Pro-Reads: Craig Anderson multiple threats off the rush
With Craig Anderson
Ottawa's Anderson stares down a rush chance with help or a pre-scout and battles to the finish with dynamic skating.
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This is our third Pro Read article featuring Craig Anderson, and for the second time it focuses on how well the Ottawa Senators veteran breaks down a rush chance, and some of the elements he looks for — from both the opponent and his own defenders — when deciding how to play it.
It’s not just about how well Anderson reads a rush, however. There was also a second element after the save, a “teaching old dogs new tricks” movement to recover from a scramble in the crease that the 38-year-old admitted he wouldn’t have been able to do five years ago.
“I would have been swimming for sure,” Anderson said.
First, let’s start with the play that put him in that situation.
The Situation
The Montreal Canadiens have a 4-on-3 rush after a Senators defender tries to throw a hit at the blue line and fails to slow the puck carrier, stranding himself in the process. By the time the puck gets to roughly the top of face-off circle along the boards, Anderson is dealing with a quickly developing 2-on-1 in front of him, another opponent making a quick burst towards the backdoor behind him, and a third pass option across the ice atop the far face-off circle.
Before we get to the shot, take a quick look at what Anderson sees coming at him above.
Would you have managed your depth any differently? Is that backdoor threat enough to back off with your positioning, or even pull that inside leg back to prepare for a push across?
Are you thinking shot or pass at this point? What cues are you relying on to make that read?
If you’re thinking pass, which of the three options is the most dangerous? Why?
Now let’s take a look at option the puck carrier selected, and how the play unfolded.
The Save
Now let’s take a look at option the puck carrier selected, and how the play unfolded.
The Pro-Read
Now that we’ve seen the save, let’s listen in as Anderson explains his thought process, and the read that allowed him to handle this multiple-threat rush option with relative ease.
Notice how the details he considers, including how his defenders are handling the play and how trusting them to take away the options they have covered allows him to narrow his focus. Also watch how Anderson handles the scramble that follows his initial save:
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- Craig Anderson breaks down his save on a 4-on-3 rush where he simultaneously faces a 2-on-1, a backdoor threat, and a third pass option across the ice against the Montreal Canadiens.
- Anderson identifies specific cues from the puck carrier and his own defenders to determine depth positioning when a backdoor threat is present on a rush.
- Anderson attributes his crease scramble recovery movement to physical development, stating he would have been 'swimming for sure' attempting the same sequence five years earlier.
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