Largely speaking, there are three ways to break a defense:
Through the defense
Around the defense
Over the defense
Understanding which space is being given is useful when it comes to breaking down a defense and creating offense.
At lower levels, defenders and opponents will give away space. At the higher levels, players must understand how to create space for themselves and their teammates.
Space Behind vs Space In-Front
It’s impossible for defenders to cover everything. The defenders will give up space. Where is it?
A simple framework is to understand what space the defenders are giving up:
Playing aggressively up ice? Tight gaps? The space is behind them.
Playing passively? Big gaps? The space is in front of them.
How you attack each space (front or behind) is different. Identifying the space that is being given or to be attacked is critical to playing the situation well. Each takes different assets and mindsets to exploit.
Space Behind
My current favorite play in hockey is a slow-up through the middle that slows down the defender and preserves space behind the defender for a teammate. As the puck carrier slows themselves and the defense, a teammate attacks the space behind with speed.
From a different view, we can see that the puck carrier saves ice and maintains the space behind for his teammate.
In action:
It’s beautiful. One player threatens the space in front (also can be called “underneath”) while the other threatens the space behind.
Playing Aggressive vs Passive Defenses
There is a see-saw between the space in front and behind. The more of one, the less of the other.
If your team is struggling to find space in front and finds the opposition consistently in their face, then finding ways to attack the space behind is what is needed.
Constantly challenging both spaces is a nightmare for defenses and a key ingredient to world-class offensive generation. This is one reason why entry depth is critical. Think back to how many coaches yell “F2 hard to the net!” Gaining depth and attack space behind the defenders allows for underneath space.
Another example is from when we broke down this genius play from Sidney Crosby & Jake Guentzel:
Movement Is THE Key Element
Whether on breakouts or on zone entries, there is compressed space to operate in. Off-the-puck movement is critical. Without movement challenging behind the defenders, the defense can easily shut down any sort of attack.
Sometimes the player receives the puck. At worst, they back up the defense, creating an anchor, creating space underneath for their teammates to operate within.
Coaches Note - This is why so many teams utilize the slash route for their weakside winger on the breakout.
When thinking about attacking the opposing defenses, what are you threatening? How are you trying to attack the back behind and in front?
This process of thinking helps attackers evolve from problem-solvers to problem-creators.
Further Reading
Puck Acquisition: The First Move Is For The Defender; The Second Move Is For You
Wingers playing on their “off-hand side” have a bunch of benefits
Where did the slapshot go? There are fewer and fewer each season that goes by