A few words about hockey

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Backchecking: Attempts by a forward to regain the puck on their way back to the defending zone.

Blue goal: When a player shoots the puck so weakly (below 80 mph) that Fox TV's puck-tracking system doesn't change from blue to red.

Body check: A player legally using their hip or shoulder to slow or stop an opponent with the puck.

Breakaway: The puck carrier getting ahead of every opponent except the goalie.

Tim Rickard / News & Record Wrist shot (or "wrister"): Propelling a shot off the blade with a flicking motion of the wrists.

Changing on the fly: Player substitutions while play is in progress. Check out a detailed diagram of changing on the fly

Deke: Faking an opponent out to get past with the puck.

Door step: The area directly in front of the goal crease.

Drop pass: When the puck carrier leaves the puck behind for a teammate to pick up (a.k.a. back pass).

Dump and chase: After the crossing the red line, player dumps puck into corner in hopes that his team can regain possession.

Enforcer: A player willing to fight to protect his teammates and open the ice for smaller skilled players.

Empty netter: A goal scored after a team has pulled its goalie in favor of an extra skater.

Faceoff: Dropping the puck by an official onto the ice to begin play. Check out a detailed diagram of a faceoff

Five-hole: Gap between the goalie's leg pads.

Forechecking: Keeping the opponent at their end of the rink while trying to regain possession of the puck.

FoxTrax: The oft-ridiculed blue halo that follows the puck around on Fox telecasts. Turns red when puck travels faster than 80 mph.

Freezing the puck: Using the stick or skates to hold the puck against the boards.

Goals-against average: The number of goals a goalie surrenders per 60-minute game.

Goon: See enforcer.

Hat trick: When a player scores three or more goals.

Icing: When a player fires the puck across the center red line and the opponent's goal line and the puck is touched by a defender. There is no icing when trying to kill a penalty or when the puck is directed on goal. See our diagram

Line change: Substiting a set of three forwards or two defensemen.

Tim Rickard / News & Record Slap shot: Swinging through the puck for maximum velocity

Neutral zone: The region at center ice between the two blue lines.

Offsides: See our diagram

One-timer: When a player's first touch of the puck is a shot.

Original Six: The six NHL teams in the pre-1968 expansion era: Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York Rangers, Chicago and Detroit.

Penalty box: Off-ice area where penalized players serve their sentences.

Penalty kill: Preventing the opponent from scoring on a power play.

Pipes: Another term for the goalposts.

Plus-minus: A player rating that measures the aggregate total of even-strength or shorthanded goals scored and allowed by a team when that player is on the ice.

Point: Position in the offensive zone near the blue line. A player, usually a defenseman, will position himself there to orchestrate an attacking strategy.

Power play: A man-advantage attacking situation when one team is shorthanded due to penalties.

Rebound: When a puck bounces of the boards, goalie or goalpost, frequently providing a dangerous scoring opportunity.

Shot on goal: Any deliberate attempt by a player to shoot the puck into an opponent's net that would score without the intervention of the goalie. A shot that hits the posts is not a shot on goal.

Slot: Area directly in front of the crease between the faceoff circles from which most goals are scored.

Spearing: Hitting with the butt end of the stick.

Stoned: To be denied by the goaltender from point-blank range.

Top shelf: The area just underneath the crossbar where the goalie has the most difficult time protecting.

Traffic: Bodies congregating in front of the goal, often shielding the goalie's view of the puck.

Wash-out: Referees and linesman can wave off an apparent goal, offsides or icing by giving the "safe" signal.

Wrister: Propelling a shot off the blade with a flicking motion of the wrists.

Zamboni: The machine that cleans and resurfaces the ice. It picks up the snow that collects during play and deposits a fresh coat of water, providing a smooth surface to begin each period.