Some hockey plays are so basic, so obvious that folks hardly bother highlighting them.
One such play is the Right Up.
The Right Up (RT Up in coaching shorthand) is a direct or indirect pass up the wall in the neutral zone.
Everyone who’s ever picked up a hockey stick, from peewee to pro, has used the Right Up.
It’s the easiest and most logical play to make for the passer, though it does put the onus on the puck receiver either to make a difficult catch or to forecheck the ensuing loose puck.
Here are a couple of use cases for the Right Up, as seen in last night’s NHL playoff games.
Following a NZ faceoff win
The Right Up is an effective tool for strong forechecking teams to deploy their asset. These teams aren’t looking to enter with control, so the strong-side winger can stand in place and simply deflects the puck into the zone for teammates to retrieve.
The Vancouver Canucks win a center ice faceoff and are immediately challenged by the Nashville Predators’ 2-1-2 pressure.
VAN43 Hughes is quick to send the puck Right Up toward VAN81 Joshua, who touches the puck merely to prevent an icing call.
VAN forechecks to recover possession:
VAN23 Lindholm is hard on the puck as F1
VAN8 Garland reads the play as F2 and cuts off NSH90 O’Reilly to be second quick into the battle
VAN81 Joshua initially takes away the wall as F3, then attacks the slot once his team has full possession
Following a NZ turnover
In open play, the RT Up is an effective, if inconsistent, way of creating rush chances.
The Winnipeg Jets recover the puck. Its skaters fan out to unmark themselves from Colorado Avalanche players.
WPG4 Pionk fires a long diagonal pass, hoping to connect with WPG13 Vilardi.
COL42 Manson anticipates the play, jumps on the incomplete pass and sweeps the puck Right Up toward COL13 Nichushkin.
The pinball nature of the play catches the Jets off. WPG forwards are spread thin and its Ds are changing. Nichushkin is able to get inside the dot lane to put the Avs ahead temporarily.
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