Yeah, very easy. But eventually you’ll learn to stop watching the puck and just watch the game. Watching a play develop instead of who’s swatting at the puck that moment.
A good book to check out if you’re new to the sport is Take Your Eye Off The Puck by Greg Wyshynski.
Greg Wyshynski's new book "Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How to Watch Hockey By Knowing Where to Look") will probably be helpful. I can't say for sure because I just started reading it last night and am only a handful of pages in.
>Everyone hates the Wild and the Wings
>
>And the blues
And the Perds...and the Jets...and the Blehchawks...and the Stars...
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Just hate the Central Division altogether
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Edit: Adrian Dater's "Blood Feud" is a great narrative into the early years of our history as it represents one of the greatest "Modern" rivalries of the league.
Development-wise: a once barren wasteland for almost over a decade has been recently turning into a decent prospect-oasis. You can check out the Colorado Eagles (AHL affiliate) as well as Burgundy Rainbow to view other prospects in the pipeline.
Identifying break-outs is probably one of the easier places to start. Here's a short article on some.
The idea of dumping the puck in, is getting through all the defenders that clog up the neutral zone. Just skating the puck in is pretty hard to do at times, so toss it in and use the built up speed to get past defenders, then setup down low.
I think this book, Hockey Plays and Strategies is pretty awesome. There used to be an EA NHL site that had many excerpts but I can't find it. It has 'look inside' on amazon so you can check some of it out that way.
Read this book, it's pretty easy to get through quickly and while it won't make you a hockey expert, it will boost your knowledge by leaps and bounds.
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Some of y’all have never read The Code, and it shows.
Also it’s hilarious to see people complaining about how dumb hockey fighting is on Wreddit of all places. You’d be surprised how orchestrated most NHL fights are. In almost all cases both parties agree to throw down before they actually do, they square up fairly, and when the fight is over they go to the penalty box and all is forgotten. It’s more performance than actual malice.
Hey, welcome to hockey and the Preds. I really, sincerely recommend snagging this book from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Take-Your-Eye-Off-Puck/dp/1629371203/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495051686&sr=8-1&keywords=take+your+eye+off+the+puck
It will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the sport.
Also, I really, really like this book: https://www.amazon.com/Nashville-Predators-Justin-B-Bradford/dp/1626198500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495051743&sr=8-1&keywords=Nashville+Predators+book
I could see Lindback pulling a Dubnyk and working back up to his potential with a change in environment.
He looked good in Nashville working with Mitch Korn. It surprises me the way he has struggled in Dallas this year, seems like he is struggling with confidence, and Dallas' tender coach Mike Valley is a guru on the mental aspect of the position.
It will be interesting to see how Enroth is worked into the Dallas rotation and how he performs. He seems to play well with lots of shots (which he should get in Dal) and with their offensive support could put up some wins. Kerri will need to step up his game (something he is more than capable of doing) to keep the starting spot now.
This book by Greg Wyshynski might help - Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How to Watch Hockey by Knowing Where to Look (2015). It’s snarky at times (as the author was when he wrote the Puck Daddy blog), and assumes a basic knowledge of hockey, which it sounds like you have.
Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1629371203?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL by Ross Bernstein
Not exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a classic. https://www.amazon.com/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561
Definitely this. As you get used to hockey, you start getting more and more used to how the puck usually travels around.
I haven't read it, personally, but I've heard good things from people about Wyshynski's "Take Your Eyes Off the Puck" that's a book that seems geared towards newer hockey fans who want to get into the game.
I'd highly recommend giving The Code a read. Excellent background on why enforcers existed in hockey, how they operated, etc.
There's a book called Hockey Plays and Strategies by Mike Johnston, former (albeit brief) coach of the Penguins back in 2015 or so. Successful WHL coach (with an asterisk of a recruitment scandal and one of the biggest coach/GM suspensions in major junior history, so take that for what you will).
Anyway, pretty straight to the point diagrams and descriptions of plays, I think it's kind of directed at young coaches but might be helpful and interesting to learn from.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0736076344/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_h9l9FbK2S2RBW
This would help in conjunction with learning cheese tactics and how to play a 200 foot game, whether on d or on the rush. You can get a copy on Kindle for cheap.
I’d recommend one of Greg Wyshynski’s books. Once the basics of the players positioning is understood the location of puck itself matters so much less. Hockey is all about where the puck is going to be, not where it is.
Perhaps consider picking up some reading material - I'd suggest this book which is in my home, that both myself and my boy have read... Solid read. Goaltending is the toughest position in sports...
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https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Within-Discovering-Elite-Goaltending/dp/1494358840
I was so excited when I cracked that book open and didn't get past Page 10, when Bruce Dowbiggin literally quotes "one frustrated poster from ProHockeyTalk.com." (I'm not kidding. Check it out on page 10 here: https://www.amazon.ca/Ice-Storm-Greatest-Vancouver-Canucks/dp/1771641312) Maybe it was because I was familiar with the team, but I didn't get the feeling I'd learn anything from this book. I found the insights lacking, the writing full of cliches and then he quoted an internet commenter. (But hey, I guess that means any one on this subrebbit might find their way into the next Dowbiggin book!)
If anyone in this thread is a goalie (or I mean, quite frankly, it's a good book in general), I'd highly recommend reading The Power Within, which a goalie scout co-authored and also interviewed a few NHL goalies. They talk about the flow and how one can get into it if they have problems with that.
>The book includes exclusive and personal interviews with Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota Wild), Marty Turco (Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins), Tomas Vokoun (Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins), Brian Elliott (St. Louis Blues), Richard Bachman (Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers), and Chris Mason (Winnipeg Jets). It also includes interviews with two master goalie coaches, Mitch Korn (Nashville Predators) and Erik Granqvist (Farjestad – Swedish Hockey League). A special thanks to all 10 elite goaltenders and goalie coaches for their willingness to participate in this book.
Something that slows people down from understanding the game is only watching the puck. You'll always be a little behind what's actually happening if you do this. So, be sure to pay a little attention on what's happening away from the puck.
As far as names/lines/etc playing fantasy hockey (you'd be able to find a league if you hurry) helps a ton, as would a videogame like EA NHL to a lesser degree.
Picking up a book like this could make for a fun read depending on how you like to learn. Otherwise just keep watching games. Most intermissions break down plays to teach people too.
I'd suggest Hockey Plays and Strategies. I've never played hockey but found this very easy to understand and actually translates to what I see happen in games I watch.
I've read Take Your Eye Off the Puck, but didn't particularly care for it. It was... ok, but don't expect much in the way of real on ice tactics. It's kind of heavier on hockey culture than it is tactics.
I thought Take Your Eye Off the Puck by Greg Wyshynski was really good to introduce people into hockey.
There's also Stat Shot about analytics if numbers are your thing.
This sounds like something right out Patrick O'Sullivan's Autobiography
Glad the police got involved, shame the guy took off :(
> In the middle of all this pandemonium, Marc Crawford, the Avs coach, is yelling at me, “You started all this, Draper!”
What a magnificent cunt.
Someone else mentioned Blood Feud by Adrian Dater. If you haven't read that book, I highly recommend doing so. It's a great read.
Sort of. Hockey has some pretty antiquated practices. If a player takes a huge hit, or gets injured there's an obligation to retaliate and try to fight the guy. Especially if you're the low guy on the totem pole, like chaput.
Since it's such a physical game, it has successfully been used to deter other goons from taking advantage of your teams skilled guys. Aside from dudes like gordie howe, back in the day, skilled guys weren't capable of scoring goals and defending themselves the way guys like benn hall and iginla (when he was younger) have been able to do.
It certainly works, and keeps some honor in the game, but it obviously shows it's age in scenarios like this one. First off, clean hit from a star player on a young guy. Secondly, chaput has no business jumping Taylor hall. Lastly, and most importantly, there's a unconscious player on the ice, but the devils can't let their all star get jumped so they have to rush in, and skate dangerously near the head of a player that could be permanently injured from any extra contact to the head.
If you want to catch a really good and easy read, while learning some of these nuances to the game, check out "The Code."
https://www.amazon.com/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561
I haven't read it myself, but it's on my list. Maybe someone here can comment?
I grew up in Tennessee (family in Hunstville and Selma, though!) and moved here about ten years ago. I got dragged to a Sabres game and they beat the Leafs 8-1, it was fucking great and I was hooked on hockey. What has helped me is watching a ton of games and seeing who is playing with who, who was on the "top" line versus the fourth, etc. The most confusing thing to me was understanding line changes and trying to see that since you miss the transition on tv sometimes. /r/nhl is a pretty great sub. I keep meaning to buy this: https://smile.amazon.com/Take-Your-Eye-Off-Puck/dp/1629371203/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466940939&sr=1-1&keywords=wyshinski too, since even a decade in I sometimes feel lost.
It depends on what you want and what you are trying to accomplish really:
-Guidance on structuring and running a practice, then the USA Hockey and Hockey Canada materials recommended by others are helpful.
-How to teach specific skills or focus on skills, then youtube channel "itrain hockey" and "hockeyshare" (m2m hockey) are excellent. Especially the itrain "train the trainer" series.
-Overall team play and learning the game - I've used this one for my inline teams, modified slightly for 4v4:
-One of the most overlooked elements of coaching is learning how to communicate with athletes, manage parents, and run the team itself. A really helpful tip a coach gave me was to "Put Jim's and Joe's before X's and O's". Get registered with AAU and take the Positive Coaching Alliance certification courses. It's some of the best instruction I've received.
Good luck!
I read this book about the KHL last year: http://www.amazon.com/This-Russia-Doctors-bazas-millions/dp/1494379287
It's a fucking shit show. The whole thing about staying on a base isn't uncommon at all.
Not in UK but in Europe. HockeyAuthentic.com were great for me (a heads up though you will possibly get hit with an extra import cost on top of the cost of the jersey). I think online is your best bet for buying jerseys in the UK, though maybe someone over at /r/EIHLHockey might know a few places that carry NHL stuff. If you've got a kindle I'd recommend a book called "Ice Storm" it's about the end of the last management group and how the team got to where they are now.
Hey--I'm a little late to this thread, but I just picked up a book called, "Take Your Eye off the Puck", and it's really helping me to appreciate the game in a deeper sense.
I've been a big Predators fan, as I live near Nashville, but I haven't been a huge hockey fan until I started reading this book. Try it out next time you get an Amazon giftcard.
EDIT: Here is a link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Your-Eye-Off-Puck/dp/1629371203/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454339034&sr=8-1&keywords=Take+your+eye+off+the+puck