You often hear people describe the NHL as a copycat league. Whenever a team does something different, the rest of the league is quick to adopt their own version of it.
Over the last several years, NHL teams have largely adopted the 1-3-1 as their default power play formation. While this is certainly dangerous due to the multitude of passing and shooting options it presents, it is also a look teams have seen before and know how to defend. They may not always be successful, but teams know what to expect.
Today I’m going to explain what I think should be a team’s default power play formation, something that no one really does in 5-on-4 situations. This is to run the power play from behind the net.
I installed this with the team I coached this past season and it worked quite well. I’ve also heard from a variety of other coaches that tried it and reported success with using it.
Data-driven Coaching
So, how did I arrive at the decision to install a power play below the goal line? The answer is analytics.
A big focus in my work over the years has been game strategy and isolating specific shot sequences. What are more efficient ways to score? How can we do this?
My first piece on the topic was two years ago. I revisited it last year, and plan on doing so again in the near future. In addition to analyzing these plays, goaltenders aren’t a fan of this style and so it can have an impact later on in the game as well.
The findings are simple: shots that are created from passes originating below the goal line have a significant relationship to future scoring. How can you build a power play around this offensive concept?
Let’s walk through it.
Shots that are created from passes originating below the goal line have a significant relationship to future scoring . . . SEE MORE OF THE COACHES SITE Join The Coaches Site to access the latest drills, tactics & leadership lessons from hockey's top coaches. Already a member? Login
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Ryan Stimson
Ryan has written extensively on hockey analytics since 2013. He has pioneered work in player evaluation and game strategy, leading the popular Passing Project for several seasons. Ryan has contributed on analytics and published new research at Hockey Graphs, but also has written on using data to better evaluate hockey tactics. He consulted for RIT Men’s Hockey Team from 2015 - 2018 and coached a 14U team as well. Ryan is a Certified Level III USA Hockey Coach. He has published a book you can buy on Amazon, Tape to Space: Redefining Modern Hockey Tactics, that draws on insights gained from data analysis to optimize how teams should play hockey.
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