- 1). Pressure the passes that go between the two point men. Excellent speed is required when putting pressure on the puck at the point. By skating directly at one of the point men, you force him to get rid of the puck. He must send it to the opposite point man or in deep to one of the forwards. The easiest pass is across ice to the other defenseman. Keep this in mind as the penalty kill progresses.
- 2). Demonstrate your physical prowess by taking the body when you get the opportunity. When the puck is along the sideboards, you may have a chance to come up with it. However, if the opposition comes up with it, hammer them with the body and make them pay the price. By playing a physical brand of hockey, your opponents will be wary of you every time you come near them.
- 3). Set up the defensemen for the breakaway as the puck works its way back to them. Remember, you forced a pass when you skated directly at the defenseman. Now, take one stride at the defenseman with the puck, and cut toward the middle. There's an excellent chance that the defenseman will see your first stride and try to pass the puck to his partner. Since you have cut to the middle, you should be able to intercept the pass and go in alone on the breakaway.
- 4). Use the suddenness of the moment to your advantage when skating in on a shorthanded breakaway. The opposing goalie will be a little shocked to see his team give up the scoring opportunity. Use his shock to your advantage by getting rid of the puck quickly. Instead of moving deep into the attack zone and making a series of dekes to fake the goalie out of position, keep your head up and look for any opening after you cross the blue line. Fire a quick wrist shot when you get between the faceoff circles in the attack zone. This shot should take the goalie by surprise. The quick shot works well on a shorthanded breakaway.
- 5). Look to steal the puck when it is passed up the sidewall. If you can get your stick on it as your opponent has it inside your defensive zone, you can pass the puck up the wall and hopefully get your own pass. Try to angle the puck past the point man and retrieve the rebound off the boards. As you go in alone, remember the strategy of trying to shoot quickly in order to surprise the goalie. However, if you decide to make a few moves and fake the goalie out of position, go to the top corner with a backhand shot. This is perhaps the most difficult shot to master, but it's one that will pay off with multiple goals once you understand to convert that shot.