There’s a cliche in hockey that’s so boring, so tired, so over-used that it’s become a caricature of itself. Hockey players being interviewed during the intermission on Saturday night spout this phrase without thinking, as though it’s an essential bodily function like breathing or blinking. Everybody knows it, everybody hates it, everybody braces for it before its said.

But we all still say it.

Pucks on net.

So let’s set the context. We say it because it’s necessary.

The phrase emphasizes a fundamental truth in hockey - you can't score if you don't shoot. Getting pucks to the net creates several opportunities beyond the initial shot.

• Direct scoring chances from the initial shot
• Rebound opportunities for teammates
• Forcing the goalie to make saves, which can create confusion and chaos
• Wearing down the opposing defence and goalie over time

So why don’t players shoot the puck when they have opportunities to do so?

They don’t think the initial shot will go in. Young hockey players are often still playing an individual sport. They think that they have to score to be successful. It comes from the parents, the agents, the scouts, but players who contribute to wins are valuable at the next level.

As a coach, it’s your job to make a big deal out of putting pucks on net and the subsequent actions - if someone recovers the rebound in the corner and starts your o-zone play, that is a huge success, but it’s not possible if the puck isn’t in the goalie’s pillows in the first place.

When you watch these clips you’ll notice it’s not always a deflection or a rebound that makes it to the back of the net. It’s the initial shot, a recovery, maybe another shot, and then a rebound or a deflection or a skilled play (there’s one in here that really hurts).

Skilled players can put the puck in the net with a shot or the smoothest of dekes, but eventually the competition gets strong enough to put a stop to that for the most part. A lot of these players aren’t trying to pick the perfect hole in the goalie’s armour. There’s no time for that, no space. They’re just getting pucks through screens or just willing them to the net.

Create some chaos, get the puck back, and put it in the net.

Pucks on net.

Ugh…