https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6eCwE8oCIELets Talk: Defensive zone breakout?
December 4, 2020 8:09AM
edited December 2020
I guess I am sort of an average player in HUT. Having played some 100 games I have a winning % of 65. Now, being in division 5 I very often find myself having troubles getting out of my defensive zone with puck under control when my opponents playing full forechecking. It seems that they can anticipate my every move and close all my skating lines and regardless of lines it seems their players are faster than mine. I might get the puck out in the middle now and then but then loose the puck again and back to defense after 1 or max 2 passes.
What to consider here? Is it just my fingers that are too slow?
What to consider here? Is it just my fingers that are too slow?
Post edited by EA_Blueberry on
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Howdy, Stranger!
Replies
Do you ever drop passes back to create space? I find that if there's too much traffic preventing getting out of my zone, I drop a pass back to a defender or as a defender, move the puck to my D partner. Almost all the time I only see my opponents move the puck up the ice and skating into opposing players when they could move the puck around in their zone to separate opposing players and create gaps in their defense.
I dont find drop passes that simpel, the puck freeze (stop gliding) pretty fast, and my other AI player is often moving away from the puck before he gets it.(and pretty much in same line as the defender that drop pass). It would be cool if we could 'call for a drop' or somehow get it into a strategy. Have one defender more deep when you try to breakout.
separate opposing players is a good way to avoid getting trapped in a forechecke.
Try to use as much ice that you can, side to side, and deep in the corners. That will probebly free up some space.
Backskate with the puck under control, at the same time you move against one side of the corner, let the chasing player come pretty close before you pass the puck.
Sorry for the confusion. I didn't mean using a drop pass. I meant moving the puck back to a trailing teammate. For example, if I'm getting a lot of pressure and there are no good options to move the puck towards my offensive zone, I'll pass the puck back to a teammate behind me. Usually, in my zone. Now, I have options as this buys some time and very often creates open lanes to pass to a teammate that can break into my offensive zone. Most of the time, I see other players force the puck through the neutral zone, which normally results in a turnover. If you watch real hockey, you'll see teams regularly move the puck back to teammates when there's too much traffic in their way.
Yeah I was close to ask if it was a drop pass you meant or the other way.. Like you describe it.. And yes.. I agree in everything you said.
I wish thoose forced play through the neutral zone could results in even more turnovers. But wi'll get there!
What strategy are you running? What do you feel works best against 'the typical HUT player'?
Forecheck:?
Neutral zone:?
Control breakout:?
Quick Breakout:?
If you feel like sharing your secret 😬
I start off with 1-2-2 Passive for forecheck and 1-2-2 Red for Neutral Zone. Control breakout is on Strong Side Slant and Quick Breakout is on Leave Zone Early. I adjust strategies and pressure as my opponent dictates though.
And in 1-2-2 red, how do you try to pressure the opponent, with the player you control?
Thank you for sharing
Strong side slant is supposed to work when you hold the puck behind your net with a defender and wait for your players to get in position to breakout. Which is something I rarely do just because I don't usually have the time for it. So, it's not really being utilized as intended. I need to experiment with other strategies to see if they make a difference. When I'm breaking out, I just look for open lanes and since the NZ is usually clogged it means I'm passing back a lot as I said previously. I can pass back with a forward that comes up against traffic in the NZ and across to another defender or up to one of the forwards which now usually have a gap to gain entry through since their players are more focused on where the puck was. Essentially catching them out of position a bit.
I dont think its just you that usually don't have the time for it. Thats a problem as I see it.. To get strategies to work propely, you need to ease the pace a large number, and to do that you have to keep the puck between your teammates for quite a long time, without attacking and without turnover the puck. And there's far from many that got the puck skill to do that properly.
But it sounds like we try to set up a pretty equal play.
Thanks for letting me in! 😏👍
It's dependent on how your opponent defends. Turning over the puck behind the net can lead to an easy back door goal as well so if I stay back there, there really needs to be little threat from their defense.
You're very welcome!
I like the idea about close support, but beacuse 'everyone' just like to rush against you in their forecheck, it's quite easy to get stuck. Too many players on same area.
Leave zone early is great to have if you want a more outspread team, more options to play long. But to get it to work you need to take the puck back in your own zone, wait for your team to fall back, then when you see your wingers turn and your center is pretty close to you as a short option.. It's time to start moving up.. And one of your winger will be much higher up on the ice then the other.. When you get this to work, it's really effectiv.. Your opponent will have much to think of.
Anyone know how your team are suppose to put pressure with this strategy?
Thank you chli!
Yeah I come to think about it like this.. If you manual change strategy in the game, if you have switch everything to the right side of that 'display', thats probebly the most aggressive you can play. 1-2-2 aggressive and 1-2-2 blue + full forecheck. And I think everything to the left side is the opposite, the most defensive you can play..
I actually play full offensive way now.. Cause I feel if I give my opponent to much time to goof around with the puck in their own zone and neutral zone, the gameplay gets much worse for me, then if I let my AI pressure them pretty hard and I try to positioning myself between my own blue line and the red line, and take it from there.
Ooh just come to think about it.. I remember when 'red line offside' still was a rule.. But I don't remember if NHL ever had that rule.
I think u have a point in going all aggressive. Only risk is, as said, if u face a really good passer and get outplayed.
I also learned recently that u should be careful with too intensive skating as your guys will get fatigued. I have won a few games lately by passing d to d a lot and let the opponent skate between my players and then outskate him.
There are a lot of things hidden in utilizing strategies.
I - never - go full sprint, I rather turn back and look for other options, then to get a gameplay were you constantly just hustle with your opponent's to get first to the puck. I like when you can have control of whats going on. And if it's a really good passer, stay down really careful.
I usally pretty 'low-key'/hang back with the player I have in control, and realese my dooogz = AI: hehe, to chase down opponent's that's to afraid to come at me. But it's a tricky tactic that dont always work as good as I hope. People are good to 'get around' the A.I, on a cheesy way.
* aaah thanks for that info about red line offside, that rule feels funny today, you feel like hockey is always hockey.. But it changes pretty much.. As the rest of the world 😊