Some of these are pretty creative.

If you want to have a successful power play, you will not only need good players, but also smart tactics, including a successful breakout and zone entry. In this article, we’ll be breaking down most of the power play breakouts used by NHL teams.

We will see seven different breakouts, with some variation within them.

1. The 3-2 breakout

The most common power play breakout is the famous 3-2.

Teams try to push north and drop the puck behind to create separation between the penalty killers and the attacking players. In the video below we’ll see eight variations of the breakout 3-2, with my two favourites coming from the Washington Capitals and the double drop variation from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2. Three forwards high breakout

I love this one so much and I hope to see it more often next season in the NHL.

The first two players get back low to retrieve the puck and wheel on the dot lane. The three forwards stay on the far blue line. The puck carrier has three options: carry the puck, cross-ice pass, or a quick up. This breakout can create a lot of confusion or a lot of space for your D to carry the puck up ice.

3. “Colorado secret” breakout

My favourite one of them all.

I’ve cheated a little bit on this one and brought in some in-season footage. What if you can mix in a scissor play/drop pass in the neutral zone, add players curling through the middle from the opposite side, and give the new puck carrier in the middle of the ice plenty of options?

It’s called the “Colorado Secret.”

4. The 2 swing breakout

This is an easy one to set up, as most of the time the defenceman doesn’t even have to stop behind the net.

Two players are coming back low and swing on opposite sides. Make sure to look for the two players in the neutral zone. Sometimes there is an option in the middle, where you can pick a player, creating a subtle interference play.

5. The 4 back breakout

The Winnipeg Jets are the best team in the league for doing the 4 back breakout. It’s about having players back down low, creating speed and filling lanes. If you come up with a lot of speed, it’s hard to defend and even after the first pass, you still have some options.

6. Breakout 4-1

We should rename this breakout the MacKinnon breakout.

Basically, you drop the puck to your lone player in the back and he does everything else. We can see in the video the deception Nathan MacKinnon uses as he races up the ice.

Some teams drop the puck on their own blue line, however teams like the Dallas Stars love dropping the puck on the far blue line, causing their opponent to stop further back.

7. Breakout 5 back

We don’t need to draw anything for this one.

We have five players coming back and taking off together. In the first clip, we can see the “Dallas left breakout” where three players are curling on the left side and creating three passing lanes (middle, dot, wall) with speed. If you are not aware on the penalty kill, you might get burnt quickly.

The video below also features the standard 5 back, with the Vegas Golden Knights using the hybrid icing rule to their advantage.