Hockey is a sport where speed and skill are highly valued and rewarded. For fans of the sport, there is a wide array of superstitions and traditions that can be followed to support the players and teams they follow. One of the most valuable accessories a hockey player can have is a playmaker. What is a playmaker in hockey and what does it mean to be a playmaker in hockey?
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The Role Of The Playmaker
As the name would suggest, the role of a playmaker in hockey is to make plays happen.
A playmaker in hockey is often referred to as a forward because those are the positions they primarily play on the ice. They are usually slick players who are extremely good at finding open ice and using their speed to blow past defenders and get the puck to the forwards waiting for them in the offensive zone. A playmaker in hockey is usually a center, but they can also play on the wing if they have the speed and they find it easier to pull off plays with the puck on their stick.
In most situations, the offense starts in the offensive zone and the defense must transition to the defensive zone to stop the puck. This is usually a quick and easy transition because the playmakers on the ice are so good at putting pressure on the defense and forcing them to move the puck quickly to prevent an odd-man rush from happening. The role of a playmaker in this sequence of events is to get open ice for the guys behind them and to keep feeding the puck to the forwards so they can score goals and make plays happen.
What Is The Difference Between A Playmaker And A Point-Performer In Hockey?
In addition to making plays happen, a playmaker in hockey should also be able to point out the players and positions of the opposing team when making plays. A playmaker in hockey should never lose sight of the fact that they are hockey players and, as such, have the ability to recognize talent on the opposing team. This talent should never go unnoticed and, as such, the playmaker should always be looking for ways to help their team recognize this talent as well so they can take advantage of it.
A playmaker in hockey is similar to a point-performer in hockey in the sense that both should be looking for ways to make plays. The key difference is that a playmaker should always be looking for ways to make the right play happen rather than settling for what is already there. A playmaker should seek out the open ice, identify the talent on the opposing team and look for the slightest openings in the defense to get the puck to the forwards who can blow by the defense and put the puck in the net.
The Importance Of Playmakers In Hockey
The presence of a playmaker on a hockey team can often mean the difference between success and failure. For instance, look at how the Anaheim Ducks performed last year without any of their playmakers and then how they have done this year with them back in the lineup.
Last year, without any of their playmakers, the Ducks finished with a record of 13-28-5 and scored only 137 goals. Since the chemistry of the team was completely altered when they lost Daniel Carr and Corey Perry to injuries, other players had to assume a bigger role, but they still lacked the necessary support. As a result, they struggled mightily and ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
This year, with Carr, Perry and Teemu Selanne all back in the lineup and healthy, the Ducks have a much more potent offense and, as a result, they are a perfect 11-0-0 and rank 2nd in the Western Conference. This is a perfect example of how critical playmakers can be in hockey.
Some other teams clearly understand the value of playmakers as well. Take a look at how well the Montreal Canadiens perform when they have a playmaker on their team.
Since Carey Price became the full-time starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens in 2012-13, they have not missed the playoffs once and have made it to the Eastern Conference finals every year. In those playoffs, the Canadiens have always had a playmaker, whether it was Saku Koivu, Mike Condon, Jaroslav Halak or Steve Moses. The team has always performed well regardless of who their goalie was because they could always rely on their defense and goaltending to keep the puck out of their net. However, when those two key components falter, especially in the form of a backup goalie, the team completely falls apart and gets swept in the first or second round of the playoffs.
The presence of a playmaker in a hockey team is extremely valuable because they can make or break a team. Not only does their talent make the other players around them better, but it also gives the team the best chance of winning. If you compare the Canadiens’ playoff runs when Price starts and when he doesn’t, you will see a clear difference. When he doesn’t start, the team’s performance takes a sharp turn for the worse, but when he does start, they usually win, so it’s clear that the presence of a playmaker can make or break a goalie’s season. This is why playmakers in hockey are so valuable and why teams will go to great lengths to keep them on their side of the ice.
One more thing about playmakers in hockey: when working with a goalie coach, the playmakers’ main focus should be on making the right play rather than preventing the other team from scoring. When Price is working with a goalie coach, he usually turns into a point-performer without being a playmaker, but he is able to keep the puck out of the net because his attention is solely on making the right play. When he is a playmaker, his focus should be on finding the open ice and looking for the talent on the opposing team, but when he is in a rush and sees a defender in his way, his first instinct is to pass the puck to another player so he can complete the play.
The Main Traits Of A Playmaker In Hockey
The main traits of a playmaker in hockey are speed and skill. Without the ability to make speedy plays, a player would not be able to utilize their other abilities, namely their skill, to the best of their ability. A player cannot develop one talent without the other, but they can be used in combination to form a powerful team player.
As mentioned above, a playmaker in hockey is usually a forward who is able to use their speed to beat defenders one-on-one and get the puck to the forwards waiting in the offensive zone. They should also have excellent awareness and hockey IQ so they can find the open ice and identify the talent on the opposing team. Finally, they should be able to quickly transition the puck from defence to offense and defense when necessary.
The fact that a playmaker is usually a forward comes as no surprise as the majority of the goals in hockey come from there. However, not all forwards can play the role to the best of their ability. Some players, like Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler, prefer to control the puck more instead of looking for a quick release. This makes them better suited to play as a defensemen rather than a forward, but they can still play a part in creating offense and momentum for their team.
Like with any other position in hockey, some players are better than others at playing the role of a playmaker. There are three types of playmakers that you will encounter and you should know what type of playmaker you are dealing with before creating a strategy to beat them:
The First Type: Unpredictable
The first kind of playmaker is the unpredictable one. They will often skate by you seemingly unnoticed unless you pay attention to them. When you do, they will often beat you one-on-one and even though you are faster or stronger, it is extremely difficult to prevent them from getting the puck. This type of playmaker is often referred to as a magician because of their ability to get the puck where they want it without any defenders knowing where it is until it is too late. This unpredictability is what makes them such valuable assets to any team and why they are difficult to contain on the ice.
The Second Type: Two-Way Player
The second type of playmaker is the two-way player. Just like the previous type, this one is difficult to contain one-on-one because of their ability to make plays on either end of the ice. However, two-way players usually operate better as a unit with two players on the ice. They are essentially a safety valve for the coaches, who can remove one of them from the game at any time and put in a new person who can make more plays. Two-way players are a great fit for the modern day NHL where there are only a handful of games every night and the coaches want to experiment with different combinations of players to see what works best.