Protecting {Defending} The Guts Of The Ice
In the video below Rick Tocchet speaks about a rebound goal given up by his group which was the result of not getting to the guts of the ice to push the puck and play to the area outside the dots. The guts of the ice is generally accepted to be the area between the face off dots on the 200' x 85' ice surface. The following data on Scoring Range from the NHL 2018-2019 Season reveals the importance of protecting the guts of the ice from the top of the face-off circles to the net where the majority of goals are scored:
10-20' - 34.3% of goals scored from this range 20-30' - 19.2% of goals scored from this range
30-40' - 12.9% of goals scored from this range
In theory the smaller the area of the ice to protect the easier it should be to protect yet games are won and lost in the game within the game which is from the top of the face off circles to the net. A small area to defend yet offensive players find a way to get to the middle of the ice to establish offensive position on defenders regularly to score goals.
Key Areas to Protect The Guts of the Ice
- Top of the Face off Circles to the Net.
- Entrance into Your Zone {Your Blue Line}.
- Middle Ice Between the Dots on the 200' x 85' Ice Surface.
- Outside the Dots {80% of the game is played 3' from the boards} - The Wall Game.
Championship Teams Protect The Guts Of The Ice
The recipe for winning Championships has been shared by Jon Cooper who is arguably one of the best to have every coached the game. Manage the Puck + Defend the Guts of the Ice = Championship Team.
Obviously, you need players with strong technical hockey skills to execute the game plan but having the right strategy, tacis and systems play is part of the equation. The statistical data supports the Defend to Win Strategy. When you look at the top 6-8 teams at www.nhl.com you can see for yourself, they lead the league in:
- Goals Against per Game Played,
- Goals For - Goals Against and GF/GA Ratio,
- Positive Goal and Shot Differential.
Winning the Possessioin Game (PG) by managing the puck allows you to spend less time defending. You need to support the puck as a connected group offensively and defensively to win the PG. You must also be able to get the puck back and protect the guts of the ice. The best teams hunt the puck as a connected group and their team identity is observable by watching their habits in the execution of the following key areas of the game:
- Forecheck Game {OZ & NZ with inside out control}
- Tracking {Back Checking} Between the Dots
- Wall Game {3' from the boards} High Puck Battle Win %
- Boxing Out Net Front and the 200' of the Ice Surface
Examples Of The Battle For Body & Stick Position
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#2
Net Front Defender Doesn't Protect The Guts Of The Ice - Missed Box Out
The best thing you can do for young players is to teach them the Defensive Game. Teach them the importance of managing the puck and defending to win the Possession Game. Teach them how to check by using their body and stick effectively and the importance of being in position to defend with body position 1st and stick position 2nd.
