Sounds like they are panicking because they are lacking puck control skills; especially under pressure.
They need to do more 'homework' - handle the puck more often. Can you incorporate more puck control during skating drills; make them perform drills and skills in combination?
Do they work this on their own time? Outdoor rinks? Shinny ice? Five minutes before / after practice (you can give them time for their (homework'). Agility skating with a puck under pressure (1 v 1's are great for this!)... incorporating deception (head and body fakes... this can be trained off ice too!)
Do they shoulder check before getting to the puck? Are the support players open at the right time, showing their sticks?
Do they have their heads up so they can see the ice? How do you train heads up play? (Hint - it is within the Game Intelligence Thread.)
Are you simulating NZ puck recoveries with pressure in practice? IE playing GAMES?
Sorry, had to slip that last GAME comment in!'
Tony
Something to practice is have them skate back for the puck and shoulder check, when they see no pressure put the stick on the puck while skating toward your end and turn up ice toward the offensive end with the puck still on the stick.
Then have someone follow from one side and they should fake that way and go the other way. Then incorporate pressure and wall and D partner support.
We do drop the pucks and let the players free play for the first 5 minutes of practice before edge and stride work. All of our drills are done with pucks. Roughly the first 30-40% of practices the players are skating individually with puck on stick. We have been playing ringette 3 on 3 to encourage heads up play and creativity.
The defenseman are headchecking but making a very weak play with the puck when turning. Part of it is panic with the puck and part is a lack of skill to execute an escape move. I have explained that I want them to hold onto the puck but they lack confidence to execute under game duress. We talk a lot about puck protection and escape moves and practice them 1 v 1.
I like Tom's idea. Maybe we run that with a forward pressuring no stick just to work on body positioning.
Dean any NZ transition SAGs that you have would be great!
Thanks again guys!
Tony
Tony a transition game I like to do is a 2 on 2 with the defenders getting support that starts with a regroup at the far end. Now that the jpg and pdf links are working again I will put it here.
Another thing to do is play full ice but require a regroup in the nzone before you cross the blue line. this gets the D moving and making a play as well as the F getting open for the pass.
Tony,
Tom beat me to it! My suggestion was going to be to add regroups through additional 'rules' into your games. This hybrid approach will be a good solution for you!
Tony another idea is to play games with the rule that the attackers must dump the puck in. This leaves your D as the last man with the puck.
Last week my team played the 2-2 regroup game but we added a second regroup before entering the offensive zone. In U10 if you could ever get your D to hinge no one could touch your team.
To help my 9-10 yo Squirt Travel defensemen to make stronger plays with the puck when retreating to pick up a loose pucks in the neutral zone.
Often times now they are making a weak clearing attempt off the boards rather than maintaining possession and passing or using an escape move. Trying to get away from the panic play.