Providence Transition Drill
PURPOSE
Screen tip rebounds transitioning to a break out and then back into a zone attack. The low zone part is a common play not only in standard offensive zone coverage (OZC) but also on an overload power play.
SKILLS
- Working the half wall for OZC and overload powerplay
- Using the points to create space and traffic generating scoring opportunities
- Crashing the net, screens, tips, and rebounds
- Transitioning (and reading play) from slot to a quick breakout
- Regrouping to a zone entry
- 2v2 containing and creating space for a scoring opportunity
HOW TO
- Two lines in the low corners with pucks, two D up top.
- Line 1 starts backwards quick passes and receives puck back, transitions to forwards, then passes to point
- 1 goes to net while D1 swings to D2 who shoots for a screen-tip-rebound (STR).
- 1 stays in front of the net while D shifts and line 2 starts from the other side with the same pattern.
- After the STR shot from 2, one of the players (coach can decide or players choice to encourage creativity) goes low and gets a breakout pass from one of the lines, other player fills gap.
- Forwards go out of the zone and re-group while D takes a few backwards strides, transitions 180, and takes 2v2 rush into the zone.
FOCUS
- Passes need to be quick and accurate, this is not a stick handling, dangling drill so there should be NO DELAY in moving the puck
- D needs to make sure they are shifting. Younger or inexperienced D will want to stay wide, which makes this play vulnerable in a real game situation.
- Screen-tip-rebound – make sure someone has a rear in front of the goalie, sticks down and ready, and D making tippable shots
VARIATIONS
- Coach can play a puck out instead of getting one from a line
- Have goalies get a puck from behind the net to start the break out
- Instead of re-grouping, go full ice 2v2 to the other end. This still works on a zone entry, but more from a rush perspective than a calculated re-group.
