Cycle & Protect Down the Wall

Objective: The offensive-zone cycle in miniature: protect down the wall, bump it back, and the second man attacks. Setup: Puck carrier high on the wall, checker angling him, second forward trailing high. Goalie live. Execution: F1 carries down the wall into the corner with the checker leaning on him — puck on the wall-side hip. When the checker commits, F1 bumps the puck softly back up the wall. F2 arrives on the bump, attacks downhill off the wall, and shoots. Rotate all three. Coaching points: The bump is soft and flat along the wall — a hard rim skips past your own man. F1 shields until the LAST moment; bumping early lets the checker peel off. F2 times the arrival — flying past the bump spot is as bad as being late.