Team Offensive Play

🏒 Ice Hockey Team Offensive Play

The Big Picture: Your Team is a Pack of Wolves

Imagine your hockey team is a pack of wolves hunting together. Each wolf knows exactly where to run, when to chase, and how to work with the pack to catch their prey. In hockey, the “prey” is the goal—and your team must move, pass, and attack as one to score!

Let’s discover how teams attack together like champions.

🚪 Zone Entry Strategies: Getting Into the Attack Zone

What is Zone Entry?

The ice rink is split into three zones. To score, your team must get the puck into the attacking zone (the area with the opponent’s goal). Zone entry is HOW you get in!

Think of it like entering a castle. You can:

• Charge through the front gate (carry-in)
• Throw something over the wall (dump-in)
• Sneak through a side door (chip and chase)

The Three Ways to Enter

graph TD
    A["Your Team Has Puck"] --> B{How to Enter?}
    B --> C["🏃 Carry-In"]
    B --> D["🎯 Dump-In"]
    B --> E["⚡ Chip & Chase"]
    C --> F["Skate puck across blue line"]
    D --> G["Shoot puck deep, chase it"]
    E --> H["Soft chip, race defender"]

1. Carry-In (The Bold Move) A skilled player skates the puck straight across the blue line.

• Example: Connor McDavid speeds past defenders, carrying the puck right into the zone.
• Best when: You have speed and the defense is spread out.

2. Dump-In (The Safe Choice) Shoot the puck deep into the corner, then chase after it.

• Example: Your team shoots the puck behind the net, and two forwards race in to get it.
• Best when: The defense is blocking the entrance.

3. Chip and Chase (The Clever Trick) Flip the puck softly past the defender, then outskate them to get it.

• Example: You chip the puck just past a defender and race them to it like a footrace!
• Best when: You’re faster than the defender.

🔍 Forechecking Systems: Hunting Like Wolves

What is Forechecking?

When the other team has the puck in their zone, your forwards go IN to steal it. This is called forechecking—you’re “checking” on them in their own zone!

It’s like wolves chasing prey. The first wolf chases, the others cut off escape routes.

Common Forechecking Systems

graph TD
    A["Forechecking Systems"] --> B["1-2-2"]
    A --> C["2-1-2"]
    A --> D["1-3-1"]
    B --> E["1 forward chases, 2 support, 2 back"]
    C --> F["2 forwards attack hard, 1 supports"]
    D --> G["1 attacks, 3 in middle, 1 deep"]

1-2-2 Forecheck (The Safe Hunter)

• One forward attacks the puck carrier
• Two forwards wait to steal passes
• Two defensemen stay back
• Example: F1 chases the puck in the corner. F2 and F3 cover the two exits.

2-1-2 Forecheck (The Aggressive Attack)

• TWO forwards attack the puck carrier together
• One forward covers the middle
• Two defensemen protect the blue line
• Example: Two forwards trap the puck carrier in the corner—nowhere to go!

1-3-1 Forecheck (The Trap)

• One forward pressures
• Three players form a wall across the middle
• One defender stays deep
• Example: The other team can’t escape because there’s a wall of players blocking every pass!

🔄 Cycling and Puck Movement: Keep the Puck Dancing!

What is Cycling?

Imagine the puck is a hot potato, and you’re playing keep-away. Cycling means passing and skating in circles along the boards to tire out the defense and find an opening.

How Cycling Works

graph TD
    A["Puck in Corner"] --> B["Pass Along Boards"]
    B --> C["Teammate Receives"]
    C --> D["New Teammate Cycles In"]
    D --> B
    B --> E["Defense Gets Tired!"]
    E --> F["Opening Created → SHOOT!"]

The Dance:

1. Player 1 has the puck in the corner
2. Player 2 skates along the boards, receives the pass
3. Player 1 then skates to a new spot
4. They keep moving, passing, cycling in circles
5. Eventually, the defense makes a mistake—and you shoot!

Example: The puck goes from corner → boards → back to corner → defense is exhausted → player in front is WIDE OPEN → GOAL!

Why Cycling Works

• Defenders chase but never catch
• Your teammates always move to open spots
• The defense gets tired and confused
• Suddenly, there’s a lane to the net!

📍 Offensive Zone Positioning: Everyone Has a Spot!

The 5 Key Positions

Think of your offensive zone like a pizza with 5 perfect slices. Each player has their slice!

graph TD
    A["Offensive Zone Positions"] --> B["🎯 Net-Front"]
    A --> C["📐 Point - Left"]
    A --> D["📐 Point - Right"]
    A --> E["🔄 Corner/Boards"]
    A --> F["⭐ Slot"]
    B --> G["Screen goalie, deflect shots"]
    C --> H["Defenseman shoots"]
    D --> I["Defenseman shoots"]
    E --> J["Cycle, dig for puck"]
    F --> K["Best scoring spot!"]

Net-Front (The Warrior)

• Stand in front of the goalie
• Block the goalie’s eyes (called a “screen”)
• Tip in shots
• Example: When your teammate shoots, you stand in front so the goalie can’t see the puck!

The Point (Left & Right)

• Defensemen stand at the blue line
• Keep the puck in the zone
• Take big shots
• Example: The defenseman blasts a slapshot from the blue line—BOOM!

Corner/Boards (The Worker)

• Battle for the puck
• Keep cycling
• Pass to open teammates
• Example: You dig the puck out of the corner and pass it to your teammate in the slot.

The Slot (The Sniper)

• Right in front of the net
• Best place to score!
• Wait for a pass, then SHOOT!
• Example: You’re in the slot, get a pass, and fire it past the goalie—GOAL!

🤝 Give-and-Go Plays: Pass and Fly!

What is a Give-and-Go?

This is the most exciting play in hockey! You pass the puck to a teammate, then immediately skate to open space to get it back.

It’s like saying: “Here, take it… now give it back while I zoom past this defender!”

How It Works

graph TD
    A["You Have Puck"] --> B["GIVE: Pass to Teammate"]
    B --> C["GO: Skate Past Defender"]
    C --> D["Teammate Passes Back to You"]
    D --> E[You're Free! Shoot or Continue!]

Step by Step:

1. GIVE – Pass to your teammate
2. GO – Skate hard to open ice (behind the defender!)
3. RECEIVE – Get the puck back
4. ATTACK – Shoot or continue the play!

Example: You have the puck at the blue line. You pass to your teammate, then ZOOM past the defender. Your teammate passes it back—now you’re alone with the goalie!

Why Defenders Hate It

• They must choose: follow the pass OR follow you
• Either way, someone is open
• It’s fast—defenders can’t keep up!

🎯 Putting It All Together

Great offensive teams combine ALL these skills:

graph TD
    A["Team Gets Puck"] --> B["Zone Entry"]
    B --> C["Enter Attack Zone"]
    C --> D["Forecheck if Needed"]
    D --> E["Set Up Positions"]
    E --> F["Cycle & Move Puck"]
    F --> G["Give-and-Go Plays"]
    G --> H["🥅 GOAL!"]

The Perfect Attack:

1. Enter the zone with speed (Carry-In!)
2. Everyone moves to their positions
3. Cycle the puck, tire out defenders
4. Use give-and-go to create space
5. Shoot from the slot—SCORE!

🌟 Remember: You’re a Wolf Pack!

• Zone Entry = How you get into the castle
• Forechecking = Hunting as a pack
• Cycling = Keep the puck dancing
• Positioning = Everyone has their pizza slice
• Give-and-Go = Pass, zoom, get it back!

When all five players move together, pass together, and think together—that’s when the magic happens. You’re not five individuals; you’re ONE unstoppable pack!

Now get out there and ATTACK! 🏒🔥