Hi All,

I have a team of moderately skilled high school players, and we've used the "man on, box behind" defense with some success this year. We play one of our tougher opponents in 2 weeks, and they do 2 things really well that have always given us troubles:

1) They crash down the boards (both sides) really aggressively and effectively on the forecheck even strength.
2) They spring a fast player up the middle on their PK and wreak havoc on our power play opportunities.

In preparation for our games I'm planning on breaking out up the middle or away from the boards as much as possible, which I hope works well in transitioning from a tight "box + 1" defensive position. If forwards do get passes along the boards I want them to give it back to the D and D carries up the middle. Any thoughts or tips on this? Also, how do I best simulate the high pressure PK of our opponents when we are not as fast as our opponents?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance and happy holidays.