What I'm looking to talk about are the specifics. What differentiates his system from other coaches?
What are some things you've picked up on because whenever someone mentions how "X player would thrive in this system", it baffles me how people can make such an argument unless they know the ins and outs of the system.
What I'm looking to talk about are the specifics. What differentiates his system from other coaches?
What are some things you've picked up on because whenever someone mentions how "X player would thrive in this system", it baffles me how people can make such an argument unless they know the ins and outs of the system.
So have at it hockey people, school me would ya?
I think with Bruins so called "system" they always have a forward that drops back high on offence and drops low On d with wingers staying out towards boards at near top the circles so they can get to D quick.Its not really nothing alot of other teams does not do.Key is to be able to rotate with any system.I think its just a bunch of fancy words my self.
I think all 5 skaters collapse to the net in the defensive zone a little bit more than most other teams, but they still have one (sometimes 2) look to fly the zone if they do get control of the puck. If the immediate break-out isn't there, they become very conservative getting out of their own end (maddeningly so, sometimes)
In the neutral zone, defensively i think the forwards look to eliminate cross-ice passes as a priority.
- collapse in front of the net and wingers jump into the play along the half-wall to prevent the curl off the boards to the net.
- Support on the breakout in the 'sweet spot'. When a winger is facing a puck that is rimmed around the boards by the D in the defensive zone the opposite winger cuts right across the blueline to give support with a short pass instead of leaving the zone early.
- Regroup (D to D is the msot common) then pass to the first winger near the red line. That winger passes to the forward swinging in the middle or deflects it deep.
In the offensive zone:
-Cycle from the corner constantly. When you see how good Horton-Krejci-Lucic and Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin are along the boards you really see Julien's system. It is defensively responsible as the puck is deep constantly until the points open up for a shot. Overload to the net.
-Recently he has been much more aggressive in having his D pinch at the blueline and in many cases chase the puck right into the corner. High winger covers the point more and more (think how often you see Krejci or Bergeron playing D facing a 2 on 2 or worse).
The main point is the short pass options constantly in the offensive and defensive zone. Many instances you will see three Bruins down deep on the breakout with the other two forwards moving with speed in the neutral zone. Same thing in the offensive zone with the cycle. Short passes to control the play and wear down the opposition with quick cuts. (Marchand is one of the best in the NHL while Bergeron is amazing at turning and facing the boards while protecting the puck until Marchand or Seguin open up. Marchand is less physical and uses quick cuts to break coverage down deep.) In all cases, their is the short safe pass in every zone and the third forward moving constantly for the higher risk/reward play. Often that high forward even goes as high as the point to take a pass from the D and relieve the pressure. Again, the short pass that is a high %.
Coincidentally, this is also why the powerplay is so terrible. When you spend your entire system and philosophy on short passes and overloading the corner with a cycle you are met with frustration when those same players who have strong success 5 on 5 must now abandon that style for a powerplay that is made to stretch out the play and the penalty kill.
They keep going to the umbrella but the answer and best opportunities have been coming from Seguin off the wall back to Hamilton who needs to immediately carry it to the middle of the ice and give it back to Seguin who has to attack the net. They spend time waiting for someone on the PK to come to them so they can make the short pass and isolate the player but on a PK there are very few who bite. Washington tried to pressure and Boston's PP was successful because they removed the point screen for Hamilton.
Chara is afraid to open up his shot and hurt a fellow player. He has admitted that he holds back on many of his shots if there is a screen in front.
A lot of teams around the league implement a 1-2-2. Where Coach Julien may be different is; in the Bruin's defensive zone. Claude somewhat concedes the outer perimeter of the ice, in order to eliminate the low and high slot, as well as circles.
Basically, he's systematically taking away the high scoring areas, sometimes conceding the points and boards. Not intentionally, our forwards just lose a lot foot races w/ pinching D-men. That's the trade off when our wings are positioned out at the top of the circles.
D to D pass behind the net, rinse and repeat, long stretch pass to the half-wall.
2 years ago it seemed they were actually cycling behind their net.
They keep their shifts to a specific length and that is it, if it's a 2 man break and you time is up you go to the bench. The other can go in alone, you take no chances of being got gassed by the other team.
On the offensive zone the forwards stand still waiting for the D to drill the puck on net. That is not their system? Then Claude should tell them to shake a leg and give the D a target.
One thing y'all are really good at defensively is taking space away from attackers. You see guys like Phil Kessel trying to break through the neutral zone and hes met with a defender ready to knock him into last year at the blue-line. You're never laying back defensively, always attacking the opposition.
The B's play a defensive system is called a "Box and One." This is basically a PK box with the +1 being the center. The center sits inside the box and lends support wherever the puck goes, and the wingers are allowed to sag down and collapse on the slot. This is what gives the Bruins their layers.
What makes the Bruins system unique is that the Bruins are less concerned with blocking shots and more concerned with blocking passing lanes. They will concede the outside and let you skate down the wall. They'll even let you throw it on net from the half wall, but try to cut to the middle, or pass it into the slot and there's a maze of sticks and players protecting it.
The other thing that makes their system unique that they play a zone and not man-to-man. So if you take the puck around the perimeter, behind the net and out the other side, nobody is going to chase you. You'll move from one 'zone' to the other while the B's concern themselves with keeping you to the outside and taking away your passing options.
....
In terms of the breakout, the B's like puck possession, they like short passing plays and they like to move up ice as a team. The constant D to D stuff under heavy forecheck is them trying to maintain possession and not just throw a hope pass up ice or throw the puck out so the other team can just regroup and attack again. It means the wingers come down low to make it easy for the D to hit them with a pass. The basic breakout is: D makes an easy pass to the wing and then the wing has the tough pass to make, under pressure, to the center coming up the middle or to the far side winger who's breaking out. However, there is room for improv, and we see it every now and then from Dougie Hamilton who will sometimes short circuit steps 1 and 2 and go straight across and up ice to the far side winger.
....
In the offensive zone, the B's have a read and react forecheck. If the first player in looks like he's going to get pressure, then the second attacks too, while the 3rd stays high in a shooting and/or defensive position just in case both forecheckers get beat. If the first player doesn't have a shot at getting pressure then they fall back into a neutral zone 1-2-2 or trap. The center then tries to funnel the player to one side of the ice or the other, and when the player goes, he puts pressures him from the back and side to take away his passing options up the middle. He's also pressuring the puck carrier towards a winger who's waiting in front of the red line to try and force a turnover or a premature dump-in. This also provides layers because even if the forward getting chased gets past the winger standing up at the red line, he's then got another guy to beat in the defenseman (all with the center chasing him, trying to steal the puck from behind).
The B's play a defensive system is called a "Box and One." This is basically a PK box with the +1 being the center. The center sits inside the box and lends support wherever the puck goes, and the wingers are allowed to sag down and collapse on the slot. This is what gives the Bruins their layers.
What makes the Bruins system unique is that the Bruins are less concerned with blocking shots and more concerned with blocking passing lanes. They will concede the outside and let you skate down the wall. They'll even let you throw it on net from the half wall, but try to cut to the middle, or pass it into the slot and there's a maze of sticks and players protecting it.
The other thing that makes their system unique that they play a zone and not man-to-man. So if you take the puck around the perimeter, behind the net and out the other side, nobody is going to chase you. You'll move from one 'zone' to the other while the B's concern themselves with keeping you to the outside and taking away your passing options.
....
In terms of the breakout, the B's like puck possession, they like short passing plays and they like to move up ice as a team. The constant D to D stuff under heavy forecheck is them trying to maintain possession and not just throw a hope pass up ice or throw the puck out so the other team can just regroup and attack again. It means the wingers come down low to make it easy for the D to hit them with a pass. The basic breakout is: D makes an easy pass to the wing and then the wing has the tough pass to make, under pressure, to the center coming up the middle or to the far side winger who's breaking out. However, there is room for improv, and we see it every now and then from Dougie Hamilton who will sometimes short circuit steps 1 and 2 and go straight across and up ice to the far side winger.
....
In the offensive zone, the B's have a read and react forecheck. If the first player in looks like he's going to get pressure, then the second attacks too, while the 3rd stays high in a shooting and/or defensive position just in case both forecheckers get beat. If the first player doesn't have a shot at getting pressure then they fall back into a neutral zone 1-2-2 or trap. The center then tries to funnel the player to one side of the ice or the other, and when the player goes, he puts pressures him from the back and side to take away his passing options up the middle. He's also pressuring the puck carrier towards a winger who's waiting in front of the red line to try and force a turnover or a premature dump-in. This also provides layers because even if the forward getting chased gets past the winger standing up at the red line, he's then got another guy to beat in the defenseman (all with the center chasing him, trying to steal the puck from behind).
The B's play a defensive system is called a "Box and One." This is basically a PK box with the +1 being the center. The center sits inside the box and lends support wherever the puck goes, and the wingers are allowed to sag down and collapse on the slot. This is what gives the Bruins their layers.
What makes the Bruins system unique is that the Bruins are less concerned with blocking shots and more concerned with blocking passing lanes. They will concede the outside and let you skate down the wall. They'll even let you throw it on net from the half wall, but try to cut to the middle, or pass it into the slot and there's a maze of sticks and players protecting it.
The other thing that makes their system unique that they play a zone and not man-to-man. So if you take the puck around the perimeter, behind the net and out the other side, nobody is going to chase you. You'll move from one 'zone' to the other while the B's concern themselves with keeping you to the outside and taking away your passing options.
....
In terms of the breakout, the B's like puck possession, they like short passing plays and they like to move up ice as a team. The constant D to D stuff under heavy forecheck is them trying to maintain possession and not just throw a hope pass up ice or throw the puck out so the other team can just regroup and attack again. It means the wingers come down low to make it easy for the D to hit them with a pass. The basic breakout is: D makes an easy pass to the wing and then the wing has the tough pass to make, under pressure, to the center coming up the middle or to the far side winger who's breaking out. However, there is room for improv, and we see it every now and then from Dougie Hamilton who will sometimes short circuit steps 1 and 2 and go straight across and up ice to the far side winger.
....
In the offensive zone, the B's have a read and react forecheck. If the first player in looks like he's going to get pressure, then the second attacks too, while the 3rd stays high in a shooting and/or defensive position just in case both forecheckers get beat. If the first player doesn't have a shot at getting pressure then they fall back into a neutral zone 1-2-2 or trap. The center then tries to funnel the player to one side of the ice or the other, and when the player goes, he puts pressures him from the back and side to take away his passing options up the middle. He's also pressuring the puck carrier towards a winger who's waiting in front of the red line to try and force a turnover or a premature dump-in. This also provides layers because even if the forward getting chased gets past the winger standing up at the red line, he's then got another guy to beat in the defenseman (all with the center chasing him, trying to steal the puck from behind).
An excellent summation, especially for the system-challenged (like me). Bill, what's up with BTR?
Awesome post Bill! I like how describe the play in the defensive zone. From what I've seen they really protect the most dangerous area, the slot and central part of the zone. You can see that when they get disorganized, the first thing they do is to collapse around the net. The opponents can have the low percentage outside shot, but don't let them space in close. Unless it's the third period against Buffalo when they get to do whatever they want in front of the Bruin goal.
An interesting thing I've noticed is they way they back check. In the case the three forwards get caught in the attacking zone and the opponent manages a break out, causing a 2-on-2 or 3-on-2, the first forward back always attacks the puck carrier. On a 2-on-2 that causes a double team on the puck carrier, which very often leads to gaining the puck back. If it's a 3-on-2, and the back checker gets back in time, the two defensemen simply pick up the other two attackers. For many teams the back checker picks up the trailing forward, leaving one of the defensmen responsible for the puck carrier.
