In ice hockey there is a wonderful play which is “crashing the net”.  For those who don’t know what crashing the net is, its when 3-4 of the skaters rush towards the offensive goal in the hope that if the shot on goal misses, one of the others can get the rebound.  It can also be known as “picking up the trash”.

Now while this may sound like an awesome play to make, like any set play it has its risks.  If the skaters don’t get the rebound, more than likely those 3-4 skaters will be trapped behind the net and the opposition will have the advantage with only one defenseman left to defend the neutral and defensive zone.

So, the question is, to crash the net or not to crash the net?  Does the possible outcome outweigh the risk?  This depends on which lines of the team do this and how much faith you have in your D core and, of course, your goaltender.

Perhaps it would be easier to send in one player to crash the net than the whole team.  While in the offensive zone and passing the puck between the players, having 3 players on the blue line makes no sense at all, especially when the team on the offense is on the powerplay.  It makes more sense to have a trashman (a power forward) set up in front of the goaltender and guarding the crease in this situation, not only to hopefully get a juicy rebound (“pick up the trash”), but also in the hopes of redirecting a shot on goal from the point.

Can a team crash the net in a 5 on 5 situation?  Yes. Is it a wise move?  That would certainly depend on the skaters. Ideally, the crashing players would need to be bigger than the opposition but also fast skaters to get back into position in the event of a turnover.  The risk level is high, especially if there is a question mark over the stay at home player or the goaltender.

Can a team crash the net on a powerplay?  Yes.  Of course this would make much more sense as there is less risk and the offensive team can crash with 3 or 4 players with an advantage, giving more flexibility.  If they crash with 3, then 2 defensemen would stay back, however this is probably more likely in a 5-on-3 powerplay rather than a 5-on-4 situation.

Should a team crash the net?  Well, this is obviously not a question that can be answered with a blanket yes or no.  Every situation is different in the game but one thing is for sure, crashing the net should always be an option.