Initially this article started with me trying to discover what type of systems the new Head Coach of the Winnipeg Jets has been exposed to over his career. This information was difficult to discover and even a lot of what I found was based on similar sites to Arctic Ice Hockey, where it was the fans of the teams that were discussing the systems being used.
Scott Arniel had years to learn under other experienced coaches like Lindy Ruff, Alain Vigneault, Peter Laviolette, Todd Reirden, and Rick Bowness. From what I have discovered, the Jets’ new bench boss has had the chance to see pretty much every system used in the National Hockey League over his career, so predicting what he will be using next season is rather problematic.
On the forecheck, it appears that the most common system Arniel witnessed was the 1-2-2, which is what Winnipeg used last season under Bones (diagram #1 below). When Scott was the assistant coach with the New York Rangers, he went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and Vigneault used a more aggressive version of the 1-2-2 (diagram #2 below). Finally, his time with the Washington Capitals under Laviolette saw them use the 2-3 forecheck (third diagram). **images courtesy of Blue Seat Blogs.**
Forecheck:
1-2-2 normal:
1-2-2 overload:
A high pressure version of the first system, relying on overloading the pressure to one side of the ice to create turnovers due to the lack of free ice. The risk occurs when the defensive team can cleanly switch sides of the ice with a good first pass, allowing them a fairly unobstructed route to their own breakout.
2-3:
While the first system is probably the most common seen in the NHL, the second one uses a similar alignment in an aggressive manner to try to force turnovers deep in the offensive zone. The final option has less pressure on the initial forecheck and is hoping to gain the puck closer to the blueline by stopping wraparounds along the boards or passes through the middle of the ice.
Defensive Zone Coverage:
2-1-2 Zone:
The system above should be familiar to Winnipeg fans, since it’s what the franchise has been using for the past two seasons under Bowness. The first image shows how the team is supposed to pressure the opposition when the puck is above the goalline, but revert to a collapsing box when the puck carrier is behind the goaltender.
2-1-2 Zone Overload:
Fairly well explained from the folks at BlueSeatBlogs in the image above, this option gives the defending team more opportunity to pressure the puck carrier while still trying to cover all direct passing options. The wraparound along the boards is available in the image above, but it won’t create an immediate scoring chance and will give the defense time to shift over to the right side of the ice.
1-3-1:
Our first image shows how this defensive system aims to make it very difficult for the opposition to gain the zone with the puck on their stick by stacking the blueline with players. When the puck is in their own end, the 1-3-1 zone is a defensive strategy where one player guards the front of the net, three players cover the center ice area, and one player pressures the puck carrier. It is supposed to help limit scoring opportunities and disrupt the opposing team’s offense.
Power Play Systems:
The first PP system we are looking at is the one used by recently fired Assistant Coach Brad Lauer. Set up to allow 1 timers from the three players making up the top triangle (F-D-D), while having another shooting option in the bumper spot and a forward near the front of the net.
The second PP option is only a slight variation that takes away the bumper option to double the number of forwards hunting for rebounds or deflections. The bumper still becomes an option when the puck is being controlled in either offensive corner, which allows the far-side forward to slide over the crease and either stay low or drift into the bumper spot to receive a pass.
Much like the previous overload systems we looked at already, this PP tries to out-number the defense on one side of the ice and uses a constant cycle by the three down-low players to create defensive miscues or open up passing lanes. During the continuous movement, they are hoping the PK loses track of a player on the strong side to create scoring chances or that the far-side defenseman can slip down low to receive a pass for a 1 timer in the low slot or even a backdoor tap in attempt.
1-3-1:
Penalty Killing Systems:
This is the system Arniel used with the Winnipeg Jets over the past season with quite varying results (7th best to 12th worse). As we have seen, the lack of pressure on the opposition allows them to easily move the puck around the perimeter while they search for a weak spot or defensive mis-step. If they don’t find those, then they take long shots through traffic to try and get a screen or deflection goal.
To me, the Diamond system seems to need a pretty special type of defenseman to deal with two forwards on initial rebounds. While it ups the ability to pressure the powerplay a bit more, it doesn’t appear to be a great option for the Jets next season.
The Wedge +1 situates three collapsing players in the slot in a triangle formation. The extra man (F) is free to run around and create havoc along the perimeter. When the puck is moved across ice, the roaming forward can take a spot in the triangle and and the left forward can go create havoc.
In the triangle, the roles are similar to that of the Box strategy in that they must contain the slot. The one difference is that the weakside player has to always be responsible for the backdoor plays. With a formation that is always rotating, every skater needs to be aware of the responsibilities of every triangle position they rotate into.
When Scott Arniel calls me for my opinion, this will be the system I recommend that Winnipeg deploys next season. This is what those dangerous short-handed goal teams are using and allows a coach to use different types of forwards on the kill. For the top of the triangle, someone who may not be the fastest but is adept at blocking shots would do great (i.e. Lowry & Gustafsson). The chasing forward position requires speed and good eye-hand to block the passing lanes as he is pressing the puck carrier. Ideal for high-talent players like Mark Scheifele, Nik Ehlers, or Kyle Connor to make a difference when their team is down a man.
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