A More Advanced Forecheck – The 2-1-2

At the start of the above video, you might notice my exchange with a long time pro player.  Actually, that was through a series of emails, and in the start, it was like pulling teeth for me to get the information I really needed.

Now, I share this, because it says a lot about the kind of coach I’ve always been, and it’s the kind of hockey person I’d like you to be.

What I mean is that the first email I received from that guy was nothing but a sketch with a few X’s and O’s and a few arrows.  And if you haven’t guessed already, I stared at that thing for about a half-hour.  “Great,” I mumbled to myself.  “This must be what the layout of players should look like when a 2-1-2 is finally deployed.  Ha.

So, would that help you?  

I was thankful, of course, that the guy was giving me some of his valuable time.  At the same time, he hadn’t helped me a bit.  So we went back and forth through a few more emails, with me finally asking him THE most important question of all.  In other words, I needed to know every bit of the thinking that goes into player movement.  Or, said yet another way, I needed to know the thought process for each of the X’s as they moved into the zone and executed this awesome strategy.

His last email was the very best, because it answered my final problem.  Ya, I wrote last that my players are bound to stop me in the middle of a practice and ask, “What do I do if my man does __________?”  And, that forecheck isn’t going to be worth a lick unless I can answer such questions.

So, do you know now why I’m a little different than many other coaches, and why I hope you’ll be just as inquisitive?  I hope so.

As a PS:  I didn’t mention it in the video, but a pass up the middle is the only real threat against the 2-1-1.

Have any questions, or thoughts of your own?  Fire away down below.