Red Wing 2v1

I found this drill a few years ago while watching a clip of the Detroit Red Wings Development Camp.

This is a terrific way to practice execution at full speed. The backchecker provides pressure from behind, forcing the attacking players into a realistic game situation. A common problem with many 2 v 1 drills is that the forwards can often take their time and slow down to an unrealistic pace.

From the defensive perspective the defenseman, goalie, and backchecker need to be on the same page as to how they defend this scenario and then effectively communicate to shut it down.

This drill is also great for conditioning in a game situation. There are 6 players performing at 100% intensity followed by a short break. They are forced to compete through their fatigue as they perform the scoring scenario. Keep in mind your energy system goals for the practice – since this is a demanding drill you should consider how many repetitions you will do. We typically repeat 3 times from each side for each forward line. This way each player has the opportunity to backcheck once from each side. I’ve found that this ratio provides a good blend of conditioning while also allowing the execution to remain high. It is challenging.