On February 11th’s practice, we worked with 7 skaters on the Leaside Flames U11 Gold team on defending the rush. This included a focus on the following core concepts:

• Gap Control (and closing the gap)
• Proper positioning and angling while defending the rush across 1v1, 2v1 and 3v2 scenarios
• Focus on body-to-body and how to maintain defensive positioning if trying to poke-check

Overall observations and recommendations:

1. Gap control should be continuously practiced with encouragement using visual indicators (ie. cones) as guides on how far to skate up toward the attackers – skaters possess the skill but need to develop the proper gap into muscle memory
2. Over-commitment to the stick check may result in incoming scoring chances, players should practice stick checking with an opposite direction c-cut or backwards crossover to ensure failed stick checks do not compromise body positioning
3. In 3v2 situations, the weak-side defense should not sit too far back – they should be playing the 2 attackers without the puck as their separate 2v1. They should not be sitting back covering the front of the net until the rush advances to that point.

Defensive Drill #1: Split-zone 1v1

As a first drill, we split the zone into 2 halves to get more player skating at the same time (and therefore additional reps).

The coach would dump a puck into the corner and the defensive player would skate in for a puck retrieval. They would then pass the puck back up to the blueline where the offensive player would receive the pass, and turn around a cone towards the middle of the ice.

This would afford the defensive player the time to close the gap right up to the wall of cones. As the offensive player attacks, the defensive player angles them to the board and attempts to keep them wide.

Battle continues until a shot is attempted or defense successfully separates the player from puck.

Points of continuous encourangement for players:

1. Close the gap right up to the cones, don’t allow the attacking player to gain full speed before facing resistance.
2. “Bait” the attacking player to the outside by providing more space along the boards than in the middle.
3. Gradually “angle” the attacking player into the boards as they take the bait.
4. Focus on the body – if stick-checking, combine the poke with an opposite-direction backwards c-cut or crossover so as not to over-commit and maintain proper defensive positioning.

Defensive Drill #2: Gap Control to 2v1

We progressed the 1v1 drill into a 2v1 drill, beginning with the same puck retrieval. This time, the defender shadows the initial attacker with proper body positioning, The attacker button-hooks and makes a pass to the next player in line, resulting in 2 attackers and 1 defender.

Points of continuous encourangement for players:

1. Close the gap right up to the cones, don’t allow the attacking player to gain full speed before facing resistance.
2. “Bait” the deepest attacking player to the outside by providing more space along the boards than in the middle.
3. If attackers are both driving the net, the priority is to block the pass; body positioning should be no deeper than the deepest attacker.
4. Subsequently, if attackers attempt a drop-pass to a trailer, defense should maintain body position with the deepest attacker – not attack the trailer – unless they continue skating with the puck to the net and become the highest threat

Skills Development #2: Gap Control to 3v2

Added 1 additional defense and 1 additional attacker to create a 3v2 situation.

Points of continuous encourangement for players:

1. Close the gap right up to the cones, don’t allow the attacking player to gain full speed before facing resistance.
2. “Bait” the attacking player with the puck to the outside by providing more space along the boards than in the middle.
3. Each defender should view the 3v2 as 2 separate 2v1s from a body positioning perspective (as in, the defender closer to the puck should treat the attacker with the puck and trailer as a 2v1, and the defender further away from the puck should treat the 2 attackers without the puck as another 2v1)