How can the Blackhawks be more effective in the offensive zone slot? Let’s take a page from NHLers past and present who developed a specific move or moves that made them top slot performers.
As you read about each slot performer, ask yourself, “Which Blackhawk already has this skill and should be using it more? Or, which Blackhawk needs to add this skill to his game?”
Here are the moves of some top slot performers:
The Holmstrom: Tomas Holmstrom won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. His play perfectly exemplified “net-front presence.” At six-feet tall and 200lbs., Holmstrom was not the biggest or strongest player on the ice. But once in front of the goalie, he was immovable. Holmstrom dug the inside edges of his skates into the ice at an extreme angle, creating a base that couldn’t be pushed. Then, he used his great hand-eye coordination to redirect shots into the net.
The Brett: Brett Hull scored 741 goals during his playing career. Yes, Brett had a great shot. And, he had something else. The ability to find soft spots in the slot to unleash it. One of Brett’s signature moves was to enter the offensive zone very late on a team rush in order to be “the forgotten man.” Hull also had a great “disappearing act” in the offensive zone when his team had the puck. He did this by moving away from and in the opposite direction of where the puck was being moved. Defenders would lose interest in him, the puck would be reversed, and bang! another goal. The Blues Tarasenko mimics Hull’s late arrivals and disappearing acts. Tarasenko often “hides” motionless against the boards to get open.
The Gretzky: Gretz’s hockey accomplishments are vast and well-documented. One of my favorite Gretzky moves is quite subtle. Gretz, without the puck, would use the net as a pick to lose a checker. He was now free to make a play. I once saw Gretzky skate ‘round and ‘round the Hawks net three times to lose Chris Chelios, who ultimately got accidentally picked by a teammate.
The Crosby: Crosby has perhaps the best timing of moving without the puck in the NHL. The timing is most evident when the Pens are on the power play. Crosby moves into soft, empty spaces WHILE the puck is moving from one of his teammates to another. The PKers are puck-watching and lose Crosby during that crucial moment. Crosby is now open to shoot and score from the slot.
The Bergeron: Another very successful power play routine is used by the Bruins Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron uses a short “give and go” with a teammate who is positioned below the goal line. Bergeron starts the play with a pass, chip, tip – getting the puck to his teammate any way he can. Tightly covered, Bergeron escapes his check by backing up away from the front of the net. His teammate quickly passes back to Bergeron and a high quality chance is created.
The Ovie: While Bergeron backs straight back facing the net, Ovechkin backs up “sideways” to create his shot. That is, Ovie backs up in the direction of the sideboards on his off-wing to create space and relieve checking pressure. Often, there is no defensive coverage “behind” a player when he moves sideways and backwards with the puck in front of him. This is also another signature Crosby scoring move.
The Tavares: With two hat tricks in the last week or so, John Tavares is red-hot. Tavares is a beast down low. One of his defining moves is the use of the Mohawk skating stride. The Mohawk is when the heels of each skate face each other. Tavares uses it to protect the puck, get quickly around the OZ net, and go across the net from post-to-post to score.
The Big Buff: I still very much miss seeing Dustin Byfuglien in a Hawk uniform. During the 2010 Cup run, Big Buff used his size and strength to overpower slot defenders that were already checking other Hawks. Buff’s presence created a “tag-team” advantage for the Hawks in front of the opponent’s net. Either Buff scored on the play or his now freed “tag-team” teammate did.
Most great slot scorers use more than one signature method to do so. In today’s game, Crosby’s toolkit is full. Auston Matthews is quickly getting there. Hopefully, some Hawks will get there, too.