Watch the eerie similarities between these two goals.
It's a tough shot for the goalie to pick up. From pure elation one night to utter devastation the next. Now reverse that roller coaster for the Montreal Canadiens who, on the back of an Alex Newhook game seven overtime-winning wrister through traffic, head to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. More on them in a minute.
The mid-lane drive is a concept used in every league because the result is unpredictable. That’s why it’s such a key concept. When a player drives through the middle to create pressure on the defender, options open up. Sometimes it’s simply getting a shot through that might go in (you never know!). Sometimes there’s a rebound that’s difficult for the D to track down when it’s behind them. Or at the very least there are numbers ready to start the offensive zone play.
With my teams, I always work on the rush first. Try to score off the rush. If that doesn’t work, you’re into your OZP, which brings a whole new set of concepts.
Back to the rush. Before you get to o-zone play, there’s a lot of room for creativity if your players are committed to the concept of mid-lane drive. Watch these goals by Colorado from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and note that while the mid-lane drive is always present, how the goal is scored varies. This is fun hockey!
One team that doesn’t often get credit for its creativity is the Carolina Hurricanes. I can’t stop watching them and their darned impeccable habits and concepts. Everything coaches ask for, like stopping at the net, Carolina is programmed to do. And now they've got some offensive flair to go along with it.
They’re once again having success in the postseason, but unlike seasons past, it’s the strength of a new trio that’s driving the bus. Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake have a lot of chemistry, but again, it’s because of their commitment to habits and concepts that space opens up for their skill to take over.
Watch them score by driving the middle lane off the rush, then steal these clips and show them to your players.
