Over the years, coaches have struggled to balance system play and skill development during their limited practice time. From coaching Atom and Peewee to coaching at the NHL level, all coaches want more practice time and therefore are always looking to maximize their time on the ice.
This Two-Shot Drive drill is an early goalie warm-up drill that works on a specific skill and supports some system play principles. It works like this:
All players divide behind both blue-lines at the boards with pucks.
On the whistle, opposite lines F1 and F3 skate with a puck, dropping the puck on the red line, pivoting towards the center, skating backwards around the circle, and pivoting towards the center to pick up the puck dropped by the opposite line player.
At the same time F2 and F4 skate straight down ice, pivoting towards the middle (always watching the play) and then sprinting back towards the blue-line readying to receive a high pass.
F2 and F4 take an outside shot while F1 and F3 drive the middle lane for a rebound.
Players in the opposite lines depart on the next whistle.
Half-way through the drill have players take the same routes, but make low lateral passes so the goalie must make a side to side save.
This drill incorporates the system play principles of an outside shot and a middle net drive while working on the skills of the pivot, backwards skating and the quick lateral pass. The best drills replicate “game situations” and at the same time warm up the goalies.
Ryan Walter played 15 seasons in the NHL and is now a coach with the Vancouver Canucks. Join Ryan in July 2009 on his Leadership/Coaching Cruise – find out more at www.leadershipcruise.com and sign up for Ryan’s free e-newsletter on Leadership at www.ryanwalter.com.
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