Score More

 

When you’re trying to protect a castle, you put up as big of
a wall as you possibly can to slow down your enemies.  Now, if you don’t have a wall, or enough
variables to build one.  The best way to
defend your defenseless castle, is to launch an all out assault on your enemy
while their deciding their attack strategy. 
That’s a long, Dungeons and Dragons/Lord of The Rings way of saying a good
defense is a good offense.

Paul Maurice has focused his attention on making his players
responsible defensively realizing that his goaltending is going to be an issue
this year, as it has in the past.  Does
anyone still believe that outside of his contract Pavelec is an elite
goaltender?!  I’m not saying throw the
baby out with the bathwater this early in the season and abandon the defensive
plan, but when your goal production level is sub par (27th) it’s
something that needs to be addressed now rather than later.

 

 

How does one increase scoring?  Put the puck in the net obviously!!  Ok, ok. 
I have an idea that keeps Maurice’s defensive responsibility in place,
and at the same time allows for more of a western conference run and gun offense
out of our own zone.  It’s a pretty
simple process of hanging your last forward back (not lolli-gagging back, but
the last guy back) on the blue line (kind of a rover between opposition
defensemen).  This allows the forward to
burst out of the zone for a stretch pass and/or backs up the D-men allowing for
a winger or D-man to have a little more room up the boards coming out of his
zone.  Is this a revelation when it comes
to offensive strategy from the defensive zone? 
Not a chance, but I haven’t seen it applied once from the Jets this
season.  Teams that win and score a lot,
you’ll see it time and time again.

If I get the urge by the end of the week, I’ll draw up some
diagrams for those coaches who would like to have a peek at the set up.

Shoot… A lot, from almost anywhere.  If we can outshoot them for the first two
periods, I’ll be shocked if we’re not going into the 3rd with lead.

 #GoJetsGo

 

Wheeler (Section 217)