Defensive patterns to unlock the Dallas Stars’ offense against Edmonton Oilers

Today, we are examining adjustments to the defense that could give the Dallas Stars an edge over the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference Final. Despite concerns about their offense being a key issue, implementing defensive changes could be pivotal for the Stars in winning the series.

In brief, the primary offensive issues include a lack of urgency on the Power Play and ineffective puck movement deep in the offensive zone. These shortcomings have allowed Edmonton to adopt a somewhat passive approach, focusing on containing Dallas’ initial attacks without overcommitting. Additionally, Dallas has struggled to generate meaningful scoring opportunities in high-danger areas, often resorting to long-range shots due to difficulties penetrating those crucial zones, thereby making it easier for Stuart Skinner to defend.

While adjustments on offense are important, the Stars’ offensive capabilities have been constrained by two defensive challenges: difficulties with the first player back in defensive transitions and the importance of player handedness in both defensive and offensive play.

Context

The saying ‘the best offense is a good defense’ may be cliché and sometimes overlooked, but its significance holds true in the context of ice hockey for various reasons, notably the following two:

1. Odd-man rushes, or counter-attacks, represent some of the most potent offensive strategies in modern ice hockey.
2. Maintaining a defensive posture and being positioned behind the puck enables a team to anticipate plays more effectively, reducing the likelihood of being caught off guard and allowing them to capitalize on turnovers.

A strong defense operates proactively when turnovers occur, as players are already oriented towards the attacking end of the ice, facilitating quick transitions and minimizing the need for abrupt directional changes to initiate offensive plays. Conversely, opposing teams finding themselves in possession after a turnover are often caught off guard, facing the challenge of reorienting themselves and generating momentum towards the opposing net.

This familiar post-turnover scenario often grants adept counter-attacking teams the opportunity and advantage to instigate chaos on the ice. Dallas exhibited proficiency in this aspect throughout the season, exploiting space and transitioning swiftly from defense to offense.

Don Waddell, recently appointed by the Columbus Blue Jackets as President of Hockey Operations, General Manager, & Alternate Governor, shared insights on team rebuilding that also resonate with the concept of making necessary adjustments:

“”Cleaning up your defensive zone is a lot easier to fix than trying to find pure goal scorers, I think that’s where our focus should be off the start.””

The Stars have the potential to improve their defensive play in their own zone, even if they struggle to secure consistent goal-scoring contributions from their forwards, with the exception of Wyatt Johnston. Consider the following defensive recommendations to potentially ignite the Stars’ offensive output:

The initial player to return defensively or the forward responsible for the defensive transition

n previous levels of youth hockey, the conventional practice during backchecking among forwards involved designating the ‘centerman’ to promptly backtrack and safeguard the lower segment of the defensive zone within their regular defensive responsibilities. Consequently, the ‘wingers,’ if they are the first to retreat, typically handle the initial offensive threat from the opponent before returning to their customary winger position along the boards.

For franchises like the Dallas Stars, who exhibit trust in their defense and endorse a style of play characterized by ‘positionless hockey,’ they implement a ‘first man back’ defensive paradigm. This strategy mandates that the first available forward assumes the role of the center until a positional transition can be executed. This approach typically aids in thwarting early rush attacks and minimizing the occurrence of prime scoring opportunities, contingent on all forwards being prepared to fulfill the ‘first man back’ obligation when required.

The primary challenge in the ongoing tightly contested playoff series against Edmonton revolves around a lack of responsibility among the forward contingent. The velocity of Edmonton’s players has disrupted the adherence to the ‘first man back’ policy, as only a handful of forwards exhibit both the willingness and capability to match the speed of the swift Edmonton skaters following turnovers.

For instance, during Game 5 against Edmonton, the Oilers executed six odd-man rushes against the Stars in the initial two periods. Several instances were observable where forwards either demonstrated signs of fatigue nearing the conclusion of their shifts or failed to exert full effort on the backcheck. This resulted in Dallas’s two defensemen confronting formidable opponents such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl while being outnumbered on six occasions. The deficiency of defensive support from the forwards is generating added pressure on a defensive core that currently has an ailing Chris Tanev and a heavily relied-upon Miro Heiskanen.

To address this issue, the Stars ought to emphasize a culture of accountability regarding the ‘first man back’ responsibilities for all forwards or reevaluate the depth at which their centers participate in offensive maneuvers. This adjustment could enhance Dallas’s ability to counter Edmonton’s swift counter-attacks, as players like McDavid and his teammates are proficient at capitalizing on odd-man rushes with repeated opportunities. Such modifications should alleviate some strain on the overburdened defensive core and compel Edmonton’s players to navigate more strategic challenges in creating scoring opportunities.

Does handedness matter?

The debate over handedness in hockey has persisted for an extended period, with players such as Alex Ovechkin and MacKenzie Weegar serving as prime examples of individuals who have achieved considerable success while predominantly playing on their ‘weak side’ (i.e., right-handed shooters occupying ‘left’ positions). Miro Heiskanen represents a local instance, sparking debates over whether he excels when deployed on the right side despite being a left-handed shooter.

I believe that there are two specific zones on the ice where having a ‘strong side’ handedness is crucial: the high offensive zone (OZ) and the high defensive zone (DZ). More precisely, the areas spanning from the top of the circles to the blue line in both zones are particularly vulnerable to costly turnovers and often serve as the starting points for offensive pressure for certain teams. This underscores the importance of two distinct scenarios: