“1 on 1’s are the easiest to defend if you don’t puck watch and keep stick on puck”
DEFENSIVE ZONE – DEFENDING 1 ON 1s
What are the puck handler’s options coming in 1 on 1 across our blueline:
- Skate wide past our D and cut in on net – if you are moving backwards at the same speed he is moving forwards, knees bent, legs wide, and agile you can stay in front of him as he moves sideways or at least stay beside him stick on puck steering him into our corner with no angle to cut in or even shoot on net
- Skate right at you and try to put the puck between your skates and behind you – so what, even if he is successful, if you stare at his chest, not the puck and keep yourself wide and bodycheck him under control he can’t get by you. Use your skates to stop the puck going behind you
- Skates right at you stickhandling moving the puck from side to side hoping you will try to poke check the puck, and when your stick comes forward he will push the puck between your stick and skates and move past you as you will be leaning for an instant towards him, and that’s all he will need. Don’t try to poke check unless the puck is very close to you
- Come in wide and change the angle he comes in at you so he can gently flip the puck over your stick into open ice beside you and beat you to the puck, and then cut in on net. If your speed going back is the same as his you can cross over to the puck as fast as he can
- Try to get you to take a step forward and lunge to check him and then he turns sideways, puts the puck between your stick and skates and slides by you. Don’t make the first move and lunge at him.
- Slows down hoping you will back in beyond the top of our circle, pull the puck back and sideways and shoot between your legs on goal using you as a screen. Don’t back in that far and keep stick on puck to deflect his shot