Shoot Low to Create a Rebound

When carrying the puck into the offensive zone, it's the defensemean's job to try to push you to the outside lane, away from the prime scoring area in front of the net. If you find yourself quickly apprroaching the corner of the rink, he's done his job.

Now that you've essentially run out of ice, you have 4 basic options.

1. Make a pass to an open player in front of the net
2. Take the puck with you behind the net
3. Stop hard, cut back up the ice, and look for an open teammate
4. Shoot at the net

Many players are reluctant to take a shot from the sharp angle down low because the odds of scoring are so low. While this is true on the initial shot, rebounds often create great scoring chances.

The key is to shoot LOW.

A shot to the goalies body can easily be absorbed and the goalie wont have to move his glove hand very far to catch the puck up high. But if you shoot hard and low and hit the goalie's pads or stick, the puck just may bounce out front.

If your teammate is going hard to the net (as he should be) he has a good chance of getting his stick on that juicy rebound. A lot depends on how well he's covered by the other defenseman, but it's definitely worth a shot.

Raffi Torres shows us how it's done:



Shooting low isn't always as easy as it sounds. Many of the curves on today's sticks are flanged back at the top to help you lift the puck off the ice. Be sure to roll your wrists over during the shot and point the toe of your stick blade at the net to keep the puck low and on target.

As the old saying goes; A shot on goal is never a bad play. While there may be better plays, it's definitely true in this case.

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