joshjull
Registered User
Interesting read in light of the debate this season over what we need to jump start our offense. The writer focuses in on breakout transitions and how important they are.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/best-defencemen-proficient-offence/
The writer then breaks down every dman from the first round and their proficiency at breaking out.
TOP GUYS
WORST
LINK TO INTERACTIVE CHART https://public.tableau.com/profile/sean.tierney#!/vizhome/Zoneexits/Dashboard1
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/best-defencemen-proficient-offence/
The crux of it is an individual blueliner is responsible for a lot of subtle plays over the course of any given game, which can go a long way towards putting the rest of his teammates in a more optimal situation to succeed.
The most important of these are own-zone breakouts, which in essence transition from defence to offence. It can be easy to lose sight of the fact a defenceman generally acts as the first line of attack for his team. Much like a quarterback in football, he has to read the coverage, maneuver his way through oncoming traffic, and fling an accurate pass that will ideally hit his receiver in stride.
This year’s Pittsburgh Penguins are the perfect example of this idea put into practice. There are a couple of reasons why they immediately took off after making the change from Mike Johnston to Mike Sullivan, most of which point back to the facelift they gave their transition game. It’s no surprise their performance spiked once they shed Rob Scuderi, cut back on Ian Cole’s inexplicable usage on the top pair, and supplemented a finally healthy Kris Letang and Olli Maatta with another legitimate puck-mover in Trevor Daley.
Watching this transition game in action against a polar opposite Rangers team in Round 1 was jarring. The Rangers couldn’t seem to string together two consecutive passes unless Keith Yandle was on the ice. New York’s counterattack was stifled by its inability to break out with any consistency. Had they been able to move the puck from the back end to their skilled forwards more regularly, they surely would have been more competitive.
The writer then breaks down every dman from the first round and their proficiency at breaking out.
Here are the players who appeared on both ends of the extreme (players who appeared only once weren’t included because their low counts threw things out of focus):
Possession % = the percentage of all exit attempts by that defenceman that left the zone either by him carrying it, or successfully passing to a teammate. Failed % = blatant turnovers in the defensive zone, or icings.
TOP GUYS
WORST
It’s fair to say most of the names that appear at both ends of the spectrum are ones you’d generally expect. I’d highly recommend keenly watching a player such as Nick Leddy or Drew Doughty operate in his own zone. They seemingly never get flustered, regardless of the position they’re in or the forechecker who’s bearing down on them. While they carried out a significant percentage of exits on their own, an ability to patiently skate out of trouble and look for a better passing lane is just as important to their sustained success.
LINK TO INTERACTIVE CHART https://public.tableau.com/profile/sean.tierney#!/vizhome/Zoneexits/Dashboard1
Being able to effectively transition the puck out of the defensive zone is an essential quality for a blueliner to wield. Hockey is a fluid game and it can be difficult to differentiate between the different phases of action.
It’s remarkable how much one distinct sequence, like a simple breakout, can affect subsequent plays.
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