Defensive One-on-One: Control the Gap

The 'Gap' is the distance between a defnseman and an incoming forward. When playing defense, it's important to control the Gap. Judging the amount of gap to leave is not easy, especially if the forward is a faster skater than you.

A Gap too wide will allow the forward to cut to the inside and take a clean shot on net.

A Gap too narrow, and you run the risk of letting the forward by you with room behind you to move in on goal. I've been burned both ways numerous times, and it's no fun either way.

There's an execlent article on Controlling the Gap by Brian Leetch at USA Hockey.

A good tip Leetch mentions is to check whether the forward is coming in on his strong side, or his off-wing. The off-wing refers to a forward who shoots left coming down the right wing, or a player who shoots left coming down the right wing.

Leech recommends leaving a wider Gap on forwards coming in on their strong side, and a tighter Gap on forwards coming in on their off-wing.

Why it Works
A forward coming in on his strong side has to expose the puck by bringing it in front of you as he cuts toward the middle of the ice, which may allow you the opportunity to poke the puck away. Leaving a wider Gap, encourages the forward to try cutting into the middle, rather than going to the outside.

If the forward is on his off-wing and you play too loose a gap, he can cut to the middle of the ice while protecting the puck with his body. That’s why you need to play a tighter gap in these situations.

Related Tip on Controlling the Gap:
How to Play Defense One-on-One