Wedge+1 PK

Objective: Three players welded into a triangle over the slot, one free chaser pressuring the puck everywhere above them — structure and chaos at once. Setup: D1, D2 and one forward form the wedge protecting the house; the +1 forward hunts the puck along the wall and the blue line. Execution: The wedge holds the slot no matter where the puck goes — it shifts and leans but the three stay connected inside the dots. The +1 pressures every perimeter touch on an angle, steering play away from the middle and buying the wedge time to set. Trigger: the +1 seals his man on the wall = the near wedge player steps out to double for the strip, then both sprint back to shape. Coaching points: Use it when: facing a 1-3-1 — the wedge blankets the bumper and net-front while the +1 harasses the QB and flanks. What beats it: fast flank-to-flank puck movement that outruns one chaser — the wedge must accept those outside shots and win the rebound instead. The +1 chases with his stick, not his feet — a lane taken away is a turnover coming.