Can offensive skills be taught at this level?

[Towerroad]

There has been a lot of talk about whether it is actually possible to teach/coach the skill set necessary improve a players and teams offensive capability.

[redice]

Currently, the majority (6 of 11) voted for the second choice "Yes, but there is a limit to what can be expected "

I am one of those six.   With unlimited time, I expect there is a lot the coaches can do help the players improve on their offensive skills.   But, we all know that time is not an unlimited commodity in the life of a an Ivy League student-athlete.

[Trotsky]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

[Towerroad]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

[Trotsky]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

Me too.  Picking this fight is my way of amusing myself.  (Although I'm also right.)

[Jim Hyla]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

But I think the term "offensive skills" is too broad. That even includes better screening of the goalie. If you meant shooting ability, or being a sniper, that's a lot different.

[Rosey]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

But I think the term "offensive skills" is too broad. That even includes better screening of the goalie. If you meant shooting ability, or being a sniper, that's a lot different.

+1. Good team offense, like Union practices, is highly coachable. (Source: I play hockey.) Sniping/deking/sick moves/extreme puck handling, perhaps not so much.

[MattS]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

But I think the term "offensive skills" is too broad. That even includes better screening of the goalie. If you meant shooting ability, or being a sniper, that's a lot different.

+1. Good team offense, like Union practices, is highly coachable. (Source: I play hockey.) Sniping/deking/sick moves/extreme puck handling, perhaps not so much.

I also play and I completely agree with Kyle.

[Robb]

I agree with the general trend of the conversation.  Offensive systems can be taught and set plays can be learned by rote, but stickhandling, quickness, the confidence to look up to be able to see the cutters instead of looking down at the puck, etc must be learned over thousands of hours spent on the ice.  Those sorts of things are not likely to improve drastically during 4 years of college.

Conversely, a coach can also adapt his offensive system to suit the skillset of the players he has, and we would see offensive production increase.  Does that count as "teaching/coaching offense?"

[KenP]

If we can attribute a team's defense to teaching and adhering to "the system" then surely the same can be said for offense....

[Dafatone]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

But I think the term "offensive skills" is too broad. That even includes better screening of the goalie. If you meant shooting ability, or being a sniper, that's a lot different.

+1. Good team offense, like Union practices, is highly coachable. (Source: I play hockey.) Sniping/deking/sick moves/extreme puck handling, perhaps not so much.

I also play and I completely agree with Kyle.

As someone who can't even skate, I'd imagine that in theory, shooting ability would be a tiny bit teachable/practicable.  Like free throw shooting.  If you shoot 500 free throws a day, you're going to get better, even if you're already playing at a high level.

That being said, who has time for that.  And maybe I'm just wrong, too.

[dag14]

Having watched a Cornell lacrosse goalie become a highly regarded LSM since his talent was being wasted riding the bench behind Matt McMonagle,  I know that a good athlete can be coached/trained to be much more highly skilled, even at this level.  Whether it is learning to be smarter about playing the position or learning how to execute a skill more effectively [cycling down low, slapshot, etc.] why shouldn't this be true of Division I hockey players?  Even NHL players utilize skating coaches and goalie coaches -- little things can improve a players' game considerably.

[RichH]

I don't know. I've played hockey, but never close to D-1 collegiate level. I've never even seen a practice.

I'm going to the Falconry thread for my off-season amusement. It's my favorite (non-lacrosse) off-season topic since trebuchets.

[Robb]

Shorter poll:

A.  "Don't Know"

B.  "I have deluded myself into thinking I am competent to answer this question."

It is going to be a long offseason we have to occupy ourselves somehow. I may delude myself that I am competent to answer the question but I have no allusions about this discussion having any impact on the real world of Cornell Hockey. Idle amusement is all I seek.

But I think the term "offensive skills" is too broad. That even includes better screening of the goalie. If you meant shooting ability, or being a sniper, that's a lot different.

+1. Good team offense, like Union practices, is highly coachable. (Source: I play hockey.) Sniping/deking/sick moves/extreme puck handling, perhaps not so much.

I also play and I completely agree with Kyle.

As someone who can't even skate, I'd imagine that in theory, shooting ability would be a tiny bit teachable/practicable.  Like free throw shooting.  If you shoot 500 free throws a day, you're going to get better, even if you're already playing at a high level.

That being said, who has time for that.  And maybe I'm just wrong, too.

I suppose a coach can give you the right drills to practice, but I see practice and spending time with the puck as separate from coaching.

[KeithK]

I suppose a coach can give you the right drills to practice, but I see practice and spending time with the puck as separate from coaching.

I can imagine that a good coach might be able to watch what you are doing and provide feedback.  Just because it may require drillsd repition to improve a skill doesn't mean that coaching can't direct and possibly speed that process.