All 5 goals below are scored by the same line – Skarupa-Decker-Kessel. These women are all extremely talented US Olympians who have very different strengths than each other, but compliment each other extremely well. I will show each clip twice (once at regular speed and once in slow motion) and then provide a few key points for each goal. Enjoy!

GOAL #1: DECKER FROM KESSEL BACKDOOR
This is an absolutely world class highlight reel goal off the rush by Decker off a perfect thread-the-needle pass by Kessel.

Here are 5 key points for this beauty:

1. Create Speed Behind The Puck – Skarupa and Decker enter the zone with speed. Skarupa recognizes that there is space in front of the defender and cuts in, which draws in a 2nd defender. Kessel is also entering late with speed, creating a 2nd layer in the attack which gives Skarupa a great outlet pass option once she feels pressure.

2. Find The Space – Decker recognizes that the puck has switched sides and now one defender is isolated on a 2v1 between her and Kessel. Her ability to read this and SLASH across past that defender and behind the 2nd defender sets the stage for the eventual pass off the backdoor. Her diagonal skate across the zone causes confusion and leads to duplication with 2 defenders confused about who is supposed to take who.

3. Be Patient – Once Kessel receives the puck here, she keeps moving and doesn’t stick handle. By not stick handling, she gives herself the ability to pass or shoot at any time. This divides the goalie’s attention – she has to respect Kessel’s shot and also pay attention to the potential pass opportunities. Kessel has her head up, feet moving and is looking for the best passing and shooting options based on what is going on around her. This doesn’t look fancy but it is absolutely critical to the eventual goal that’s scored.

4. Be Shot Ready – Right before Kessel makes this pass, you can see both Skarupa and Decker are opened up and ready to receive the pass. They are available and “shot ready” just in case they might receive the puck.

5. Skill Kills – This pass is ridiculous. Kessel threads the needle between both defenders sticks and puts in right on Decker’s tape. She makes it look easy, but it’s not. Her ability to play heads up hockey with the puck loaded up on her forehand is the basic skill that makes this possible.

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GOAL #2: SKARUPA FROM DECKER 5 HOLE

This fantastic goal features a brilliant heads up play with super soft hands at the blueline followed by a perfect thread-the-needle pass that beats 2 defenders and ends with a beautifully patient finish through the 5 hole.

Here are 5 key points for this goal:

1. Angle Angle Angle – Before the beautiful passing play begins, Kessel angles her check perfectly which forces the turnover at the blueline. It’s not the most exciting part of the play but if she doesn’t create this turnover, the rest of the magic never happens.

2. Soft Hands – Decker doesn’t just keep the puck in. She touches it back so softly that she can take a moment to turn back into the puck and find it exactly where she left it. This is not easy to do especially when executed at top end back checking speed.

3. Change The Point of Attack – The speed at which Decker turns back, sees Skarupa and threads the needle between the defenders is amazing. She touches it once to move it backhand to forehand before putting it right on Skarupa’s forehand. Not extra stickhandles, no wobbly passes – pure perfection.

4. Great Catch – I almost missed this detail myself. After I watched the clip almost 20 times, I realized how it important is was that Skarupa executes a quick little heel-to-heel to slow herself down and save ice and pivot towards the net with the puck on her forehand. If she kept skating in straight at the goalie when catching the pass, she would have run out of space before making this great 5 hole move.

5. Be Patient – Skarupa executes a perfect quick fake from forehand to backhand which forces the goalie to start to slide across with her. The goalie sliding across opens up the 5 hole for just a split second and Skarupa makes no mistake when sliding the puck through that spot. This is one of those dekes that is so effective and underused. Fake, pull, slide it 5 hole.

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GOAL #3: DECKER REDIRECT FROM KELLER

This goal is hockey IQ personified. Quick puck movement mixed with amazing awareness from 2 Olympians leads to this beautiful goal.

Here are 3 key points for this goal:

1. Win Your Battles – Two offensive players win their respective 1v1 battles along the wall to move the puck up to the point quickly.

2A. Awareness Part 1 – As that puck moves north up to the point, watch how Decker immediately identifies all the space that is behind the penalty killers. She immediately moves into that space and drives the net which leads to…

2B. Awareness Part 2 – Keller sees Decker rolling to the net with her stick on the ice and gets the puck through quickly. Because she changes the point of attack back down low so quickly, the penalty killers are all looking up ice at her when the puck moves back low to Decker

3. Skill Kills – Decker has her stick on the ice on the goal side, has her feet pointing towards the net and her eyes on the puck as Keller puts that perfect pass through. Decker is READY before that puck gets there which allows her to redirect it perfectly past the goalie. She opens up that blade just at the right time, points the stick towards her target after the redirect and even watches the puck all the way into the net with her eyes. GOAL SCORING PERFECTION.

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GOAL #4: KESSEL OFF REBOUND BACKDOOR

This clip is a bit longer and showcases a lot of great things about offensive team play. Kessel’s finish is world class by kicking it off the outside of their foot to finish with a defender all over her.

Here are 4 key points for this goal:

1. Where’s the Space? – When Team Women’s Sports Foundation enters the zone here, it’s a 2v5. Kessel recognizes that she needs to turn back to wait for support. Skarupa recognizes that there in no space in the middle so she posts up deep along the wall to give Kessel an outlet.

2. Work It Low – Decker comes into the frame super late and recognizes that Skarupa needs support down low. She blows right through the zone and heads to the corner to pick up the cycle. Decker picks up that puck and spins up into open ice off the defender to start walking towards the middle of the ice for a scoring chance.

3. Get Lost – Remember when Kessel cycled that puck down low? She stayed connected to the play and ends up flying in off the backdoor behind the defender. Notice how she doesn’t just stand next to the her opponent after moving the puck. She finds open space, shakes the defenders and they lose her. It’s great that she ends up getting rewarded with the goal.

4. Smart Shots – Decker realizes she’s not going to get a clean shot on net so she puts the puck in soft and on target so that it can generate a 2nd scoring chance. If she shoots it much harder here, the increased velocity would have given the goalie the opportunity to redirect it into the corner. Because she takes a little bit off the shot, the rebound sits right in front for Kessel who is able to finish the play.

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GOAL #5: DECKER BACKHAND TOE DRAG

This was a beautiful goal that started with great puck movement and speed management and finished with a perfect fake and shot placement. Here’s a quick 5 step breakdown of the goal.

Here are 5 key points for this goal:

1. Change The Point Of Attack – The D sends it cross ice on diagonal to stretch the ice east-west and north-south. She recognizes that Team MN is in the middle of a change and takes advantage of the space.

2. Backhand Catch – Decker is one of the best puck-handlers in the game so she makes this backhand catch off a perfect cross ice pass look easy – but it’s not. Especially when she’s in full stride and the defender is so close. Young players – practice catching more pucks in stride on both your forehand and backhand. This is commonplace at elite levels but a major source of bobbled pucks and turnovers at lower levels.

3. Find The Space – Because of the late change, the gap by the defensive player on the strong side is way too big. Decker realizes this and takes advantage of this space in front of the defender. She knows the gap is too big for the defender to make up so Decker slows her skating down to maintain that gap and set up her move.

4. Backhand Toe Drag – Decker’s entry on her off-side (a right handed shot on the left side) mixed with her defender’s poor gap off her inside shoulder makes this a great shot opportunity with a screen. Decker pulls the puck back on her forehand side which makes the defender think Decker is going to shoot. When the D anticipates the shot and stands up, Decker executes the beautiful backhand toe drag to change the shot angle right before the release.

5. Quick Release Shot – Decker rips it 5 hole so quickly off the backhand toe drag that the goalie can’t adjust. Notice that she does all of the above with her head up, feet moving and toes pointed at the net. There’s a reason she’s been one of the best players and scorers in the game for over 10 years.