Elite Goal Scoring Habits With Jonathan Marchessault
How Jonathan Marchessault Won the Conn Smythe Trophy with Smooth and Easy Processing
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored a hat trick to sink the Edmonton Oiler’s 2022-23 postseason dreams. While none of his goals would make a highlight reel, they were all elite ‘goal scorer’ goals.
What seemed lucky was simply great reading of the game, solid habits, and putting himself in a position to “get lucky.” Let’s break down the tape.
Goal #1
Marchessault spins away from his check and heads toward the net. He understands a shot is likely so he bumps #29 blue to box out and have first access to any rebound on the far side of the net. The shot hits the goalie in the shoulder and rolls over into the crease and Marchessault is able to easily tap the puck into the net.
Goal #2
Marchessault starts this clip at the point after covering for an activating teammate. As the teammate is returning and the puck carrier skates high into the zone, Marchessault jumps down into the middle of the zone.
He gains body position and puts himself in a spot where he can react to the next play. The puck ends up heading toward the net where he just created a 2v1. Marchessault reacts and accelerates to sweep the puck into the net.
Goal #3
To finish off his hat trick… Marchessault uses his first step to create offense and open his body toward the net and rifles a wrist shot from the dot with a deceptive pull action.
Fantastic positioning, timing, and reading ahead lead to elite results.
Marchessault’s Elite Level Scanning
What caught my eye when watching Marchessault play was his elite-level scanning and desire to acquire information from his environment.
Watch this clip, the full shift preceding his first goal, to key in on Marchessault’s head. You can see how he is always looking around to take in information and inform his decisions. The takeaway here is obvious: You can’t and won’t see what you don’t look for.
Twenty-six seconds elapse from the puck being dropped at the start of the shift to the moment Marchessault ushers the Golden Knights back into the zone with possession.
In those twenty-six seconds, you can see Marchessault scan nine times(!!!) for a rate of 0.35 scans a second (and that’s without accounting for any scanning he might have done when he is out of view of SportsNet’s broadcast camera).
Research from Geir Jordet of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences has shown a direct connection between scanning frequency and performance (pass completion, higher danger passes, etc.).
Marchessault’s scanning rates are similar to a fullback in soccer (0.36 scans/second) and ahead of what you’d expect for a soccer forward at 0.28 scans/second.
Because Marchessault is constantly surveying his surroundings, he can anticipate where the play is heading and where he needs to go to capitalize. The end result is Marchessault scoring a lot of “luck goals.” But those goals are actually a product of the winger’s habit of being aware of his surroundings. He prioritizes taking in information that will give him clues to what is likely to happen next so he can position himself to take advantage of opportunities.
Goal to Send Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final
Let’s look at Marchessault’s goal from the Knights’ Western Conference Final win in Dallas, which clinched their passage to the Stanley Cup Final. Off a defensive zone faceoff, Marchessault scans three times in three seconds and ends up with a rush goal.
Scan 1 = As his teammate skates the puck behind the net, Marchessault looks up ice to read what his teammate is doing and the Dallas defenseman’s response.
Scan 2 = Once the puck is released (elite scan timing), Marchessault looks up ice again and this time scans more fully to read both defenders.
Scan 3 = Marchessault sees that his teammate beat his defender and scans to understand his surroundings, including the backcheck. He confirms that the chance is there and he has space to sprint into
Marchessault’s scanning lays the foundation of information he needs to read and make the best next play. By the end of his scans, he understands clearly that he will need to sprint into the open space to avoid the back pressure and create an odd-person rush chance.
This goal is a direct by-product of Marchessault’s best habit/skill… scanning. He plays without hesitation as the play unfolds because scans at a high level to build a mental map of the ice.
Unsurprisingly, Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Scanning Research
Dr. Jordet’s research to date has focused on soccer. With funding and willpower from USA Hockey, the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, he is now turning his attention to hockey.
He is now accepting applications for a new three-year PhD program on “visual perception and scanning in elite ice hockey.”
Per the project’s application guide, “The overall aim of the predefined project is to get a better understanding of how elite ice hockey players scan and explore their environment on the ice in games, and the extent to which scanning is related to performance and player safety.”
The end result will, without doubt, become a must-read for anyone who wants a keener sense of how the best hockey players in the world come to understand their surroundings each shift.
If you want to get paid to watch hockey while becoming a doctor, here is your chance…
Further Reading:
Reading space by looking toward the Recently vacated space
Hockey IQ Newsletter Scanning Series
Win more pucks by prioritizing Poaition before possession