into the zone so that it rims around the boards and comes up the wide side for the wide winger to retrieve (figure 2.3). Make sure it is hard enough so that the goaltender cannot stop it behind the net. This will be a difficult puck for the winger to get off the boards, so he should stop it first then protect it and look for a play. As in the previous strategy, quickly changing sides with the puck usually results in the defensive team losing their position in the zone when they adjust to the puck.

3. Same-side dump-in: Much like the cross-corner dump, the intent of this strategy is to have the puck stop in the near corner (figure 2.4). When pressured in the neutral zone, the puck carrier lays the puck behind pressure by shooting it into the near corner for a supporting teammate. Most opposing defensemen will try to stay up on the puck carrier, which will allow the supporting offensive forward to get to the puck first. Often with a same-side dump, the puck carrier has enough speed that he can jump around the defenseman and get to the puck first.

4. Putting the puck on net: When watching sports highlights, you will often see a player skating through the neutral zone, faking a dump-in to the corner, and then surprising the goaltender by shooting the puck on net (figure 2.5). At times it will go in, but this is rare. The strategy is that it catches the goaltender by surprise and forces him to make a play. Many goalies have trouble stick handling and passing the puck, so this tactic often forces the opposing defensemen to hurry back and receive a below-average pass from the goaltender to start the breakout. If the goaltender you are playing against is a weak passer, this option may be a good strategy. Also, some shots are hard for goaltenders to handle, so they simply direct the puck into the corner, which makes for a very difficult play for the defensemen. They have to retrieve the puck and then turn around and make a play while under heavy forechecking pressure. Most of the time when a rebound is created by a long shot on goal, the offensive team has as good a chance of recovering the puck as the defensive team.

Odd-Man Rushes and Breakaways

Dumping the puck into the zone is an effective strategy, but the more exciting transition play—and the one that usually results in a scoring chance—involves the defensive team getting the puck in the neutral zone and making a penetrating pass to one of the forwards that results in an odd-man rush or breakaway (figure 2.6). There are two key aspects of this counter play: (1) the defenseman recognizes the option quickly, and (2) the forward skates into a stretch area with timing and speed. The stretch area is an open space as far away from the puck carrier as a skater can go without going offside.

Making a penetrating pass for an odd-man rush or breakaway.

Sometimes the forward off the puck can get in behind the defense and look for that breakaway pass (figure 2.7). This option will be available more often against teams that pinch up in the neutral zone with their defense. Forwards can look for that high middle area between the opposing defensemen to open up. When his teammate is ready to pass he should move to that area quickly with good timing. Even if the pass isn’t made, having the forward available will pull back the opposing defensemen and open up other areas. Now that the red line has been removed for offside passes, it is a good strategy to have one forward stretch in all counter situations.

The other factor to consider when executing neutral zone counters is involving the defense in the attack. In most North American leagues it is very difficult to generate offense, and that is why coaches should look for ways to get their defense involved. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but it is a strategy that your team must practice and use according to your need to generate more scoring opportunities. Relying only on the forwards to score limits a team’s ability to be a dangerous offensive unit.

There are several advantages to activating your defensemen through the neutral zone:

It gives you one more passing option.

It provides the defensive team with one more player to cover, often confusing their defensive system.

It prepares the attack to have a late or mid-ice threat from the defense. If the defensemen wait too long to join the attack, they won’t be a factor in the offensive zone.

Having a defenseman in the play often backs off the opposing defense, therefore giving the puck carrier more time to skate or make a decision. It is important to note that defensemen cannot jump indiscriminately into an attack. The decision to activate must always be based on the quality of puck possession. If the puck carrier has good possession, then the defenseman can move to become an option; if not, he should stay back.

Here are three ways that defensemen can activate on counters.

BACK-SIDE OPTION

In this situation, the defenseman sees the pass being made on the strong side and jumps up the back side to look for a pass or enter the zone as a late option (figure 2.8). When seeing D2 activate, D1 must move to a mid-ice position in case of a breakdown.

PASS AND GO

Here the defenseman recognizes after he passes up the strong side that the forward will need an option right away, so he moves into the opening for a potential inside play (figure 2.9). When seeing D1 activate, D2 must stay in mid-ice and behind the play.

MID-ICE TWO ON ONE

When the center gets the puck low, the opposite D can move in through mid-ice and create a close support option for the puck carrier (figure 2.10). D2 remains back and in mid-ice in case of a turnover.