Power Play Passing & Penalty Kill Habits

The Rondo Circle Keep Away from Coach Alyssa Gagliardi is a great activity that can be used as a passing warm-up, or as an activity to improve overall awareness and passing with your head up. Rondos are popular activities in soccer and can be modified in a variety of ways depending on the skill level and the number of players you have on the ice. Read below to learn about the setup, coaching points & variations.

Setup

• Setup a group of 3 to 8 players around a circle.
• Start with 1 defender in the middle. After a few reps, progress to 2 defenders in the middle. 
• The goal is for the offensive players to keep possession, while the defender tries to take the puck. 
• If the defender steals the puck, they become a passer, and the person they stole the puck from goes in the middle.
• Count how many consecutive passes a team can get in a row. 
• Encourage players to cheer if they get the puck through the defender's legs!

Coaching Points

• Offensive players should keep their heads up to be aware of their teammates and the defender.
• Offensive players can work on deception (looking one way and passing another way).
• Defenders should keep their sticks on the ice at all times to block passing lanes.

Variations

• Can play with as little as 3 people around the circle or as many as 8.
• If players are skilled, you can require one touch passing, backhand passing, saucer passes, etc.
• Can play in different areas of the ice, not just around a circle.
• Can add 1 to 3 defenders.
• If offensive players are struggling connecting passes, coaches can have the defenders turn their sticks upside down.
• Can start a 2 on 1 if a pass is intercepted (view example).
• Learn 15 Rondo Variations and the Benefits of Adding Rondos to Practice.

The Alternating 4 v 3 Game allows teams to practice puck support, power play and penalty kill concepts.

Setup

• Play 4 v 3 cross ice.
• On every whistle the 4 v 3 changes in favor of the other team.
• Power play goals are worth 1 point while shorthanded goals are worth 2 points.

Coaching Points

• Offensive team: utilize your extra player by spreading out and supporting the puck carrier.
• Defensive team: keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes and keep the puck to the outside. Compete hard so you can score those 2 point short handed goals!

Description

The Triangle Scoring game from Kendall Coyne Schofield is a race to score first and involves moving the puck quickly and using deception with your passes and shots.  It's a great game to work on quick power play puck movement and for the defensemen/penalty killers to work on pressuring and having their stick in the proper lane.

Set Up

• 2 Nets should be set up on the goal line in an offensive zone in line with the face-off dots
• Draw a triangle from the goal line to the top of the circle - if you don't have a marker use a few cones/tires (they can act as an additional constraint for the team trying to score)
• 1 goalie in each net
• 1 puck per triangle (on the outside)
• 3 players on team "X" on the outside of the triangle
• 1 player from team "O" on the inside of the triangle
• Set up the other triangle with the opposite set of players - 3 "O"'s on the outside and 1 "X" in the middle
• Coach should be ready with a pile of pucks up top

Game

The objective of this game is for the players on the outside of the triangle to score before the opposing team does.  Each goal counts as a point and the game can go up to a certain number, with team "X" playing against team "O"

• On the whistle the game starts
• The players on the outside of the triangle are stationary, but can pass the puck through the triangle
• The objective of the players on the outside of the triangle is to score before the outside players of the opposing triangle score
• It's a race to see which team can score first
• The player on the inside of the triangle can move anywhere throughout the triangle, but not leave it
• The objective of the inside player is to clear the puck out of the triangle
• Whichever team scores first is awarded a point
• As soon as 1 side scores, the whistle blows and the next set of players moves in for each triangle
• Keep Score!

Variations

• Coaches can award a point to the team when a player on the inside of the triangle clears the puck
• Coaches can make clearing the puck and scoring different point values
• You can require one or two-touch passing/shooting
• Can allow players to skate through the triangle
• Can use the face-off circles instead of a triangle (see the Circle Scoring Game)

Coaching Points

1. Use Deception - deception can be used by using your eyes and body language to be deceptive with passing and shooting to throw off the defender and/or goaltender
2. Quick Release - to be successful, this game requires quick puck movement and quick releases when scoring opportunities present themselves
3. Active Stick - the player in the triangle needs to have a very active stick as the puck moves around and through the triangle

Defend Net Front Progression With 2 Point Players is a competitive small area game that works on protecting the net, along with utilizing point players to generate scoring opportunities.

Setup

• Place 2 nets on the goal line as show in the diagram.
• Players play 3 v 3, before they can shoot at their designated net, they must pass to one of their point men.
• The point man must pass to their partner who can shoot or pass but must do so by two touching the puck (one touch stops it, second touch moves it).
• Players who are defending must defend the players at the net front, not the point ment.
• Attacking forwards should get to the net for tips and screens.

Coaching Points

• Offensive players without the puck should work hard to get open and find lanes to support their teammates.
• Offensive players with the puck should be aware of their point players, and practice give & gos.
• Defensive players should keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes and eliminate sticks in front of the net.
• Both sides should work on communication: practicing both verbal and non-verbal communication with your teammates.

Variations

• Coaches can make the game 2 v 2 or 3 v 3.
• Coaches can require point players to hold onto the puck, or do two touch or one touch passing.

The Sticks In Lanes Game from Topher Scott of The Hockey Think Tank is a great small area game to help the offense practice passing in the offensive zone while the defense works to block passing lanes by keeping their sticks on the ice. This is also a great drill for practicing your Power Play & Penalty Kill. This game is a 6 vs. 2 but can be set up to be more challenging for the offense by making it 4 vs. 2, or 6 vs. 3.

Setup

• KEEP SCORE (as you can see from the video, this can become a very fun and competitive drill).
• The playing area is highlighted in yellow in the diagram above.
• Have 6 offensive players set up as shown in the diagram. They can move slightly but can not skate around and must stay in their designated area.
• 2 Defenders will defend the middle of the ice.
• On the whistle, the offensive team is trying to score. They must pass the puck through the middle of the ice 2 or more times before they can shoot.
• The defenders work to break up the play.
• Switch teams after each rep and let forwards play defense and defense play offense. 

Coaching Points

Offensive Team:

• Use deception (look or fake passing one way and pass the other way) to create openings.
• Think about where you pass before the puck comes to you.
• Shoot quickly if you have an opening!

Defensive Team:

• Keep sticks on the ice at all times! This will allow you to block passing lanes or intercept passes.
• Use quick starts and stops to cover ground.

Variations

• Can make this drill harder for the offense by making it a 4 vs. 2 (view example) or a 6 vs. 3 (view example).
• Can make the playing space larger or smaller (the smaller it is, the harder it is).
• Can require 3 (or more) passes through the royal road before a shot is allowed.
• Use different point-scoring to make sure the game is exciting and competitive for the team. For example (2 points for a goal, 1 point for 2 consecutive defensive takeaways).

Power Play Reps with Mad Attackers is a great way to get your power play practice with position, and moving the puck around before they work on 5 v 4, or 5 v 3 situations.

Setup

1. Get your power play setup in their offensive zone positions.
2. Dump puck in zone, or give to one of the offensive players.
3. Blow the whistle, and allow the Mad Attacker to chase.
4. Start with 1 Mad Attacker, then progress to 2 Mad Attackers.
5. The Mad Attacker should chase the puck like a "Mad Attacker" and not worry about normal penalty kill positional play. The goal of the Mad Attacker is to apply strong pressure to force the power play team to practice quick decisions.

Coaching Points

• Mad Attacker(s): keep stick on the ice and attack like mad! 
• Power Play Unit: keep head up to be aware of the attacker(s). There will only be 1 or 2 attackers out there, so being aware of where they are, and where your teammates are, creates a big advantage for the power play. Move the puck quickly before they can attack you! 

The 5 v 3 to 5 v 4 Power Play Game is a half ice setup to practice power-play & penalty kill concepts and techniques. 

Setup:

• Start with 5 v 3, and then progress to a 5 v 4.
• Add 2 "gates" just outside of the blue line.
• Players waiting their turn should be on the center ice line.
• On the whistle, the coach can dump the puck into the corner, or pass the puck to one of the players on the power play.
• The team on the power play tries to score.
• The team that is penalty killing works to skate the puck through one of the gates.
• The penalty kill team can not dump the puck out of the zone, they must attempt to skate through one of the gates.
• Keep score! 1 point is awarded for a power play goal, and 1 point is awarded if the penalty kill team skates a puck through a gate.
• Once the power play team is comfortable with 5 v 3 setup, you can progress to 5 v 4. If the players are struggling with 5 v 3, you can regress to 5 v 2.
• Rotate so both teams and all players get chances at power play & penalty kill. 

Variations:

• Can set this up to be 5v2, 5v3, 5v4, or 4v2, 4v3. 
• Can place players behind the gates so the penalty kill team is awarded 2 points if they skate through the gate and 1 point if they pass through the gate.

Coaching Points:

Power Play:

• Use deception when looking to make a pass.
• Players without the puck should move to open space to be an outlet.
• Work to generate scoring opportunities that practice shooting off of the pass.

Penalty Kill:

• Keep sticks on ice to block passing lanes.
• Do not make big sweeping motions with your stick.
• Do not chase the puck. Work to eliminate high percentage shooting opportunities.