tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154756678374578057.post9102812453183402308..comments2024-03-29T00:20:02.026-04:00Comments on Caps Basketball: Dump & Chase & SucksChris Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12928991442952914295noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154756678374578057.post-47860587551989916392011-11-01T04:08:38.154-04:002011-11-01T04:08:38.154-04:00Another problem is that if you turn the puck over ...Another problem is that if you turn the puck over at your opponent's blueline, the transition favors them (your forwards are skating the wrong direction to backcheck effectively, likely leading to a 3 on 2 situation in your zone). When you get the puck deep in your opponents' zone, you lessen the possibility of a fast break going the other way.<br /><br />I totally agree that it sucks though, and it probably made way more sense during the 90s, when defenders were basically allowed to jump on oncoming forward's backs to prevent them from moving (seriously, watch any pre-lockout hockey game) or much less stickhandle.Blake Kaplanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06161105130539705600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154756678374578057.post-36101919469408817412011-10-31T14:35:17.077-04:002011-10-31T14:35:17.077-04:00The problem is that most times a breakaway ends up...The problem is that most times a breakaway ends up in a 1-on-3 (two defenders and a goalie) rather than a 1-on-2, or quickly turns into one if your stickhandling takes too long. Ovechkin is a great example. His first couple of years in the league, he had the speed and strength to outrace or outmuscle a single defender quickly. And after The Goal, that was pretty much all he tried to do on offense. The problem is that even being a tiny bit slower has given defenses all the time they need to catch up. In addition, constant stickhandling made him predictable on offense. Defenders started figuring out his favorite moves, or committed to blocking his shots knowing that he wasn't going to pass. He became much easier to shut down. It's like knowing that a basketball player is always going to go to the basket and that he vastly prefers going to his left on a breakaway - if you know where he's going and he's not fast enough to beat you, you're going to win as the defender.<br /><br />I'm not a stat expert or anything, but I am also guessing that as a percentage successful dump and chase play exceeds successful stickhandling. At the very least, I would imaging there are far more situations in a game where a dump and chase strategy makes more sense as an option for maintaining pressure in your opponent's zone. By coaching players to default to that strategy, you increase your overall chances to score.<br /><br />One other thing to note is that this strategy requires a good forecheck so that if you don't get to the puck first you can still apply pressure to your opponent. If you just sling the puck down ice and don't hussle, basically you turn the game into a 60 minute power play for the other team.Ned Keitt-Pridehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06378506724394418890noreply@blogger.com