Luck of the Draw
Win faceoffs to create more offense.
This week's video is all about the importance of winning faceoffs. The Boston Bruins are on pace for a record breaking season in the NHL. To date: they have played 47 games with a record of 38-5-4. They are getting this done in a number of ways and for plenty of reasons, but we are focusing on their proficiency at creating offense from faceoff wins. The Bruins are currently tied with the Buffalo Sabres in GF(Goals For) and GF/GP(Goals For per Games Played) putting them at the top of the NHL in offensive production. With a center like Patrice Bergeron, who has for years been among the league leaders in Faceoff Win Percentage, the team currently sits in 2nd place in FOW%. The Bruins create so much of their offense from offensive zone faceoff wins. They always have a Win(attack) and Loss(retrieval) plan, are on their toes to compete at puck drop, and win the 50/50 battles to begin their offensive zone starts with possession more often than not. Last night's win vs Montreal included 2 goals as a direct result of OZFO Wins, including the game winning goal deep in the third period to break the 2-2 tie.
How many players want to start their shift chasing and defending instead of possessing and trying to score? None! Yet, how many players have or know the win/loss plans and are ready to compete right from the drop of every puck? Certainly not all of them.
Teams & Players: Want to create more offense? Compete and Win more draws!
