The Tape: Net front battle

Just outside the top of the crease may be one of the most punishing locations in all of sports. At times hockey can look similar to MMA when players engage in that area but it is also a key location for offenses to control. On this week’s reel of The Tape, we take a look at how the Avs manage the front of the net.

1. Physical punishment. There is no way around this one, no team in the league is going to let you screen their goalie for free. Things like crosschecks to the back are par for course; the NHL has no interest in calling penalties in those areas barring something egregious. This example is a particularly rough ride for Rantanen as he gets worked on for an extended period of time, but it gives you a good example of where the phrase “everyone plays hurt” comes from.

2. Size. Being a large human being will help in regards to managing and dishing out punishment in front of the net but it also has a bonus on the offensive side. The bigger you are, the farther the goalie has to go to get a clean look around you. Turns out it is significantly harder to stop a puck you can’t see coming. Here Landeskog shows this off – screening Dubnyk which causes him to react late and fail to seal off openings.

3. Hand-Eye coordination. While more than a few teams have tried to stick a giant with stone hands in front to act as a screen, there are better ways to get the most out of the position. Players like Joe Pavelski and to a lesser extent Gabe Landeskog have made careers out of tipping pucks in front. While difficult to pull off and wildly inconsistent, tip plays are the bane of goalies as in most cases there is nothing they can do but hope it hits them.

4. Stick battles. The cat and mouse game never ends. Want to prevent tip-ins? Don’t let the opponents use their sticks. The Avs regularly lose the physical battle net-front, particularly with smaller defensemen like Girard but he can make up for that in other ways using finesse to deny tips and rebound acquisitions. Makar shows a perfect example of this, Francouz is still going to have to fight through the screen but he gets to make a save on a clean shot.

5. Movement. No matter where you are playing on the ice, if you’re standing still for more than a few seconds there is a good chance you’re doing it wrong. Playing net front is often lumped in with the “dirty areas” in the corners and behind the net for a reason. Being able to slide in and out of the slot much like a big man moving through the key on a basketball court makes an offense much more versatile. You can present as an option to work the puck down low, spread the ice, and in some cases even go for the fly-by screen, cutting between the goalie and an incoming shot. Watch how Landy moves on the play below, sliding to the corners, drifting across the crease, always setting himself up off the play developing around him.

Every forward on the ice has to go to the net-front at times and when they do they should play to their strengths. Those that have a knack for the area can often be a key to success, particularly when it comes to special teams.