These 5 goals from the semi-final games at the recent Women’s World Hockey Championship are why we don’t “dust off” pucks before shooting.

In every one of these video clips, you’ll see the scorers catch & release the puck so quickly off the pass that neither the goalie nor defenders have time to react. If the shooters had taken even one stickhandle (what I mean by “dusting off the puck”), those shots may have been blocked or saved.

Three of these quick release goals were scored off a low to “high” vertical pass and two were off an east-west horizontal pass. Let’s talk about why each are so effective at creating great scoring chances.

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OFF THE LOW TO “HIGH” PASS:

The short pass from below the goal-line to the low slot is so effective because the goalie has to adjust her gaze and position & the defenders often have their feet turned to face the puck and low players and lose sight of their check.

There are 3 keys that make these 3 quick release goals happen:

1. The forecheckers apply hard pressure to win their battles and gain position & possession down low.
2. The passer “thinks a play ahead” and has scanned the ice to know where the shooter is and which way she shoots so that she can deliver a great pass to shoot.
3. The shooter is “puck ready” and has gotten her stick and body in a great shooting position before the puck arrives so that she can let it go instantly. She also “arrives on time” to release that shot. She’s not too early (which would make it easier for the defender and goalie to track her) which gives her that tiny bit of extra time and space to get a better shot off.

k

OFF THE EAST-WEST PASS:

Just like with the low to high pass, both the goalie and defenders need to adjust their gaze and positioning when an east-west horizontal pass is made in the offensive zone.

On both goals, we see the forecheckers apply hard pressure to create a turnover and immediately transition to the attack.

1. In this first east-west goal, we see immediate close support created on the wall which allows the US to execute a quick cross & drop which opens up a ton of space for the player who picks up the drop. The player who dropped it “thinks a play ahead’ and immediately rolls off into open space in the high slot to receive a return east-west pass. She is 100% “puck ready” when the pass comes and gets off her shot quickly without dusting it off. You can see in the clip that the goalie is still adjusting her stance up until the shot is taken which makes it much hard to make the save.
2. This second east-west goal is much simpler but just as effective. As soon as the forechecker gains possession, we see both her linemates “think a play ahead” and get into great support/scoring positions instantaneously. She could easily kick the puck out to either player and either pass would generate a great scoring chance. Again, the pass receiver “arrives on time” and is in the perfect “puck ready” position. She gets it and immediately shoots it back across the grain in the direction the goalie came from for another beautiful quick release goal.

Remember & work on the 5 key concepts that drive better scoring chances:

Think A Play Ahead.
Give Quick Support.
Arrive On Time.
Be Puck Ready.
No Dust.

~ Coach Kim