KP 2 vs. 2 Neutral Zone Scoring Game
KP 2 vs. 2 Neutral Zone Scoring Game
My Notes
Set Up:
- Nets need to be centered in the middle of the ice and on each blue line in the NZ (or five feet into the offensive zones for more space).
- Teams are set up at opposite blue lines with pucks (White on one side; Red on the opposite)
- Players form 2 lines
- Pucks should also be placed on opposite blue lines (without players)
- The best place for the head coach is at the Red Line
- Be careful to stand behind nets (pucks will be flying)
- Players are attempting to score on the net across the Neutral Zone
Game:
Object: Score before the Opposing Team
- When the whistle blows, two players from each corner (2 Red/2 White) leave their corner
- One player takes the puck behind his own net
- His partner sets an angle to challenge the opponent who is taking the puck behind the opposite net
- The player with the puck looks to score after skating around his net
- The player without the puck can do the following:
- Play defense on the opponent with the puck
- Join his teammate and attempt to create a 2v1 (or 2v0) and score
- The White team must get a new puck (from their side of the blue line if:
- The Red Team knocks their puck out of the neutral zone
- The Red Team’s goalie covers the puck
- They shoot the puck wide and out of the neutral zone
Principles:
The brilliance of this game is that players need to decide if they should join offense or play defense.
- The player WITHOUT the PUCK must constantly assess whether to join on offense OR play defense (1v1, 1v2) and deny a scoring opportunity
- The player WITH the PUCK must constantly assess if he has a 1v0, 1v1, 2v1 opportunity to score
- Discuss the ‘transition’ of defense to offense and how to take advantage of that gap when the puck gets knocked out of the zone & there is an opportunity to join the attack
- Players must constantly talk & perceive the ever changing environment to solve problems as they happen
- The team/players who solve the problem correctly and finish their play (scoring a goal) wins