Monday, February 22, 2010

Hockey Super Sunday!!

Yesterday was a highlight of my hockey season. 

It started with the Czech-Russian game in the Olympics.  I was rooting for the Czechs only because David Krecji of the Bruins played on the team.  He played a great game as did both teams, but the Russians dominated to win 4-2.  For any girls that may have been watching the game, the commentators made a point to note that when Ovechkin went into the corner to get a puck he was looking around to see where his teammates and opponents were, so he knew what he was going to do with the puck before he got it (he made a great centering pass to his teammate who scored).  This is a point we have made to the girls all season.  The commentators also noted that at one point the Czech defender was only watching Ovechkin in the offensive zone rather than "keeping his head on a swivel".  This allowed another Russian player to sneak in front and pick up a rebound goal.  Hockey lessons from the Olympic teams.

The next great game of the day was the Comets versus Lexington/Bedford.  Our girls came out shooting, and scoring.  We outpassed, outskated, and just all-around out played the other team to earn a 6-3 victory.   Having all of our high school girls back was great and the whole team stepped up their game.   I hope we can continue to see that kind of effort and results as we play a few tough teams in the coming weeks. 

The last game was the US-Canada men's game.  Wow.  What great hockey.  Both teams played well and the US just had a few breaks come their way.  It was such a great game I would have been fine regardless of who won, but it was nice for the US to come out on top.  One thing I like about this hockey is that everyone is playing full out for their country, but they're playing against teammates in many cases and it keeps the hockey hard but clean. (I didn't stay up for the Swedish-Finnish game but I'm sure that was a great game as well).

The US women's team will be playing next in the semi-finals.  They, and the Canadian Women's team, have been playing some GREAT hockey and I expect they'll both go far.

All evidence to the contrary not withstanding, I am not a complete hockey head but I think it's a great game and a great youth sports experience, and I appreciate seeing it played well, with skill, passion, and sportsmanship.

I encourage our players to watch this hockey.  It's both instructive and inspiring. 
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Natick Comets GU14 Team -- 2008-2009

Natick Comets GU14 Team -- 2008-2009
Back (L-R): Bernie, Kate, Allie, Patty, Abigail, Erin, Ed, Bob Front (L-R): Caitlin, Meghan, Lauren, Caroline, Reilly, Brittany, Sara Missing: Nichole Sponsored by Descenza Jewelers.

Keep shifts short

During last year’s Stanley Cup finals, former NHL coach Jacques Demers wrote a piece in USA Today talking about the length of players’ shifts on hockey’s biggest stage.According to Demers’ tabulations, five-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom played more than 28 minutes a game, but his shifts averaged 44 seconds in length. Henrik Zetterberg’s shifts ran about 43 seconds while Pavel Datsyuk was on the ice for an average of 39 seconds before grabbing some pine.

Conversely, there were several noted situations where Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins was on the ice for more than a minute and was clearly out of gas by the end of his shift.If short shifts are good enough for the NHL, shouldn’t they be good enough for youth hockey?As they move up the developmental ladder, most coaches advocate that elite players should not be on the ice for more than 45 seconds for a shift, giving it their all before returning to the bench to rest and recover.

“When a player overextends herself on one shift, it's more difficult to recover for the next shifts,” says Ken Martel, a former coach with the National Team Development Program who now studies high performance training for USA Hockey.If you have your kids play shorter shifts, you set the tempo of the game because your players will have fresher legs.

“If they play long shifts players tend to pace themselves and don’t go all out,” says Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program. “There’s nothing worse than a tired player out on the ice. He or she leaves your team vulnerable.”

Adapated from USA Hockey magazine.

Tips for great wrist shots

When it comes to getting a shot away quickly and accurately, nothing beats a good wrist shot. Like any skill, the ability to "grip it and rip it" comes with practice and the proper technique.

Form: If you want to light the lamp in a game, you have to burn the midnight oil in practice. Players must execute the proper techniques if they are to develop the speed, consistency and accuracy needed to be an effective shooter.Accuracy: If the shot is not on net, there is virtually no chance of scoring. Developing accuracy takes a great deal of concentration and practice.

Quickness: Time spent handling the puck gives the opposing players the time needed to position themselves to block the shot. If your release is measured by an egg timer, it's time to work on a quicker release.

Variety: Shooting situations within the game vary greatly. The most skilled players have a variety of shots that match the opportunities that develop. The amount of time a player has, the location and defensive player positioning require that different shots (or variations of the same shot) be used.

Your Stick: The length of your stick is a personal preference, but a good rule of thumb is to make sure it comes up between your nose and collarbone when you're standing with skates on. If your stick is too long it makes it hard to skate and handle the puck properly.

Your Hands: When holding the stick, your top hand should be at the end of the stick. The best way to check if your bottom hand is in the right position is to hold your top hand at the end of the stick then place the elbow of your other arm close to your top hand and then grab the stick. As you prepare to shoot, slide your bottom hand down the shaft of the stick slightly and tighten your grip. If your bottom hand is too far down on the stick you'll be off balance and won't get a good shot off.

The Puck: The position of the puck varies depending on the situation. You may not have time to tee it up the way you'd like. A lot of great goal scorers move the puck in toward their bodies as they get ready to shoot. This changes the release point and may fool a goaltender. It also allows you to generate more power when the puck is closer to your body than if your arms are away from your body.

Weight: TransferYou can't stand still and shoot a puck hard. You need to get your body moving forward to get momentum behind your shot. That means getting your legs into the act. It's kind of like throwing a ball. If you have no forward motion, you won't be able to throw a ball as fast and as far. And if you want to have a strong shot, use your legs, which are the strongest part of your body. Keep the blade of your stick cupped over the puck. Shift your weight from your back foot to your front foot as you slide the puck forward. Start the puck near the heel of the blade. As you bring it forward, it slides up the blade of the stick and is released near the toe of the blade.

Take Aim: Your follow through will dictate the height and accuracy of the shot. To shoot at a high corner, follow through high. To shoot low for a corner, follow through low to the ice. You shoot to score goals and to do that you have to get the puck on net. It doesn't matter how hard you shoot if you can't hit the net. Emphasize accuracy over velocity.

From USA Hockey magazine

Tips for a great snap shot (and some help on your slap shot too)

The snap shot is quicker than a wrist shot and more accurate than a slap shot. It’s probably the most widely used shot in hockey today. The most important attribute of a good snap shot is the speed with which you can release the puck.

(For slap shot video see the 3 biggest slap shot sins for girls hockey.)

Tip #1 One of the most important things when you’re shooting is to look before you shoot. A lot of times kids tend to bury their heads before they shoot and guess where the puck is going. I like to take a look and see where the goaltender’s at and take aim at a general section of the net that I want to hit. It’s very important to lift your head up to where you want to shoot right before you let the puck go.

Tip #2 Sometimes it’s not possible to get a good look at the net before you shoot. That’s why it’s important to always know where you are on the ice and where the net is. If you know the general vicinity when you’re not facing the net, it’s easier to get a shot off quickly and get it on net where good things can happen.

Tip #3 The snap shot is released from the middle to the tip of the blade. I like to pull the puck into a position that feels comfortable with the toe of my stick. Then I basically shoot the puck off the outer half of my blade. I don’t shoot a snap shot off the heel. That’s more of a wrist shot.

Tip #4 It’s important to practice shooting in awkward positions. You’re not always going to be in a perfect position when you find the puck on your stick. That’s why I practice shooting off of both feet. It’s good to switch it up. In drills, try skating around pylons and practice shooting from different angles.

Remember This … Dry-land training is very important. If you have a net at home and 10 pucks, you can fire away all day. That’s always good practice for when you do get on the ice.

From USA Hockey magazine