Offensive Strategies-Attacking & Possession

Written by Justin Azevedo | 08 January 2011

(Warning: This one has a few images. Might be a tad slow on older computers.)

The Flames use a hybrid of a 1-2-2 and a 2-1-2 system for attacking the puck in the offensive zone. Personally, I don't think that's the best system for them to use, and I'm going to explain why. Couple of notes before we start-"F1" means the first forward into the zone, "F2" is the second, etc. The arrows designate the movement of the players depending on the position of the puck-for the sake of simplicity, the puck will be in the corner.

This is the 1-2-2 system. The first forward in the zone is F1, and he goes straight to the puck. F2 plants himself behind the dot to cover if the puck pops out along the boards and F3 hangs out around the opposite hashmarks in case the puck goes to the other corner. The d-men here are mostly stationary, and only provide minimal zone support. This is a good system for weak defensive teams as 4 of the 5 players are in a position to be able to get back to the defensive zone. There is a lot of pressure on the forwards to be able to move quick to a position and be able to keep the puck in the zone. For example, if the puck went to the other corner, F3 would go to the puck, F2 would shift to the other circle and F1 would plant himself on the hashmarks. When possible, F2 should be the centreman as he is readily available to back check. The reason this system doesn't work for the Flames? F1 & F3 need to be speedy and strong on the puck in order to gain and keep possession and F2 needs to be really strong defensively. The Flames don't have speedy and strong wingers, which results in loss of possession and zone. Plus, the Flames don't really have a strong defensive centreman to lean on in this situation, which is why Iggy is so often the first forward back in the zone. The thing that saves the Flames is the strength of the top 4 d-men and how easy it is for them to play this system, which makes sense in the context of Brent's focus on reduction of shots. This system doesn't leave a lot of room for support. For teams like Pittsburgh and Detroit (Crosby & Datsyuk) this is an excellent system.



The 2-1-2 system is close to what the Flames should be practicing. Once again, F1 is the first guy in the zone and first guy to attack the puck. F2 is deeper in the zone then he is in the 1-2-2 system. He sits between the hashmarks and the dot, so he's able to provide support if the puck rides up high on the boards. F3 sits in the slot, but he can't be too deep-having 3 guys below the dots is a recipe for disaster if a quick clearing attempt occurs. D1 pinches in a little to cover for F2 if F2 needs to support F1. In terms of the negatives, there is a lot of pressure on F1 because he is behind the net the entire time, chasing down the puck. D1 can sometimes get caught a little too deep in the zone, creating an odd-man rush. It's pretty basic and easy for the high forward to get back and help D2 if D1 gets caught. There is a moderate amount of pressure on the opposition here. It's not the bast system for the Flames, however, as once again there is a need for speed and strength from F1 & F3. The reliance on a defensive centre is relaxed as F2 plays quite deep and isn't meant to be the first forward back.



This is the 2-2-1, otherwise known as the AON System ("eh-on", All Or Nothing). It is a very aggressive, overbearing attack strategy. Whereas the 1-2-2 system compensates for poor defence at the expense of offence, the 2-2-1 system does the exact opposite. This is by far the most dangerous system, as there is a huge emphasis in keeping the opposition deep-but if the puck is able to make it out of the zone, a 3 on 1 is not uncommon. That being said, this is what the Flames should be using. The Flames' strengths are defence and goaltending, while their weakness is scoring. This system creates an environment conducive to putting the puck in the net. As you can see by the illustration above, the bread and butter of the 2-2-1 is pressure-trying to create a situation where you outnumber the opposition in a tight space while still being able to dish the puck to a teammate for a shot and a chance. D1 is the most critical part of the entire formation, as he must cover tons of ground, have good offensive instincts and be physical in case there is a battle for the puck. Luckily for the Flames, Gio and JBo are exactly those things. The MSM talks about how getting the dmen into the rush, etc. but they neglect to say how. D1 is in a perfect place to get a good shot at the net, and F3 is crowding/screening the goaltender. F2 is providing deep support for F1, while D2 is playing conservative. The best part about this style is the amount of support that is readily available for F1; as 3 players are only a quick pass away from getting a shot on net. Basically, there is huge offensive upside here. In general, teams don't use this style because they don't have reliable goaltending or a D corps that is fast and intelligent enough to plan for a breakout. While Kipper isn't performing excellent this season, he has definitely been reliable.



Lastly, this is a basic "Cycle". It is designed to keep the puck moving, which tires the opposition. The three forwards make use of the boards to pass to each other, with D1 jumping in as needed. Eventually, the enemy will tire and make a mistake, which could very well lead to a chance for Les Flambes. Most importantly, it allows the team to easily keep possession. The Cycle is one of those things that is easy to learn, but hard to master.

With the exception of the Cycle, these are only attacking/early possession strategies. Once possession of the puck is gained long term (3+ seconds), the team could very well shift to a scheme not outlined here; but in watching the Flames this season, its pretty obvious they don't do that. 

(Edit: It seems our comment system is borked-if you have questions, hit me up on Twitter @azevedoj.) 
(Edit, Parte Deux: Fixed.)