Wide-Lane Drives
Wide-Lane Drives
Excerpt From: Hockey Plays and Strategies
The wide-lane drive is the most utilized offensive zone entry because this is the space most often available to the puck carrier. When the puck carrier enters the zone wide, he may have the option to drive deep and try to go around the defenseman or behind the net. Defensemen are usually intimated by speed and want to protect the space inside, so they will initially give the puck carrier room on the outside and then try to cut the puck carrier off deeper in the zone. The puck carrier may also delay by driving deep and then cutting back up ice or driving and cutting inside. It is important to read options quickly as you enter the zone wide with speed. The puck carrier going wide need to read where the open space is – if it is deep then drive around the defenseman; if the defenseman closes quickly on the puck carrier then the best option may be to spin off and delay (figure 3.9).
Figure 3.9 The wide-lane drive with options to cut, drive deep, or delay.
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