Getting Dangerous 

“Go to the net,” “crash the net,” “get net front.” These are things we hear in hockey when it comes to what it takes to score goals. But while it’s easy to say and easy to see when it happens, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

So, what does it take to get to some of the most dangerous ice in-game and why is it worth it to get there? Let’s dig in.

Net front is also known as the “high danger area.” It’s as close as you can be to the goaltender without committing a crease violation. It’s also where shots have the highest likelihood of getting in the net. According to Dobber Hockey, the average shooting percentage from the high-danger area is 19.75. Compare that to a league average shooting percentage that, last season, was 10.17 (per Evolving-Hockey.com).

It would make sense that the closer you are to the goal the better chance you have of scoring, but what exactly is the challenge to a goaltender? We asked Philipp Grubauer that very question.

“The closer the shot is, the less time you have to react. It’s a difficult challenge - the tighter (the shot) is, the closer it is, you have to be in position. If you go deeper in your net, the more net you give up (to the shooter). And the more aggressive you are, the more vulnerable you are to if (the shooter) doesn't shoot and passes it back door, then you have a longer distance for you to make up (to address) that second chance.”

It's not just about the shot either. One body coming net front means multiple bodies potentially coming net front which makes it more challenging for a goaltender to track the puck. One shot in close could also be followed by a couple more whacks from sticks to try to knock the puck in.

“That's not ideal because I want to take the sticks and the rebounds away,” Grubauer said. “You always want to control the rebounds, but sometimes they're too close there's no chance. (Shots from net front) are pretty tough to stop in this league.”

Grubauer’s not wrong, according to NHL Edge data last year, 27.2-percent of all shots taken and 48.1-percent of all goals came from right in front of the crease.

It’s obviously advantageous to get net front, so how do you do it? It turns out every player has their own methodology.

Jaden Schwartz has been one of the more effective Kraken skaters in terms of getting net front for a tip, shot, or screen. He says coaches have always told him that getting to that part of the ice was key to being an effective player in the NHL.

“It is tough to get net front,” Schwartz said. “Obviously, other teams’ ‘D’ are trying to box you out and certain plays are different. Sometimes you have to take a different route to get (net front) and fight through bodies and the puck has to come to the net, too.”

It’s not just about moving your body to a spot on the ice, skaters who are trying to get net front have to balance mindset with opportunity and timing often in a split second. It has to become instinctive.

“You go around the net or find different ways of twisting and turning,” Schwartz said. “(To get) in front of the net, you're not really thinking. It's more of just reading and reacting. Every play is a little bit different, and you just learn as you go.”

Timing is a big factor for Matty Beniers as well. He says if you get to the net front too early, you can be pushed out of position too early.

“(Getting net front) is an art, it’s tough,” Beniers said. “There are guys who are great at it - they get in net front position, they get in the goalie’s eyes, they do it all. I just try to avoid the other players, not get cross-checked and sneak by them. I’m still trying to get better at it. For me, it’s just working hard to get there every game.”

Shane Wright, who has been showing his ability to be a threat net front, is also trying to find ways to get past defenders undetected. He says his focus is finding ways to get inside a defense’s structure and find soft spots of ice.

“You have to be elusive,” Wright said. “You have to be able to spin off (the defense) and try to get underneath them and get body position underneath. It’s a constant battle trying to get that body space at the net.”

Getting net front isn’t easy, but it can pay off handsomely.

Going into Wednesday’s pre-season finale, eight of the Kraken’s 12 goals came from the high-danger areas of the ice. Wright and Schwartz added two (as shown in the videos above) against the Oilers.

“I think getting to that area, getting to the blue paint, getting to the inside is key to scoring goals,” head coach Dan Bylsma said.

And as dangerous as getting net front can be for an offense, the good news is that defending against that attack is something the Kraken have built into their identity.

“We ask our ‘D’ to always box out,” Grubauer said. “There's an art to it - boxing out and letting me see the puck at the right time. Obviously, we need to focus on the play too. So even if we can't box out, I have to find the (shooting) lane. And there always needs to be communication in the play too – how to handle if a guy is back by the boards, and where the ‘D’ is going, maybe we leave one in front of me and the second goes ‘back boards.’”

That’s been pretty effective. Here’s the Seattle defense last season. In the graphic below, blue indicates where shots occurred at a rate below league average, and red indicates a rate above league average. The darker the color, the farther away from the average (five-on-five play only).

At the end of the day, not every scoring chance needs to come from the net front. But if you can put in the work to get there offensively, it’s likely to payoff; and if you can prevent it defensively, that’s going to be a big help when it comes to winning hockey games.

Practice video courtesy of Seattle Kraken producer, Marcus Allen

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