Special teams are vital for gaining the edge over an opponent in a game. Specifically, an effective power play (PP) may be pivotal in getting back into a game or increasing the margin for victory. However,, even with the man advantage it’s not as easy as one might think to score goals on the PP. A well structured penalty unit full of fast and smart players can hold their own against a mismanaged and poorly constructed PP unit. So, how can a PP generate more scoring chances and ultimately score more goals? My answer is the 1-3-1 PP set up. There are a ton of great PP systems, but this is my favorite because it encourages quick puck movement to create 2 on 1s, positions are easily interchangeable, players have freedom to be creative, and should a turnover occur the PP unit can get support on the puck quickly.
There are 4 key components in using the 1-3-1 to generate scoring opportunities: (1) get the puck moving quickly and accurately, (2) setup passing triangles to isolate 2 on 1s, (3) utilize the bumper at every chance possible, and (4) disrupt the PK’s structure using the previous 3 components.
If a 1-3-1 PP unit can execute these 4 keys, they will be successful in scoring more goals.