Learn from the Pros – Week 9
Another exciting NHL season has come to a close – this year with one of the original six teams bringing home the Stanley Cup. Although the finish was a bit strange, it’s safe to say it was an exciting final game. In this week’s Learn from the Pros segment, we’ll take a look at the last two goals of the 2009-10 NHL season.
The first clip is of Hartnell’s goal to tie the game in the dying minutes of the 3rd period.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYfUD8etY50
[0:00] – Flyers #22 Ville Leino has a lot of space and gets a good head of steam from his own end. Flyers #20 Chris Pronger is picking Hawks captain Jonathan Towes by placing his stick between his legs and preventing him from getting an effective forecheck on Leino.
[0:03] – By Pronger hodling up Towes from getting to Leino, it forces the 2nd Hawks forechecker to try to make a play head-on while standing flat-footed. This play is extremely difficult to execute since the puck carrier has all the momentum and can easily change directions as Leino does.
[0:05] – Since the forecheck of Chicago couldn’t slow the puck carrier down at all, this forces Seabrook and Keith to respect the speed of Leino and back in to their zone. As you can see, the D pair are just below the Stanley Cup Finals logo in the ice after Leino crosses the blue-line.
[0:07] – Leino does a good job protecting the puck wide, and has both Daniel Briere and Scott Hartnell going to the net. In desperation situations, getting the puck to the net is often the best play. Leino throws the puck to the front of the net, where it bounces off of Brent Seabrook’s stick, Marian Hossa’s shin pad, and hits the waiting stick of Scott Hartnell.
The key points on this goal are:
1) Getting the puck to the net
2) Crashing the net with your stick on the ice
If Hartnell doesn’t have his stick down, this goal doesn’t go in. The redirection isn’t really an actual shot, but almost incidental contact with the puck – simply because his stick was on the ice.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy4UZbtxxkY
[0:02] – Flyer’s #5 Braydon Couburn pins Hawks Andrew Ladd (#16) in the corner, create a loose puck for Flyers #36 Darroll Powe.
[0:03] – Quick forechecking pressure by Hawks #10 Patrick Sharp forces Powe to wrap the puck up the boards.
[0:05] – Hawks defenseman #51 Brian Campbell keeps the puck in and opens his body and moves laterally across the blue line. This subtle play gives Campbell options – he can either shoot, or move the puck back down the wall.
[0:07] – Campbell moves the puck down to #88 Patrick Kane. Kane freezes the defending forward by making some incredible fakes and then driving wide, protecting the puck.
[0:10] – Kane take a quick shot, just getting the puck to the net. As mentioned earlier, in times of desperation (and in overtime) – get the puck to the net!
Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning their first Stanley Cup in 49 years!
