I’ve been really impressed with the Toronto Maple Leafs style of play so far this 2021 season under Sheldon Keefe and his staff. They look connected in all areas and rarely look confused as to where their out may be with the puck, or where to go in order to retrieve it. Being a “well-coached team” is a term often used to describe good hockey teams. But what does it really mean? To me, it means having a plan and understanding your options for every situation. Further to that, understanding what the best option is in every situation. Having a style of play that each player and staff member believes in so they know what they can do when they find themselves in each situation on the ice. Beyond systems, it’s the coaching staff explaining to the players what the end-goal is and how each area of the ice is connected to each other. Why are we playing in our D-Zone this way, which leads to where we want to break the puck out and why, which leads to where we want to enter with the puck and why, which leads to how we want to roll into our O-Zone and why. If there’s a turnover, how we’re moving and filling in the O-Zone is going to prepare us to defend a transition attack. Everything is connected.
I read an article a couple months ago that was about developing a “Game Model” for your team and the “4 Macro Moments in Sport”. The article was talking about basketball, but I think the idea holds true for hockey too. At even strength, it makes sense to break down hockey into these four areas. Coaches at the higher levels obviously have protocols and systems in place for certain areas of the ice. D-Zone coverage is an area where having a stricter plan in place is more beneficial. But breaking the game down to these four areas, and then writing down and sharing the key habits and style of play that you want to employ, will help empower your team to play with confidence in knowing they have a plan. Especially for minor hockey teams, you don’t need systems; you need habits. Show your team the habits you value in each situation and explain to them how to use them on the ice. Explain how we can move fluidly through these macro moments with the connectivity of our habits and ideas. Sheldon Keefe and the Maple Leafs clearly have identified how they want to play in each moment, and how each moment is connected to the next.
https://team.fastmodelsports.com/2018/08/24/developing-your-game-model/
A few of my key habits for each moment:
Offence:
Constant movement and support
First read to the net
Always “arriving”. Never waiting
Attack downhill
Transition Defence:
All 5 fight to get above
Stop it before it starts
Have enough gas
Find a sting
Defence:
Pin > Finish
House > Chase
Fill the cracks
Talking ALWAYS
Transition Offence:
Jump to O-Side
5 Together (Prepared to stop on pucks)
Switch sides ASAP
Legs first
Check your tank (Rush vs. Protect)
The Leafs are having success early in the season in sticking to their plan. They are fluid in a lot of situations and fall back onto their habits and style of play in sorting out and understanding the best play to make. If someone isn’t in a spot, teammates have the freedom to fill that spot and they continue through their plan.
In their most recent games against Toronto, Vancouver looked disconnected and unprepared for several situations. Toronto always seemed one step ahead. There are too many moments to go through them all, but one that stuck out was Vancouver’s transition offence. More specifically, when Quinn Hughes was retreating with a puck at the right side of Vancouver’s blue line.
This season, on any puck turned over on Toronto’s side of the Neutral Zone or just inside their D-Zone, they have players “hang-out” on the strong-side of the NZ and the retreating defenceman has an easy out and quick-up to those players. They have a plan and stick to it.
The first clip is from opening night against Montreal and the second clip is from Monday night against Vancouver. It doesn’t matter if the player in the neutral zone is a forward or a D, they always have someone stationed on the strong side of the ice to transition to offence quickly and take any confusion or tough decision under pressure away from the retreating player with possession of the puck.
In similar situations, Vancouver did not seem to have a plan. Hughes retrieves the puck and they should be moving to transition to offence. But he doesn’t seem to have a clear out or isn’t making a quick enough decision based on pressure. Conversely, Toronto’s transition defence was clear. Pressure that retreating D’s stick and hands (especially Hughes) and force them back into their zone.
Both clips are from early in the 1st period. In the first clip, Tavares gets on Hughes’ stick early and forces him deep. If this happens, Hughes doesn’t seem to have an immediate out. Toronto’s F2 (Mikheyev) is also taking away the strong side wall to deny the quick-up the Leafs use. Good plan. Tavares also knows where to go with the puck once he wins it.
The second clip is a little deeper in the zone, but Hughes still doesn’t seem to have a set out or he refuses to use it. Kerfoot is in on his hands quickly.
If you watched the game Monday, you know where this is going. Toronto stuck to their details in this moment and when it happened again they knew exactly what to do. Vancouver failed to adjust, and 11 seconds after Matthews put the Leafs up by 1, Kerfoot put the nail in the coffin thanks to them sticking to the plan.
Little things lead to the big things. Without adjusting for this unsuccessful moment earlier in the game, Toronto was able to take advantage of it. In a game where they probably didn’t play their best, they were still able to win because of their attention to detail and understanding of situational patterns.
The Leafs have been playing cerebral, connected hockey which has led to early success. They have a plan in place. They have their systems for sure, but more importantly they have a style of play. They understand the connectivity of the moments during a game. They move, fill space and cover for each other from one moment to the next. It’s been a lot of fun to watch and it will only get better as they get more comfortable with their teammates and the patterns they create.