Getting Rid of Odd Man Rushes
When attackers outnumber defenders on a rush it’s called an odd man rush. It happens when there is a possession turnover and the play changes direction. If you’re always outnumbered on the other team’s breakout you have a more basic problem, but that’s another article.
Picture a situation where your team has the puck in their end, and all three forwards are in their end. They have three defenders in their end playing your three attackers, but they’ve also got two forwards who are slow getting back, or are high in their end. Your team loses possession and one of their high guys picks up the puck. What’s next?
You’ve got three attackers facing away from the puck. They have three defenders facing the direction of puck movement. Plus, they have the puck carrier moving in the right direction. Your three attackers have to turn around and skate back toward the puck. Their defenders (now attackers) just skate forward.
With your three forwards deep they are out of the play, and probably 80 feet from the puck. The opposing team’s forwards grab the puck and start attacking energetically. The third defender on their team (if he wasn’t already floating high) jumps in the play and your two defense men are outnumbered. This is an odd man scoring chance for the wrong team. The more chances they get the more goals they’ll get. The more goals you give the more games you’ll lose. If you can reduce goals against to 2 or less per game you’ll win more games.
This is an easy problem to fix. Turnovers are going to happen. The other team will get the puck. That’s the way the game plays out. Whether they come off rebounds, shots or bad bounces, turnovers will occur. Get ready for them and be prepared.
If you only send two attackers deep and keep one between the blue line and the top of the circles you’ll have one forward ready to reverse and effectively back check. Additionally, he will be in position to pick up loose pucks that the other team’s defence chip out, or be able to pick off bad break out passes. Even if the other team breaks out with three players, your team will have the same amount defending – your two defence men plus the forward who stayed high. Even strength means no odd man rushes and less chance for the other team to score.
Easy and straightforward. Nothing complex.
So, how can your team adopt this tactic? You can’t force grown ups to do it. They have to buy in, and they can’t have one guy calling the tune. It’s rec hockey – there are no coaches and no GMs. Nobody is the boss.
You can try picking on individuals, but the best way is to talk about it and throw the responsibility out to the lines. Let the three guys who play together decide who’s going to do what, and when. Nobody will argue that odd man rushes are great. Let them decide how to forecheck and attack, but talk about how the D need help and can’t be left hanging. Get a few guys on the team to yell out from the bench about keeping one man high. Four guys sending the message out means that one guy isn’t being a boring evangelist.
The defencemen can help with the message as well, just by bringing it up regularly and reminding the forwards. The more people who tel the forwards to do it, the better, because it becomes a team message. Team messages aren’t resisted as much. It’s a case of “we need to do this”instead of “you have to do this”.
When the turnover occurs the forward closest to the opposing puck carrier rushes the him and forces him to do something. Your forward has to be intense at this point. He can’t just wave his stick at the opposing player. He has to force him, and if the first attempt doesn’t work he has to stick on him and pressure him. A hurried pass is what you want, because that can lead directly to another turnover, but with you getting possession this time.
Your second deep forward goes to the first obvious pass receiver to take that pass away. The more obvious this looks the better, because if the puck carrier sees this he’ll look for a second option. If your first deep forward is pressuring him he won’t have much time to find the second option, and there is an increased chance that he’ll dump it up the middle.
We talked about anticipating the turnover, right? With your two low guys pressuring the opposition there’s a good chance that a puck will end up going up the gut. Your high forward can either grab it or at least stop their hotshot forward from picking up and streaking away with the puck. Forcing them to move it quick leads to them icing it or turning it over, not to pretty break outs.
If they can’t pass and break out quickly, with your three guys deep, there’s no odd man rush. Thats fewer goals against. So, keep one forward high and ready.
Hamish Ortizco has played lots of beer league hockey and knows lots of hockey drills. For more discussion of how to win hockey games search his name on google.
