09/02/2026
When the Play Doesn't Go According to Plan
Part 2: What Happens Next?
So Plan A fell apart. The pass missed. The puck bounced. The defender got there first. SOMETHING happened and everything that you originally planned has been screwed up.
Now what?
Now, for some players, the concept of their plan not working truly is the end of the road. They fail to adjust and find another option. It’s not because they’re incapable of that ability, it’s because they chose to put all their eggs in one basket and now they’re scrambling to figure out a new plan. Remember how we always say the game moves fast? Well, it’s even faster when you don’t truly have a plan in mind. Suddenly you’re feeling very much lost in the water. You’re questioning things like “How did that possibly go wrong?” Or maybe asking yourself “What happened?” “Where did I go wrong?”
The issue is…while you’re trying to process the answers…the game is STILL moving. And here's where good players separate themselves. Because they don't spend the next five seconds thinking about what should have happened. They don’t focus on what went wrong.
They look up.
🥅 Where's the puck?�🏒 Where's the pressure?�🥅 Where are my teammates?�🏒 What just changed?
Rather than letting the failed plan run their whole shift, they begin searching for a new plan, and everyone knows that before you can make your next decision, you have to recognize the new version of the play.
And this is where players can get stuck, because more often than not, a player will see if there’s a way to make their original plan still work. They’re looking up, they’re seeing new options, but they still have a one track mind.
SOMETIMES, this can work…other times you’re basically beating a dead horse and ruining an opportunity from developing. Think about it. You made a pass expecting your teammate to go left.
They went right. The original plan is ruined, and if you're still looking left because that's where the play was supposed to go, rather than focusing on how to get the play going with what you have, you're already behind.
The best response isn't always faster or forcing something that simply doesn’t fit. Sometimes it's simply quicker recognition.
Sometimes instead of saying “Well how can I salvage this?” you should be saying, “That didn't work. So what does the ice give me now?”
🥅 Maybe the answer is another pass.
🏒 Maybe it's protecting the puck.
🥅 Maybe it's defending.
🏒 Maybe it's abandoning the original idea completely.
The point isn't to ✨magically ✨know the answer every time.
The point is learning to look for the answer instead of staying stuck in the question.
And here's the fun part: Sometimes the broken play creates something better than the original plan ever could. 👀
Because THAT’S how hockey works.
It’s not always about those perfectly laid plans. Sometimes it’s picking up the broken plans and creating beautiful opportunities.
