The shot was voluntarily or involuntarily deflected. Otherwise, the player was able to seize a return conceded by the goalkeeper. Otherwise, the keeper has made a mistake. Otherwise he has lost sight of the path of the disc because a player has obstructed his view. Otherwise, a defender reacted badly. Otherwise, another dropped the puck in front of a rival while the goal was open…
For one of these situations to occur, there must be a mandatory element: you must shoot at goal.
Why do Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have at least twice as many goals as their teammates? Because they throw twice as much as their teammates.
Whether it’s Ovechkin, Gretzky in the past, or Maurice in the past, the real “scorers” play with one idea in mind: shoot on goal.
Shoot from everywhere
The law of the average is obvious and cannot be broken. Generally, the teams that dominate the league on the power play have this quality: they shoot from everywhere and often.
It’s still curious to see the Canadian led by a former distinguished scorer not launching often enough on offense at 5. And even at 5 against 3, we circulate the puck, but we don’t shoot. At least not enough!
Last week, after team practice, Martin St-Louis stayed on the ice with Kirby Dach and had him practice his shots. Great ! Primarily one-timers, one timers.
It’s part of the equation
The Monahan, Gallagher, Anderson and other attackers should do the same as the defenders called upon to participate in the power play.
Today’s hockey has never been faster and shot execution is part of the equation.
In the Montreal team, Cole Caufield is the most obvious example. This famous shot released without stopping the puck, with a restricted momentum that diminishes the warning, has become the tool of the hour in the NHL and the number enemy of goaltenders.
The tool that has become indispensable
If you know hockey well and/or have played it, you know that one-timers are not easy to master.
Yes, it takes a certain talent to bring together speed of execution, power and precision, but the most important element, in my humble opinion, is practice, the repetition of the gesture.
If there’s one thing a professional hockey player can always improve on, it’s the quality of their shots. If I was running a National League team, my players would have a reputation for being the best shooters on the league. I wouldn’t let them down on this.
repeat and repeat
A strong element in the life of any athlete is confidence, and for it to take hold, you have to repeat and repeat.
Practice, practice and much more than less. At the end of every regular practice there should be a throwing clinic.
The numerical advantage can be analyzed in several technical and tactical ways, but if you bet on the strategy of throwing as often as possible in less than two minutes, you will not be far from the truth.
Philosophically, the first element to win in hockey is to shoot at the net. Scoring a goal is a consequence. And conversely, if you don’t throw, you will never count.
You have two minutes. No time to waste !
From the enclave
- Two years older than his brother Cole, Brock Caufield still plays at the University of Wisconsin. Third counter of the team, Brock looks surprisingly like Cole. He’s a bit taller, but he doesn’t have the same scoring talent.
- In 1992, with the former Canadian Danius Zubrus in its line-up, the team from Kharkov (Ukraine) had won the Tournoi International pee-wee de Québec.
- After a 3-year absence (due to the pandemic), the two weeks of the International Hockey tournament in Florida are back next April and there is still room for the various groups of 30 and over, 40 and over as well as 50 years and older. Teams from the Norwayof the United Statesfrom France et you traveled to Canada are registered. Communicate with Hockey International, it’s exceptional.
- Daryl Allan Katz is the owner of the Edmonton Oilers and, according to Forbes, he is worth 4.2 billion. A nasty sparrow it seems!
- In the charming little Trebbiano restaurant in Longueuil, a hundred friends and family celebrated the 60th anniversary of Gilbert Delorme. Guest guitarist and singer, Bruno Delorme, Gilbert’s brother.
- Among the 6 Quebec NHL referees, I forgot to mention the name ofEric Furlatt of Trois-Rivières, last week.
- Among the linesmen of the big circuit, there are 4 Quebecers. Julien Fournier (Gatineau), Michel Cormier (Trois-Rivières), Jonathan Deschamps (St-Louis de France) and Johny Murray (Beauport).
- Merchant Hockey Supremacy (Candiac) sells equipment over the internet all over the world. Among the customers who never skimp on the quality and the price of the products, there are the players of the Nunavut.
- The Anaheim Ducks experience the worst start to a season of their existence (1993).
- Nathan Gaucher, Anaheim’s first choice in the last draft, is having an excellent start to the season with the Quebec Remparts. Yes, Gaucher is right-handed.
- Larry Robinson established a mark never before equaled. He finished the season 76-77 with a +120 on his record. Larry is also the career leader. After 20 seasons in the circuit, he finished with a + 764. He never finished a campaign in the less.
- Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs was the first player in modern NHL history to score 4 goals in his very first game in the league in 2016. Against whom? Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators who later became his teammate.