Speed Off The Puck with Dylan Larkin
Dylan Larkin has been evolving his game.
The Detroit Red Wings captain has always been known for his skating speed. Now he’s been finding a way to use his elite speed as a deceptive weapon.
So, what exactly has Larkin been doing?
Speed Behind the Puck
Rather than sprinting up the ice immediately, Larkin is lurking back in his own zone as his teammates go up ice into the neutral zone and pin back the defenders
At this point, Larking starts to build up speed below the level of play and builds a massive positive speed differential.
Speed Away from the Puck
Strong-side speed is obvious and opponents can easily react.
Weak-side speed is oftentimes off the radar and opponents often struggle to address the growing threat.
Larkin is great at coming into the play late. The tactic is a little bit like Maverick in the movie ‘Top Gun’. Here we see Larkin building speed off the screen and ripping through the defense with ease once on the scene.
Larkin has found a way to create an advantage for himself. What are some other tactics you can think of for turning an obvious skill into a tactical advantage?
Further Reading
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