5. Second Period

...And Assists

We have been discussing how to score goals. Now we come to the many ways of setting up the shooter. We will describe the fundamentals of stick handling, passing, and receiving, and give you some tips on offensive play.

Assists are just as valuable as goals in hockey. The unselfish playmaker often makes all the hard moves in setting up a teammate for the score. This is recognized in the individual scoring summary, where assists are credited equally with goals to make up a player's point total.

Stick handling

Stick handling is to hockey what dribbling is to basketball, and, generally speaking, it is a great mistake to stick-handle when a pass should be made. Some of the reasons for passing rather than stick handling are as follows:

1. You can move the puck up the ice with a pass faster than you can stickhandle it.
2. If you stickhandle for any length of time, your eyes watch the puck on your stick, preventing you from seeing men open ahead of or beside you.
3. You can put your line mates offside by stick handling instead of passing at the attacking blue line, because none of your linemates can enter the attacking zone ahead of the puck. The attacking zone is the area in which the goal cage of the opponents is located.
4. In your own end of the ice, excessive stick handling makes you an easy target for fore checkers opponents who check you in your own defensive zone. This can be dangerous near your own net.
5. If you stickhandle when you should pass, you get a reputation for being a "puck hog." It is not long before the other players on your team stop trying to get in the clear for passes from you or refuse to pass the puck to you. And there goes your teamwork.

IN STICKHANDLING. following "heads-up" style is vital. The player keeps his head up and his eyes alert for a checker or an open teammate. If no checker is near, he can hold his stick in one hand and push the puck straight ahead.

On the other hand, there are definite times when you must use your stick handling skill during a game. Some of the times you should stickhandle are as follows:

1. You may have to beat a lone defender in the attacking zone when your wingmen flanking you are covered.
2. In the corner of the attacking end, you must move the puck out, or behind the net, to draw a defensive player to you. When he makes this move, he may leave one of your teammates uncovered for a pass.
3. After receiving a pass to start you from your own end, you must move the puck up fast to the attacking blue line. Here one of your possible plays may be to stickhandle around a defenseman to make a pass from the corner.
4. When your team is a man short due to penalties, you may stickhandle in center ice to keep control of the puck.

The Fundamentals

1. When no one is near to check you, push the puck with your stick blade, holding your stick in one hand. With your other arm free, you can skate faster. All you are interested in here is straight-ahead speed.
2. When about to pass or to beat a possible checker, carry the puck with side-to-side sweeps, holding your stick in two hands. The idea of sweeping the puck from side to side is to disguise, until the last moment, around which side of the checker you intend to carry the puck. Short, fast sweeps are best.
3. Be sure that you advance the puck when sweeping it from side to side. If you do not, you will over skate it or seriously slow down your skating.
4. In your stick handling drills, spend a little time kicking the puck up to your stick. It improves your agility and may be useful in helping you regain possession should you over skate the puck.
5. Handle the puck with a light touch, as though it were a balloon you must not break. Use your wrists in moving your stick. In this way, you can be sure of better control.
6. Whether using one or two hands on your stick, keep your head up while controlling the puck. This gives you that all-important split vision, which lets you be aware of the puck on your stick,*while watching for an oncoming checker and for teammates breaking ahead for a pass. An other advantage of "heads-up" puckcarrying is the ability to see the checker who moves forward to check you. He is the easiest man to go around, if you see him in time.

IN STICKHANDLING, the player can carry the puck on his backhand as he comes out of a turn in order to gain speed.

The importance of learning to handle the puck on your stick while keeping your head up cannot be stressed too greatly. This ability will help your passing, your shooting, and your playmaking. It will also help you avoid some stiff, jolting body checks.

You can train your eyes to develop split vision, either lateral or vertical. Practice it while walking or while riding your bike. Stare straight ahead and concentrate on picking out objects on the ground in front of you or in store windows beside you.

Faking

Faking is a difficult but very useful art. Basically, it is done by starting to do one thing or to go one way and by ending up doing something else or breaking in another direction. The feint, or first move, is designed to pull your opponent off-balance, delaying his recovery and giving you a one-stride advantage to beat him.

Many coaches believe that some hockey players are born with the ability to be shifty stick handlers. They feel, therefore, that it is a waste of time to try to teach this skill to all players. Other coaches disagree. They feel that, while it may be true some boys bring to the game a better sense of timing, balance, and coordination than others, some teaching and practice of faking is worthwhile.

There are two kinds of fakes in hockey. One is the feint used to stickhandle around an opponent, and the other is the fake shot.

The Feint

Let us examine the feint, by imagining a one-on-one situation, with you as a left-handed attacker breaking in on a lone defender.

1. Break at top speed directly at the defenseman. The more speed you have, the easier it is to go around him. Use short side-to-side sweeps of the puck as you approach.
2. Keep your eyes up to watch his moves. You must accurately judge what is the best distance away from him for you to begin your move. This is most important because if you get too close, he will check you, and if you move too soon, he can recover in time to steer you off. It is impossible to tell you what this distance should be since your speed and his will vary each time. This is something you must work out by trial and error.
3. Your opponent may stand still to try to check you before you cross the blue line. Chances are he will back in slowly. If, however, he backs in fast and well ahead of you, signals are off. You will not be able to go around him. A shot for the goal or a pass is called for here.
4. At the right distance from him, you make your first move. Pull the puck sharply to your left as your weight strides onto your left skate. Accompany this with a quick dip of your head and shoulders to the left.
5. Push hard from your left skate in order to swing yourself sharply back to the right. At the same time, pull the puck far over to the right. You control the puck on your backhand, with your stick stretched out in one hand to the full extent of your right arm.
6. Now dig hard to go around him and fight to get back into center position on the net. You may use your free left arm to ward off his stick. At this point, many players lose the puck because they forget to keep skating. If you coast around, your opponent can recover and steer you off to the side.
7. After you feel you have this move down, try the fake and cut to the other side of the defender. In this way, you keep him guessing and heighten your chance of success.
8. It is easier to make this fake around the stick side of an opponent. That is, a left-handed attacker has a better chance to cut around to his own right against a left-handed defenseman, because the latter has a shorter reach stretching to his left than he does to his right.

To practice the timing and the judgment necessary for this fake, get a teammate to work with you, each taking five successive tries. Get him to stand at center ice while you start from the other end. At first, have a rule that he will not under any circumstances back in over the blue line behind him. This puts a restriction on him and gives you a better chance.

If you and your buddy are approximately equal in skating speed, this one-on-one drilling is excellent puck-handling practice. Help each other by criticizing things like the distance and timing of moves. After a while, you can remove the blue line restriction. Then, if the defensive player backs in too fast for you to go around him, make an ankle-high shot on the goalie and drive for the rebound.

The Fake Shot

The fake shot is an advanced skill requiring good puck control. It is a valuable trick, if you have earned a reputation for being a "bullet like-shot." As more and more defensemen develop the technique of dropping to the ice to block shots for the goal, the fake shot will come into its own. If, by faking a shot, you force a defender to go down, your recovery catches him pretty well out of the play.

1. As you skate in on a defenseman, cock the puck just as though you were about to let go a hard forehand shot.
2. Put on the drama act by dropping your head and leading shoulder. This has to be a very quick movement.
3. Actually start the puck forward on your stick to make it look like the real thing.
4. Since the above moves probably will have caused your body to start its turn, you will find it easier to make your cut on the side of your shot. Quickly recover the puck with your stick and dig hard to go around the defender.
5. If your fake has been good enough to make your opponent tighten up or drop to block the shot, you may be able to stickhandle around him. If it has not been quite that good, you may at least get your shot away from the side with out having if blocked.
6. Making this fake shot at the right distance from the defenseman is very important, just as it is in the fake used to stickhandle around your man.

Passing and Pass Receiving

For some strange reason, the two fundamentals most young hockey players show the poorest skill in are passing and pass receiving. This is strange because these should be the easiest skills of all. If passing is your problem, one of the following may be the reason for your poor passing:

1. You slap the puck to get rid of it.
2. You cannot pass backhand.
3. You slap the puck when you do not have to do it.
4. You always pass behind your teammate.
5. You slap the puck with your head down.
6. You pass without looking for your receiver.
7. You slap the puck, period!

As you undoubtedly gathered, the chief fault in your passing probably is this business of slapping the puck. Oh, sure, occasionally you will have to slap a pass to avoid being suddenly checked. But if it has become a habit with you to slap your pass every time you make one, you are in real trouble! You will never be able to fit into a sharp-passing, smoothly-working offensive combination.

Passing Fundamentals

To see that you do fit into such a combination, it is important for you to learn what little you have to do to let go a well-timed, easily-controlled, zippy pass.

1. Skate with the puck in the middle of your stick blade.
2. Look up for your receiver.
3. Sweep your stick in the direction of the pass, whipping the puck off the toe of your blade. Let your wrists do most of the work in this sweep, and notice how much speed you can put on it.
4. Keep your stick flat on the ice, following through well into the pass. If you tilt the blade slightly over the puck, you will get plenty of snap without raising the puck.
5. All that remains is to develop your judgment of the amount of lead to give, depending on the speed your teammate is traveling and the distance the puck must travel. Remember that it is better to err by passing too far ahead of your man than to pass behind him.
6. Your backhand pass will tend to sweep laterally, or sideways, rather than ahead. Make allowance for this by a good forward push of your lower arm.
7. You may need to flip a pass to get it over an opponent's stick. To do this, tilt the top of your blade away from the puck. A scooping motion using only the wrists will lift the puck lightly.

Pass Receiving Fundamentals

Pass receiving is the other half of the skill of passing - the ability to bring the puck under control on your stick without changing your skating pace.

1. Keep your eye on the puck. And be sure to see the puck into your stick. You will soon learn to ignore those suicide passes laid at your feet at the blue line, where a defenseman is just waiting to pick you off when your head goes down.
2. Let your stick "give" with a hard pass. This keeps the puck from bouncing off out of control. The cushion effect here is similar to the give of your glove hand in catching a hard-thrown baseball. The stick cannot be drawn back too much, but even a slight move helps, especially if the puck should roll up on its edge.
3. Tilt the blade of your stick over the top of the puck as it comes in. This will help you pick it off under good control while skating at top speed and will also give you a smooth, light touch.
4. Practice kicking a pass that comes into your feet up to your stick. Drag along your skate with the puck, and, with a little hop, scrape it up ahead of you. The Europeans, who play a good deal of soccer, are very good at doing this.
5. When you take a pass on your backhand, receive it on the backhand side of your stick. Many young players make the mistake of trying to turn the stick around to receive the puck on their forehand side. This is awkward, slows down the receiver, and usually makes the puck go out of control.

WHEN RECEIVING A PASS, the player should bring the puck under control without breaking his stride. By tilting his stick as the puck comes in, the player neatly traps it.

The Face-Off

The face-off is the only play in the hockey game made from a set position. This is the one time in the game when you can plan to set up a specific play - if you can get the draw! When the face-off occurs at a spot by the opposing team's net, your skill at this technique may pay off with a last-minute winning goal.

Naturally, you will be concerned with this technique only if you are a center, or, in certain circumstances, a defenseman. Some coaches prefer to use a defenseman to take the net face-off near his own net. Here is how to make the most of a face-off:

1. When you place your stick down at the spot where the puck is to be dropped, do not lean any weight on it. Keep your weight balanced evenly on both feet. Touch your stick lightly to the ice.
2. Watch the referee's hand as he prepares to drop the puck. In this way, you can time the movement of your stick better.
3. Make up your mind in advance which way you plan to draw the puck. For a left-handed center, the easiest directions are back to the left and forward to the right.
4. The movement of your stick should be a quick flick of the puck from the toe of the stick. This movement should be timed to meet the puck as it hits the ice. Many referees drop the puck forcefully, causing it to bounce over your stick if you are at all late.
5. You will have to move into the puck now that the new restraining line is in effect. Just push off one foot as you make your quick move with your stick.

Work on this little technique to develop the quick reflex and timing necessary. If you feel you are losing a good many draws, get yourself set in plenty of time and anticipate slightly the drop of the puck by the official. Also, try tilting your blade to one side. This will cock your wrists for quicker reaction.

IN A NET FACE-OFF at the opposing team's end, the attacking wingmen and defensemen (L, R, and D) can use this method of lining-up. Their center, C, draws the puck to his left or right wingman (L or R) . Or C tries for a direct shot on the goal.

Tips on Offensive Play

Two big reasons why a good team wins games are the smooth working of the three forwards and the teamwork shown by the two defensemen. It is the coach's job to help you and your teammates work this way. He will decide what style of play he wants you to use, and this will determine your position on the ice rink at different times during the game.

Playing style does vary, but there are some general tips on offensive play which you will find useful and which will apply to any style of play your team uses.

Knowing when to pass, and when not to, is a sure sign that a player is developing good hockey sense. Of course, it is impossible to control the puck in hockey as well as you can control the ball in basketball. In hockey, you may gain, lose, and regain possession of the puck every 15 to 20 seconds. The important thing is to make your passes count - for you, not the other team. Some when-to-pass situations are:

1. When a teammate breaks out ahead of you into the clear, pass. Headman the puck is a popular and worthwhile slogan to remember in this situation because of three sound reasons. You can get the puck up the ice faster by passing than you can by stickhandling it; you can keep your team mates from going offside; and you can trap opposing players behind you.
2. In your own end, when it is hopeless and dangerous for you to try to stickhandle around a close opponent, pass. Here is where a give-and-go play is useful. You give a short pass to one of your own defensemen, go around your check, and receive a return pass that starts you on your way.
3. When you are out of scoring position and a teammate is open for a good shot on the net, pass. This is often a pass out from behind the net or from the corner.

Some when-not-to-pass situations are:

1. Do not pass when you are blind that is, when your back is turned and you only guess a teammate is there. This is poison when you have the puck deep in your own end.
2. When you have a break, do not pass to a teammate who is covered. You do better to keep on stick handling until you draw the check to you; then, slip the puck to your buddy who is now open.
3. When you are in good shooting position, do not pass. You will not get so many good shooting opportunities that you can afford to pass one up. Besides, your pass receiver may be in a position where his shooting angle has almost disappeared.

FORWARDS. The above instructions on passing apply whether you are a forward or a defenseman. Now let us go over some tips for you as a center or a wingman, as you move the puck from center ice into the attacking zone.

When you hit the attacking blue line and cannot make a pass, it is sometimes a good idea to shoot the puck in and, with your line mates, drive hard for the puck. This is a one-on-one situation for you to work on with a teammate.

Now, suppose you have a two-on-one break. You can be sure the defender will back in, hoping to force you to make your move in time for him to recover and play the puck. In this situation, you can:

1. Fake to the side away from your teammate as though to go around him, and then slide a pass over to him. When you make this pass, be sure to look for a clear path for the puck. You can expect the defender's stick and skates to be in a position to intercept.
2. Try a drop pass. This is best set up if the defenseman has backed well in on his goalie. You cut over to center once you have crossed the blue line. And here is where team play between you and a lineate really comes to the fore. As soon as he sees you start this move, he follows in behind you. Leave the puck for him and drive straight for the defenseman. You may be able to screen him from both the defenseman and the goalie, while he skates in to fire at point-blank range.

IN A TWO-ON-ONE BREAK, player 1 fakes a cut to the left, then passes puck to his teammate, player 2. This pass from 1 must clear the opposing de-fenseman's stick and skates. IN THE DROP PASS, player 1 leaves puck for player 2 at point X. Player 1 then drives for the net, taking opposing defenseman with him. Player 2, using 1 as a screen, shoots puck toward net.

The timing on this is tricky because you and your partner must read each other's moves quickly. It is worth practicing, however, because so many opposing defensemen back far in to keep you from going around them.

3. Use a trailer pass, or act as a trailer, when you have a three-man break. A trailer is a player who slows down as a play is made to the other side and puts himself in the best shooting position about 20 feet in front of the net. Or it may be a play that opens up for you whenever you follow in well behind the attack.

In Figure 3, player A makes the first pass to player B, and then skates hard to the position in front of the net. B drives hard down right wing with the puck. The defenseman on that side steers him into the corner. As soon as he sees the first pass made, player C cuts into center and slows to a stop at point X. Player C is the trailer, wide open and a very hard man to cover. B now has the important job of getting the second pass to C.

IN FIGURE 3, A passes (dotted line) to B, who goes for the corner, taking an opposing defenseman with him. Player A goes for the net, taking a defenseman with him. Player C, acting as a trailer, goes to point X, where he takes the trailer pass (dot-dash line) from B and shoots on goal.

If he succeeds, the defenseman covering A in front of the net has a rough decision to make. Should he leave A uncovered and go for the puck? Or should he cover A and let C move in for a clear shot? A tough assignment either way.

It is hard to set this up as a specific play. You can benefit from practicing it, though. The main thing to realize is the advantage you have if you get a pass across to point X. Look for this opportunity whenever you have the puck in a corner. If there is no one there, you always have the flip pass to make in front of the net.

And another thing - you can get to point X as a trailer, if you are behind the play at center ice. Maybe you have been doing a good job covering your check at the other end when the attack breaks out ahead of you. Follow the play as fast as you can and look for the chance to be a trailer in such a play as just described.

4. Hug the attacking blue line with one skate when you are in danger of putting the puckcarrier offside. This may happen if the carrier has to veer around a defenseman who takes a position in front of his own blue line. You are taking advantage of the rule stating that both skates must be clearly over the 12-inch line before the player is offside.

The technique here is simple. Change direction quickly to coast along the line. Drag one skate, keeping it in contact with the line until you see that the puck has gone over. Then continue on into the attack.

5. Always be sure one of you on the forward line is in front of the opposing net when your team has the puck in their end. This is a sound basic rule to follow. Watch your position play to be sure you are there when you are supposed to be.
6. Look for a chance to pass the puck back to your point men your defensemen who have moved up to the attacking blue line and are following closely on the play. Almost all teams do this now, giving them a five-man attacking team. Just be careful to look before you make such a pass, or an interception will trap you and your line mates. A team has learned sound offensive hockey only when the forwards make use of their defensemen at the points.

Defensemen. Getting the puck safely out of their own end is the first and foremost duty of defensemen. In playing this position, make this a habit flip the puck over your blue line into center ice, or pass to a teammate breaking out. The expression a clearing pass is a good one here. You clear the puck over your blue line and pass to a forward at the same time. Here are some tips for you to follow when your team breaks up the ice with the puck.

1. Back up the player carrying the puck in center ice. If he suddenly loses the puck, you are ready to meet the opposing checker.
2. Get into your point position as soon as you are sure the puck has gone deep into the attacking zone. If you are the left defenseman and the puck is in the left corner, place your self just inside the blue line at the left boards. If you are the right defenseman in this case, station yourself inside the blue line directly in front of the goal.

Should the puck be moved to the right side, you both slide quickly over. The left defenseman is in front of the goal, and the right defenseman is at the right boards, still inside the blue line. This side-to-side action continues according to the position of the puck. In this way, you cover any attempted clearing passes made by the opposing team.

3. If you receive a pass back from a teammate in the corner while at the point, quickly fire a low, hard shot on the net. You may be able to skate in a stride or two before letting this shot go. On the other hand, you may find a checker right on you. In this case, do not risk a blocked shot, which will give the other team a breakaway. Fire the puck back into the corner where your wingman can pick it up.
4. You should cover for your defenseman who is about to take the shot described in number three. You can sag back a stride or two, ready to get back fast if his shot is deflected out into center ice.
5. As an opposing forward starts out, take a chance on going in to check him only if you think you have a chance at the puck. Here again, your partner should cover for you, as mentioned in number four. If the puck carrier has too big a lead on you, get back off your point quickly. Skate hard to center ice, turn, and skate backwards to read the play developing.

There are no time outs in hockey. So now, at the end of the second period, let us briefly sum up, as we go to the dressing room for a well-earned rest.

Goals and assists are the result of good, fundamental skills in shooting, stick handling, and passing. You should work hard on puck control, while skating with your head and eyes up. Try to concentrate on this feature of your game to help you pick shooting targets, fake would-be checkers, and lay up good passes. Then, team play will come naturally.

And now that we have a good lead in the game, let us pay some attention to how we can protect it!

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