You don't have to be a big guy to be a good net-front scorer.

Finding goals around the net requires finesse more than brute-force. The best net-front scorers don’t just crash, bang, and whack the puck to have it cross the goal-line; they show ingenuity, elusiveness, and game-reading abilities. They learned the tricks of the trade, starting with timing. 

As teams defend that area more fiercely than in others on the ice, attackers have to resist a ton of checking pressure, but more than that, they have to time themselves with the play to get their stick on the puck before opponents can react. They need to act on passes and shots as their teammates send them to the front of the net, moving too early, before the puck arrives, gives the defence time to neutralize the play, and moving too late squanders the chance. 

Timing is the foundation of net-front scoring, and to consistently collect goals in the area, attackers have to incorporate it inside a flurry of techniques.  

Creating space

Many of the videos below include John Tavares, and for good reason — he is a master of scoring around the blue paint. He adapts his positioning rapidly to the movement of his teammates, anticipates pockets of space, and creates them like few others.

Tavares makes great use of his stick and rear-end. He turns his back to defenders, sticks out his derriere, and extends his knee to hold inside positioning. His manoeuvres prevent opponents from taking away his stick; they allow him to get the first touch on passes and rebounds. When the centreman doesn’t have inside positioning, he creates space by shoving defenders just hard enough to slide them out of defensive range, timing those pushes perfectly with the arrival of the puck. Before opponents can re-check him, Tavares gets his stick down and scores. 

In a net-front battle, swift attackers can also roll on defenders to get open. As a shot is fired towards the net, a spin allows them to slip behind defenders, win inside positioning, and make contact with the puck. Again, the success of the roll depends on its timing — spinning too early gives opponents time to re-establish coverage. 

Lastly, to create space, attackers can step out of the net-front area. At the end of the video above, Brayden Point and Jack Eichel stand around the blue paint. As their puck-carrying teammate lifts his head to look for options, they seize the opportunity to spring away from the cage and present their stick. Point scores from a one-timer and Eichel from a lateral tip. 

Sometimes the best way to beat defensive coverage is to attract it net-front and then move out of the pile. 

Manipulating coverage

The first clip in the video features Point again. The 5-foot-10 centreman of the Tampa Bay Lightning scores many of his goals right at the door-step, reinforcing the idea that size isn’t a requirement to find success in the area. Just like for Jake Guentzel in the second clip, Point’s slippery qualities make up for his lack of pure-strength. 

Both forwards manipulate coverage very well. As the offence cycles around them, they position themselves between defenders to confuse coverage assignments. Defencemen become unsure of who between them should be neutralizing the net-front threat. When a teammate becomes ready to send them the puck, Point and Guentzel jump into pockets of space to score.

On his goal, Guentzel also lifts the stick of the closest defender right before he gets the puck. The timing of his move prevents the opponent from neutralizing the shot. 

Attackers can also manipulate defenders one-on-one on their way to the net, much like strikers in soccer. When the puck moves below the goal line, opponents have to consistently watch both the puck and the movement of forwards behind them. In the video above, Jordan Eberle and John-Jason Peterka take advantage of the blind spots of a defender.  As the opponent shoulder checks, they fake a run one way, and when he turns his head back towards the puck, they explode in the other direction to free themselves from checking pressure and earn great scoring chances. 

Catching with skates

Due to heavy defensive presence around the net, even if they apply all the techniques above, net-front scorers rarely catch the puck cleanly. There are simply too many bodies on which the puck can deflect on its way to the cage and teammates under pressure often don’t have the luxury of aiming their pass perfectly. As a result, pucks often wobble or move off-target. 

No matter how quickly and precisely some forwards manipulate their stick blade, its surface remains small to grab shifty passes. Net-front scorers have to get extra-comfortable at using their feet to catch and redirect the puck in a position to shoot. Placing one skate perpendicular to a passing lane near the far-post can be the difference between a pass flying away and one snagged just in time to beat the goalie. 

The net is where you go to find goals, but it’s important to attack it with a plan. By honing the multiple different skills presented above and working on offensive timing in practice, giving players the right feel for when and how they should get open, coaches can help their team consistently score around the blue-paint.