There’s more than one place you can shoot a hockey puck, and that’s what makes the game so much fun. Some coaches believe that keeping the puck on the move and shooting it can improve your team’s offensive output, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes waiting for the right opening can result in a beautiful goal.
That’s what makes this question so difficult. You want to shoot the puck where you’ll get the best chance of scoring, but you also don’t want to do too much and tire yourself out. The answer is simple. Unless your team is struggling, wait for the puck to come to you. Don’t overcommit and try to chase after every pass. Instead, take what the defense gives you and use your instincts to make the right play.
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Where To Shoot On A Hockey Goalie
The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out where you’ll shoot the puck from. You may only have one or two good options, so you need to pick one. Before making the decision, you need to ask yourself some important questions. Are you open to new ideas? What do you prefer: shooting or passing? What position will you play?
Here are some suggestions for places to shoot a hockey puck:
Shoot From The Back
One of the most underrated places to shoot is from the back. This is because most goalies have to shade their eyes when blocking the puck, giving their attackers clear sight of the target. If you’re behind the net, you won’t be directly targeted, and that means you have a better chance of scoring. You’ll need to time your shots well so that you hit the ice just as the goalie is looking the other way. If you can get a single puck on net, you can usually find a way to score. Keep in mind: sometimes the goalie might not be looking directly at the puck, but instead he’ll be looking at his teammates, which means you might not get the best chance of hitting the net. So, practice, practice, practice.
Next To The Face
When the goalie is expecting the puck, he’ll usually leave his crease and come to his forehand to prepare to stop the shot. That means there’s an opening right next to his face. One of the beautiful things about this spot is that the goalie won’t be able to stop the puck with his arm raised to deflect it. The problem is that since he’s not looking at the puck, he won’t be able to react quickly enough to stop the attack. Unless you’re really fast, you won’t be able to score from here. It’s not the best place for beginners, but if you can find a spot where the goalie leaves his net and comes out to challenge your attacker, you can score some beautiful goals.
Top Of The Stairs
Another good place to shoot is from the top of the stairs. If you can get a clear view of the net from there, you’ll hit the ice at an angle and confuse the goalie. He might not have seen you coming and might not know where the shot came from. The only downside is that it’s usually not one of the safer spots on the ice. You might get hit by a puck if you’re not careful. However, if you’re looking for a spot where the goalie doesn’t expect the puck, the top of the stairs is a definite option. There’s also a good chance you can surprise the goalie, get the puck away from him and into the net for an unexpected goal.
In Front Of The Net
Another great place to shoot is in front of the net. You’ll need an angle on the ice if you want to score, so either the goalie has to turn his back to the net or the play has to go towards the middle. The problem with this spot is that if the goalie turns his back to the net, he might not be able to see you coming. If the play goes towards the middle, there will usually be a couple of players in front of the net trying to keep the puck in. That means there will be a lot of players in front of you, so you might not be able to see the puck until it’s too late to shoot.
On The Fingers
Shooting on the fingertips is another great way to score. If you’re quick and precise, you can use your hands to stop the puck in front of you. Just ensure that your nails are filed down so that the puck doesn’t slip off your fingertips at the speed you need to maintain to score. This is one of the more frustrating places to score, because you know the goaltender is going to catch it. You’ll need to make the right play and find a window of opportunity before he can react. If you can get the puck into the right corner and he turns his head to the other side, you might be able to slip the puck by him for an unexpected goal.
Defensemen’s Cushion
If you’re playing defense, the last thing you need is a cramping leg from chasing down the puck. The solution? Go deep into the corner and stand behind the defensemen’s cushion, which is usually made of cardboard or wood. You’ll be out of sight and out of mind and won’t have to worry about getting hurt. It’s not always easy to get the puck behind the defensemen’s cushion, but if you do, you can usually find a way to score. It doesn’t always have to be behind the defensemen’s cushion either. Sometimes you can find a place where there’s no one around, directly in front of the net. This is often the case with empty net goals or short-handed goals. Sometimes the goalie will come out to challenge for the puck, leaving a small gap in the front of the net. If you can find a way to get the puck in there, you can usually find a way to score.
In The Corners
There are several places in the corners where you can score. Sometimes there will be just enough space for one person to hide in so that the goalie doesn’t know where the shot came from. You’ll need to be really precise and make sure that the goalie can’t see you otherwise the shot might go under his arm or behind him.
Behind The Legs
Shooting behind the legs is a great way to score. If you can catch the goalie off-guard, you can usually slip the puck past him. You’ll need to be really fast, though, or else the goalie will close the gap quickly and trap you. Try to avoid this if you want to keep your legs intact.
Other Surfaces
There are several other surfaces you can shoot on. You can shoot on the side of the ice near the boards. If your attacker has the puck on the move and it gets stuck, you can shoot as he’s trying to clear the puck. You can also shoot from the side of the ice if there’s no one around so that the goalie doesn’t know where the attack came from. From the side of the ice is usually not a good place to score because there’s so much space in front of you that the goalie can always stop the puck. Another great spot is underneath the benches. If you can get the puck out from underneath the benches, you can usually find a way to score. Just be careful not to get hit by the players who are running around with their sticks trying to catch the ball. The last place you can shoot is on the goal itself. As you may have guessed, this is usually the best option because you can score from almost any angle. Just make sure that you don’t hit the goalie with the puck because he’ll likely be angry about that. Once you’ve scored, don’t be surprised if the goalie doesn’t want to give you the puck again. He might even try to take it away from you if he thinks it’s going to be an attack from that direction.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several options for where to shoot a hockey puck. The key is finding the ones that are best suited to your attacking style. Once you’ve done that, all you need to do is time your shots so that you get the best possibility of a goal. You might not always get the prettiest of shots, but if you can get it on net, you’ll usually be able to find a way to score. Practice, practice, practice and don’t forget: your instincts are your best friend. Make the right play and the next five minutes could be perfect execution of a beautiful no-look pass, a blistering goal-scorer or a tight-angle toe-drag that freezes the goalie and gives you an open net to enter.