Hockey drills and practices for goal scoring (shooting) are wanted, because in the end this is what ice hockey is about, scoring more goals than the opposite team. In the eBook Hockey goal scoring drills and practices, you will find both theory and hockey goal scoring practices and drills that can be used on your ice hockey practices.
Read more about the eBook for goal scoring in hockey, practices and drills here >>
The last theme on the International hockey coaching training / education, was goal scoring and goalie techniques. I have chosen to only take the goal scoring part in hockey, to finish up with a similar post I started up.
I wrote earlier about what is important when you practice to score goals in hockey.
– Shoot quickly
– Shoot with precision
– Shoot hard/fast
– “Hide” the shot
– Shoot unannounced
Here are some other aspects, like the distnace from where you are shooting from. This is a picture how the goal and goalie looks like from a longer distnace (if you shoot early).
By moving just 1,5 meter closer the goal and goalie, the free space in the goal is radically reduced, and therefore also the goal scoring opportunities.
Shoot earlier if you want the best odds to score a goal in hockey.
During this lesson, it was also recommended from a hockey goalie point of view to move in the sight a little bit, you don’t need to hit the post and in, to score a goal in hockey. Shots close to the hockey goalie body are many times hard to catch and you also minimize the risk of missing the goal totally, and then you will definitely not score goals in hockey.
The skill level of the hockey goalies has also dramatically improved, and a technique to improve the goal scoring chances is to “freeze” the goalie before the actual shot or pass to teammate. Freezing means the hockey goalie is totally prepared for shot in first moment, but instead the shot or pass comes in the next moment.
This can be done with a small shot feint, pass feint or other move that makes the goalie believe “OK, now the shot comes”. When the goalie makes a small reaction in the first step, it will reduce the time for the actual save in the next step, either it’s a shot or pass to a teammate who will shoot. GOOOOAAAAAL….
I wrote earlier about the Swedish 2-2-1 set up and quite aggressive forecheck, if you then look at the World Champions in hockey Russia, you find almost the opposite, very defensive 4-1 or V set up. When the forecheck is started they have almost a 2-2-1 set up, that is transferred to a wall or trap when they stop the attack from the opposite team. Not maybe fully transferrable to floorball, but I hope this post still will create some thoughts outside the box…
In the International Hockey Coaching Education, during the World Championships in Sweden, we had the opportunity to listen to the Swedish National Hockey team coach, before each game.
“We want to play with full puck control / possession towards the offensive zone, and in the offensive zone we try to go straight towards the goal, P1 goes in front of the goal and P2 seeks up the rebound area. We also try to stay in the way of the goalie and steer the shots. Other areas we focus on, are to “win the inside” in 1-1 situations. You can say that, the more skilled hockey players you have the less we talk about how, it’s more about what.”
/Roger Rönnberg, Swedish National Team Coach in ice hockey
In the International Hockey Coaching Training, during the World Championships in Sweden, we also had the opportunity to listen to the Swedish National Hockey team coach, before each game.
Before the game against Russia, the team formation or system was discussed. Earlier Sweden have been playing 2-2-1 with defined or static roles, and with the mindset of putting pressure when the timing is correct. Since the statement “when timing is correct” can create confusion, he system has been changed, and the valuing part of “when it’s correct time” has been removed. Today Sweden play 2-2-1, but player 1 in top will always put pressure and the roles are flexible, the most offensive player will take the role of being P1 and the player that puts the pressure imediately, the other forwards will then adjust and take the two other roles P2 and P3.
Evgeny Malkin Russia (NHL Pittsburgh Penguins) vs. Henrik Zetterberg Sweden (NHL Detroit Red Wings)
…Hockey Goalie Trainer or Goal Scoring Coach, Part 4. In hockey, one of the teams in Sweden on elite level (HV 71) has created their own shooting center to improve the goal scoring and shooting skills… This is more common in USA or Canad, but quite unique in Sweden.
Speed shooting, outside Globe Arena, during World Championships in Hockey.
Most of the teams also have special practices for the hockey goalies, during the weeks or months, but this hockey team also have special practices for goal scoring.
During this hockey shooting or goal scoring practice, the rink is divided into two areas, one for the offensive hockey players and one for the defensive players. Each zone has four hockey drills running at the same time.
1. Skating in from the border “Shoot in the middle of the step”
2. Pass from one side, shoot directly at the other post
3. 2 vs. 0 – rebound – Shot from defensive player
4. Goalie freezed in right position, player tries to find the spots to score goal, by looking at the angle of the puck (or eye of the puck).
1. Pass vertically and a shot.
2. Pass from corner to a defensive player skating towards the goal, shot.
3. Pass from the “pocket” (along the border), and shot.
4. A forward in front of the goal hold the stick up from the ice for shot on goal, or on the ice to make the defensive player to shoot for stearing the shot.
So, what if, we would put in as much effort as in training the hockey goalies, to score goals and improve the shooting skills in hockey, we would have really good goal scorers and snipers in many hockey teams. Maybe we should also focus on hockey goal scoring coaches / trainers?
This is the end for this theme, will be starting up a new one…
You can have a Head Coach in hockey, assistant coach, defense coach, goalie trainer and other coaching or support functions around the hockey team, but who is the hockey goal scoring coach or trainer?
This subject was discussed during the International Hockey Coaching Symposium I attended during the World Championships in ice hockey in Sweden / Finland, together with all the Swedish Elite hockey coaches.
Torgny Bendelin, a famous Swedish hockey coach talked about this topic. Hockey on elite level is changing, the game is faster, harder, quicker and the time players have to make their decissions is reduced to a minimum.
In hockey a lot of time has been put in to develop the defensive systems the teams are using both on National and International level and of course a lot of efforts to improve the skills of the goalies, with help from special goalie trainers. The goalies are good in positioning and working with different angles towards the shooter.
Therefore the hockey players need to:
– Shoot quickly or quicker than before
– Shoot with precision
– Shoot hard/fast
– “Hide” the shot
– Shoot unannounced
These are the areas you also need to practice if you want to be a good future goal scorer in hockey.
This topic will continue in later posts…