Analytics with Alison: The Art of the Pass and NOT Planning a Play

We talk all the time about concepts and ideas that analytics tell us are "good" in hockey. But what we don't always talk about is how those concepts come to life in the actual game. Unlike football or baseball which allow for more discrete planning play to play, hockey demands on-the-fly evaluation and decision-making by every player on the ice.

So, I decided to put one of my favorite concepts to the test: dangerous passing. We
know
a pass that goes across the slot (center lane) of the ice challenges a goaltender to move laterally, thus opening up more net for shooters. We also
know
passes from below the goal line "take away a goaltender's eyes" meaning they can't see where the puck is. That gives a shooter an added benefit of the element of surprise.
With that in mind, you can imagine my delight when we saw Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann put both types of passes together for a goal against Dallas.

The goal was beautiful, to be sure, and I got even more excited when we started to see a similar attack come off the sticks of these two players in more games, including against Chicago a few weeks ago.

So, I asked Eberle and McCann about this. Do they deliberately decide to try for this type of play? If so, why? And if not, what plays are set up?
Let's dig in.
Both Eberle and McCann explained that for them, this specific pass isn't a "set play" or something specific they are looking for; but it is a manifestation of playing together, knowing each other's tendencies and trying to capitalize on that.
"(It's about) execution," Eberle said. "Reading the play, and playing with each other. And even moreso, knowing where (McCann) likes to shoot it so I can pass it to him."
But while this specific pass and setup isn't one to fight for, if the opportunity exists, it's definitely one to take advantage of.
"You make that pass, a lot of times it's going to be a goal," Eberle said. "The goalie is going one way and you have pretty much half the net to shoot at."
In addition to the benefit of making a goaltender move laterally (as a cross-slot pass does), the added challenge to a netminder to find the puck off a pass that comes from behind only helps your chances of scoring.
"I feel like sometimes it can handcuff the goalie a little bit (with a cross slot feed from the goal line)," McCann said. "Obviously I had the goal against (Dallas' Jake Oettinger) … he was looking the other way."
OK, so now we know that, unsurprisingly, players are keenly aware of what the most dangerous passes are and the advantages they create; but knowing when to attempt them and making them happen is still what makes hockey an art not a science.
"It's (a) high risk (pass) because you're throwing the puck into a lot of defenders," Eberle said. "First off, the play's got to be there and second off, you have to make it. There's a lot that has to go right."
So, what kind of plays are set then? Usually, it's a play off the faceoff because that's the one time, as Eberle described, you can have all five guys on the same page. McCann said the Kraken have 4-5 of these set plays that they use quite a bit, and if the team is going to try one, it's usually the center that will make the call.

But don't think these plays are planned out to the nth degree.
"It all depends on the other team as well," McCann said. "You have to read off of them and take what they give you. I feel like we have somewhat of an idea in our head. That's our first look. And if that doesn't pan out then take what the games give you."
And this is the fun in studying this game. We can understand the tools that feed success, but ultimately players bring them to life through split-second analysis and the ability to execute a plan on the fly.
"You can try to throw something more into it but 90-percent of the time it's pretty simple," Eberle said. "The game is all about read and react."