Post by JP on Jun 26, 2008 17:46:08 GMT 1
Coventry Telegraph:
Blaze are banking on skill and power...
Jun 26 2008 By Antony Hoper
THE POWERPLAY and penalty killing special teams will continue to be a major part of Cassidy Coventry Blaze coach Paul Thompson's planning for the new season.
Thompson believes that the league will continue to get more skilful despite a number of heavyweight signings, particularly by Hull Stingrays. But with the rules being called more tightly in recent seasons, he is also expecting powerplay and penalty killing to be crucial.
"We've got a bit bigger this year, but we haven't lost our mobility. You need an element of toughness but you don't want to be in the penalty box more than necessary.
"If you just sign big players then you will lose out with these modern rules. You might get away with it in the smaller rinks but if you can't skate then you will suffer. We don't carry the numbers of players for it not to hurt you sooner or later and I think everyone knows that.
"Hull, for example, are obviously putting a big team together but they will have to be able to adapt to the new rules and they still have a number of signings to announce. At this stage of the season it's a guessing game until what every team will look like, because you cannot speculate until all the components are in place."
Last season Blaze's powerplay and penalty killing were the most effective in the league, and despite some changes in personnel, Thompson is looking to maintain that situation.
"We do things a little differently but good players can pick these things up. We work very hard at our powerplay and penalty kill special teams.
"A lot of the drills we do in training are moves and plays that we would use on the special teams - you can't just practise them for 15 minutes at the end of a session and expect your powerplay to be effective.
"You spend around 30 to 40 per cent of a game on the special teams so we spend a similar percentage on them in training."
Blaze are banking on skill and power...
Jun 26 2008 By Antony Hoper
THE POWERPLAY and penalty killing special teams will continue to be a major part of Cassidy Coventry Blaze coach Paul Thompson's planning for the new season.
Thompson believes that the league will continue to get more skilful despite a number of heavyweight signings, particularly by Hull Stingrays. But with the rules being called more tightly in recent seasons, he is also expecting powerplay and penalty killing to be crucial.
"We've got a bit bigger this year, but we haven't lost our mobility. You need an element of toughness but you don't want to be in the penalty box more than necessary.
"If you just sign big players then you will lose out with these modern rules. You might get away with it in the smaller rinks but if you can't skate then you will suffer. We don't carry the numbers of players for it not to hurt you sooner or later and I think everyone knows that.
"Hull, for example, are obviously putting a big team together but they will have to be able to adapt to the new rules and they still have a number of signings to announce. At this stage of the season it's a guessing game until what every team will look like, because you cannot speculate until all the components are in place."
Last season Blaze's powerplay and penalty killing were the most effective in the league, and despite some changes in personnel, Thompson is looking to maintain that situation.
"We do things a little differently but good players can pick these things up. We work very hard at our powerplay and penalty kill special teams.
"A lot of the drills we do in training are moves and plays that we would use on the special teams - you can't just practise them for 15 minutes at the end of a session and expect your powerplay to be effective.
"You spend around 30 to 40 per cent of a game on the special teams so we spend a similar percentage on them in training."