Two-On-One Rushes

As corny as attaching sports success with vindication and healing may be, there’s no denying the people of New Orleans deserved a little pick-me-up.  Hell, I cry for stupid sports moments (awww, baby Brees!), I can’t imagine how this felt for them.  Let’s observe how they felt about dere Saints:

I love me some horns.

*****

The Simple Art of the Two-On-One

by jb

One of the best moments in hockey is when you’ve just chipped the puck past a pinching defenseman, and have picked it up on the other side.

You’re on a two-on-one.

It’s better than the breakaway, which requires top speed, optimal effort, and a lot of thinking.

The two-on-one is just relaxing.  It’s a Corona commercial with a smile.  It’s a rare treat:

You spend the whole game unloading the puck the second you get it, so it feels so good to just have it for a sec.

If I’m on my off-side (stick to the middle), I like my odds of scoring better than a breakaway.  You’ve got a built in decoy.

Some simple rules to maximize your effectiveness:

1)      If you can pass the puck early, it’s a must.  As the rush begins, the goalie has his angles set on the puck carrier, coming out from the goal-line squarely.  He knows all too well where he is in the net.  Also, the defensemen usually gives room for an early pass (just inside the blue line), so take it, and make the goalie less sure of his angle.

2)      For quick evaluation: Is the ice bad?  Are you on a two-on-one with Rockhands McDump-n-Chase?  Is the goalie hot?  What hand is your linemate?

You’re not passing on bad ice.  You’re not passing to a plug (unless the goalie and d-man make you).  You have to make a hot goalie move with a pass.  And you need to know what hand your teammate is, so you know if you’re giving him a one-timer or a re-direct.

Hey, where does Regier play these days?

3)      Narrow the ice (bring the puck inside the dots, at least).  Taking it wide is a good idea on a three-on-two, but you have to get yourself in a good shooting angle to make the goalie take both skaters seriously as options.  Obviously that brings you closer to the d-man, but you’re good enough to dish if pressured, right?

Let’s say you chose to shoot.  Good call.  Your coach is happy with you.

That means you want the goalie to think pass, of course.  I (and many others) usually went with a simple three-step play when I chose to keep (three steps can be simple when they all involve doing very little physically).  Goalies at the higher levels respect the shooters, and the d-man is responsible for the pass.  That said, the goalie still has to make a Herculean effort to get across when a pass is made, so he’s on in his toes jussst in case.  My method:

1)      I liked to let the goalie think he was a step ahead of me.  I’d skate in looking directly at the net like I was going to shoot.  He’s very aware you might not.

2)      After a clumsy fake shot (which lets the goalie “read” the pass), I’d make a quick move over to pass, which is just a look at your teammate, and a stick-handle in his direction

3)      Now SHOOT!  The goalie has to react quick on pass plays, so if even so much as shifts his weight in the wrong direction he’s too frozen to do anything magnificent.  There’s your edge, now just hit your spot.

If you intend to pass:

1)      Way too many looks at your teammate early on.

2)      Immediately snap your head to the goalie and drop your shoulder.

3)      Stick-handle and dish – it’s actually alright to not rush it over immediately.  It has no chance of going in if you don’t make sure it hits the guy’s tape.

What’s great about the three-parter is, you start out looking where you’re finishing, so you get to soak in the information about what’s going on around you.

"Hey Geno, I have a new 54 part 2-on-1 move we should try"

If you don’t have the puck, you’re whole job is to read speeds – the defenseman’s first, then your linemates.  It’s the guy without the puck who decides if the pass across is best going behind the d-man, under his stick, or high.

You’ll think what I’m about to say is ridiculous in the wake of my easy-finish two-on-one advice, but it’s an important tip: don’t over-think it.

And this is where professionals and amateurs differ – those guys practice or play six days a week.  You play six days a ….month?  They probably take 50-70 two-on-ones a week, starting at age 15.  By the time they’re in their mid-20’s, that odd-man rush isn’t a stressful event.  It’s on auto-pilot, baby.

It’s a corona with a smile.  What does yours taste like?

*****