Shooting and Scoring Principles

• Identify your target area – see where the openings are
• “Puck Eyes” – different than your eyes – because they see the net from different angles. This means the “openings” which you believe you see with your eyes aren’t always openings.
• Develop a quick release – when you have a shooting situation it is important to be able to shoot off different “support” legs and shoot quickly. Most of the time you have too little time to put the puck in the right place.
• Position yourself properly away from the puck – become an option for the puck carrier.
• Always follow your shot to the net – look for a rebound – no “fly-bys”
• Accuracy is more important than a hard shot
• Repetition – Repetition – Repetition – practice is where you develop shooting skills that will “come to life” in game situations
• Players must always keep their stick on the ice in preparation for receiving a pass; taking a shot and for “tips and redirects”
• The player with the puck should look for opportunities to use “screens”

Prime Scoring Areas
Why Players don’t score?

25% are too close when they shoot
24% miss the net
20% take poor shots

15% of the time the goalie makes a good save
12% of the players take a weak shot
4% of the time the player loses control of the puck

Where Players score from on the ice:

62% of goals scored are from 10-25 feet out in the middle slot area
29% are scored from a slight angle to the left or right of the middle slot area
6% are scored “off the angle” near the face-off dots

Location of shots scored on the Goaltender:
In order to be a good goal scorer it is important that the shooter knows and can see where the goalies openings are found:

Height
69% - below the knees
21% - shoulder high and above
10% - between the knees to shoulder

Area of Net
73% - Stick Side
18% - Glove Side
9% - Between the skates on the ice

What makes a Great Goal Scorer
Goal Scorers have:

• The ability to put themselves in a position to score – Game Understanding or Hockey Sense
• Good shooting skills
• Focus, concentration and purpose!
• Self confidence and the courage to shoot.
• Practicing their shooting skills on and off the ice – become proficient with all your shots!

What are some of the things that a player should do to become a great "goal scorer"?

• Shoot the Puck!
• Be selfish – but in a smart way!
• Think “shoot” when you are on the attack! – FINISH
• Don’t telegraph your shot – be deceptive!
• Hit the net/target – Look at openings behind the goalie, not at the goalie!
• Force the goalie to move laterally
• Deke if the goalie is way out of the crease – Shoot if the goalie is back in the crease
• Screen the goalie; deflect shots and get rebounds
• Be purposeful – finish hard; be determined and Win the battles!