Signature skill: K'Andre Miller one-on-one abilities: Gap control and in-zone defense
K'Andre Miller is having an impressive rookie season for the New York Rangers, playing top 4 minutes (20:00 average/game) and facing some decent quality of competitions according to Hockey Viz:
One of the reasons he's been able to log these minutes is his defensive one-on-one ability. I'll take a detailed look at his gap control (rush defending) and in-zone defending (defensive zone play). We'll see how he combines modern defensive techniques (closing space skating forward, a limited number of crossovers, etc.) with old-school defense (physicality, reach, etc).
1- Gap control
Here are some key aspects needed to be a great rush defender:
1.1- Offensive zone gap
The first step for good neutral zone defending is to set up his gap in the offensive zone. Instead of waiting at the blueline, we can see Miller tying his check (Marchand) higher in the offensive zone. With his long reach, he's able to break the play before the red line:
1.2- Habits
In this clip, we can see Miller's strong habits when he has to defend the rush on the strong side of the ice (the puck carrier is on the same side as him). He retrieves inside dots to force the puck carrier on the outside and blocks the center ice with his stick, allowing him to close the play at the blueline:
1.3- Ability to defend skating forward (soft lock angling):
The modern defenseman must be able to defend while skating forward, which allows to quickly close time & space on the opposing forward. It's especially important when a pass goes from one side of the ice to the other like in this situation:
1.4- Defensive skating: Defensive skating technique (backward skating & pivot) and a limited number of crossovers
In this clip, we can see Miller closing space on Bruins' forward using lateral push from his right leg. This technique helps defensemen to not cross their feet over and to stay in a good defensive posture (not getting caught in a bad position if the Bruins' player cut laterally). We can also see him using a good defensive pivot with no crossover (same concept as backward skating with no crossover):
1.5- Closing space as D2
The role of D2 is also important when defending the rush, even if it's just against one forward. In this clip, Miller identifies the situation, and because it's a 1v2 against, instead of staying on his side, he pivots and starts defending skating forward, closing time and space and forcing a dump-in for the Bruins forward:
1.6- Ability to recover
Being a great 4-way skater is an important part of being a strong neutral zone defender. In this clip, Miller is a bit too aggressive, but with his great mobility and skating, he's able to recover & catch up Bruins' forward (Marchand). He owns the lane to the puck (body position between the puck and the opposite player) and starts the breakout with an exit in control for the Rangers:
For more rush defending from Miller:
2- In zone defending (defensive zone)
2.1- Aggressive pressure down low
With his skating, athleticism, and reach, Miller can jump quickly to pressure the player in possession in order to kill the play early:
2.2- Immobilizing the puck carrier and denying the back of the net
Immobilizing the puck carrier is an important trait when defending one-on-one in the zone. It helps to set up the defensive zone coverage early and limits offensive zone movement and switches (D-activation), which are the hardest things to defend. In this clip, we can see Miller with a good stick check and physical contact on one of the strongest forward in the league (Oshie):
3- Net front defending
3.1- Win races back to inside dots
The first part in good net front defending is to win your race back inside dots (to the net front) to keep good body position and control of the situation. Watch how Miller wins his race to the net front and how he neutralizes Oshie's stick along the way:
3.2 Net front play: Fronting
A common modern way of the old ''box out'' amongst NHL teams is called ''front''. This clip is a good example. Here, because the forward is already set in a screen position, Miller ''front'' him and ties his stick. ''Fronting'' has many advantages: If you're trying to box out the forward when he's already in a set position, it creates a double screen for your goaltender. So by ''fronting'', it helps your goaltender views. If there's a low shot from the point, you can block it. And if there's a rebound, the forward can't take it because you've got his stick tie & the defenseman has the advantage to retrieves the rebound in the corner or to join the attack because of his positioning:
For more in-zone defense from Miller:
4-Bonus: Ability to join the rush
Not related to one-on-one defending, but Miller's 4-way mobility makes him a great asset on the rush. Notice how he can create odd-man rushes because of his reading and skating:
Conclusion
With his mindset (closing the play early with aggressive defending), reading, skating, reach, and physical play, Miller has the upside to be one of the hardest defensemen in the NHL to play against and to beat in one-on-one situations.
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