Chris Durso

Husband, Lawyer, Coach

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Sean McVay nailed the job description.
Be an elevator.

Lift people to their highest potential.
That's it.
That's leadership.

Not a critic. Not a ceiling. An elevator. 🔥

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

CAR WSD Surf - Checking Forward & Playing Aggressive

Identifies VGK puck carrier with no support, surfs across ice to apply immediate pressure and push the puck out wide.

Forces VGK player to unload the puck which results in a quick strike counter attack and a scoring chance

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Using the blue line as an additional defender

• Grab gap early
• D1 D2 connected squeeze the middle
• Slide and squeeze at the blue line, using it as an advantage (off side threat)
• Disrupts timing of puck carrier and driver... if no chip in this is often the result.. taking away the rush game from a team that relies on it

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young D....
Kitchener has been dominant so far through the round robin at the Memorial Cup, and a lot of that success comes down to their D playing with such poise and patience regardless of what the clock reads. And yes, it's all about habits and how they prepare.

Here is some appreciation for Matthew Andonovski (KIT5) and the details he demonstrates when defending a lead late in a crucial game. Watch the small habits, his routing, stick details and calmness he brings to ensure there are no gaps in the DZ. Chicoutimi dialed up the pressure in the final minutes last night and it was sequences like this from the Rangers that foiled their attack.

Watch as KIT5 gains a good gap by reloading through the dotline off entry. As soon as the attacker is pushed down the wall, KIT5 closes and leads with his stick, forcing movement. As the puck is moved, KIT5 scans for the next threat and recognizes his partner is engaged on the driver through the slot. This quick scan and recognition allows KIT5 to drive over the face of the net and front the weak side driver. KIT5 makes himself big to prevent a puck getting through and gets some puck luck as the attacker doesn't get a clean touch. Finally, KIT5 collects the bouncing 50/50 puck, but through good habits of getting his hip on the closest attackers hands to prevent a turnover. Instead of swiping at the puck, he's confident, gets his toes up ice and is able to calm the bounce on his forehand before clearing it into the NZ, safely away from his net. His patience and attention to the small details control the ice and have been a big part of Kitchener's team success through their run to the Memorial Cup.

Habits like this are possessed through repetition and the ability to think under pressure. Here are 2 drills we use with our young D to help them find comfort in chaos and trust their thinking. Hockey is all about capitalizing on mistakes, so sometimes the best learning is done in controlled situations where failure is just as close to finding success in a practice setting.
Drill Credit - SPK D Footwork - @legeeyfbaby Belleville Senators Asst Coach

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Vegas put on a defensive clinic at 5v5 vs COL

These are all of COL’s 5v5 shots against from Game 4, excluding two scoring chances where they were actually able to get inside

VGK consistently had five inside, protecting the middle the defensive zone, reloaded and kept 4/5 players above the puck. Forced COL to the outside off the rush, limited shot quality, and gave Hart clear-sight looks with no rebound chances

That does not even include the number of turnovers and scoring chances they created up ice off their forecheck and through the neutral zone.

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

TBL take a page from the Florida Panthers book with the weak side hard rim

Cernak scans and identifies forecheck support, then hard rims to the weak side

F1 and F2 "stack" forecheck along the weak-side wall, recover puck, and move the puck low to high to set up the attack

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Common face off play vs 3 Up PK Pressure is down to the goal line and into the middle of the ice to find the bumper

Alternative option used by PIT here with direct pass from the top into the bumper

Hard to predict for the PK, also hard to execute a shot from that passing angle.. impressive!

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

COL Face Off Loss

Win The Loss → On toes, aware and ready to jump & apply immediate pressure

[Jordan Hall @JHallNBCS]

Flyers practicing here at PPG Paints Arena.

They have a 1-0 lead on Penguins in their best-of-seven first-round series.

Game 2 is here Monday (7 p.m. ET/⁦@NBCSPhilly⁩).

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Checking Forward: D Man Surf

- D’s ability to defend while moving forward enhances mobility, tightens gap, and improves connection with their partner
- Effective tactic to steer puck carriers into less dangerous areas and kill plays early
- Recognizing the opportunity to aggressively close on the puck limits time & space, passing options and establishes body position on the puck carrier and on retrievals

[Changing the Game @CTGProjectHQ]

"We didn't start at the top and trickle down. The opposite. We started at the bottom."

USA Hockey's secret to Olympic gold? They changed their youth program FIRST. More good players come from more kids having good experiences.

Why don't more sports get this?

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Deception is a key driver of an effective power play.

Eyes, hands and feet can be used to manipulate conditions—drawing coverage, opening seams, and momentarily freezing defenders and the goaltender—leads to higher quality looks and shot selection

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

MTL PPG

Example of CAR applying 3-up pressure off the face off, immediately opening space for the bumper/centre

MTL14 vacates the bumper, slipping to the back post to create a 2v1 at the net underneath the pressure

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

COACHES: I absolutely love this Ozone clip from the Canadiens. I think Marty St. Louis does such a great job as a coach of having structure and principles but also letting his guys make decisions and plays. It can be a tough thing as a coach at the higher levels of hockey.

Awesome, awesome clip.

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Rush Principles - Attacking The Weak Side D

Really nice example by Medicine Hat off the rush, targeting the weak-side D to change sides and manipulate defensive coverage—drawing four defenders to the strong side and creating space for F3 to fill on the weak side

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Incredible extended offensive zone shift by BOS

• 5-man offence with constant motion—players creating and filling space
• Numbers and support around the puck
• Shot attempts used to break down coverage, followed by puck retrievals to extend possession
• Rim releases and CPOAs to relieve pressure
• Multiple line changes keep fresh legs on the ice, compounding fatigue on MIN defenders and maintaining the advantage
• Sustained pressure eventually forces coverage to collapse, opening seams and leading to two high-quality scoring chances (and a goal) across the slot line

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

Middle Entries To Wide Speed

A few examples of F1 attacking through middle ice and using a change of speed to force both defenders to collapse to the middle and adjust their own pace. This also invites stick pressure and ultimately opens up speed and passing options to the outside

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

“Hear Me…”

Mike Tomlin GOLD 🔥

“It’s not what you are capable of; it’s what you are willing to do. Plenty of people are capable. Fewer people are willing.”

Potential is common.
Commitment is rare.

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

MTL PPG's Coverage Manipulation vs NYI

1st PPG - Weakside flank drives back post for threatening pass from the goal line player. Puck is recovered and next part of the sequence same route is run by weakside flank, but this time the weakside PK F drops to take away that option while D covers bumper. As PK D & F look to switch coverage the bumper falls off into vacant space on the weak side

2nd PPG - same rotation with the weakside flank dropping back post & bumper falling off to weak side ice. NYI PK adjusts their position and sticks for those threats but this now creates space for an elite scorer like Caufield to attack the net

[Kyle MacLennan @MacLennan28]

BUF OZP

Working off the puck and exchanging space to create interior passing options and seams

BUF is able to draw, manipulate, and collapse defensive coverage through that movement, creating and exploiting advantages when they appear