Quick answer
To score on a breakaway, read the goalie before you decide what to do, and make that decision early. Look at two things as you cross the blue line: how far out of the net the goalie is (their depth) and where the openings are (five-hole, glove side, short side). If the goalie is out and challenging you, deke to pull them across and shoot into the space they leave. If the goalie is deep in the net, take the shot they are giving you and hit a corner or the five-hole. Slow down slightly to buy time, keep your head up, and commit fully to one plan instead of changing your mind at the last second.
Key takeaways
- Read the goalie first, decide second. The goalie's depth and gaps tell you whether to shoot or deke.
- Decide by the top of the circles. Late indecision is what beats you, not the goalie.
- Goalie deep in the net = shoot. Goalie out challenging = deke to move them, then shoot into the open space.
- Control your speed. Slowing down a little gives you time to make one clean move instead of a rushed one.
- Best targets: five-hole, blocker-side low, glove-side high, and the short side post if you can beat the goalie there.
- A deke only works if you sell it. Move the puck and your eyes like you mean the fake, and the goalie moves with you.
How do you read the goalie on a breakaway?
The whole breakaway is decided before you reach the net. When I played, the forwards who scared goalies were not the ones with the hardest shot; they were the ones who looked up early and clearly knew what they were doing. A goalie can feel panic, and panic tells them to stay patient and let you make the mistake. So the first job is simple: get your head up as you cross the blue line and actually look at the goalie instead of the puck.
Two reads matter most. First, depth: is the goalie far out of the net, challenging you at the top of the crease or beyond, or are they sitting deep near the goal line? Second, gaps: where is the puck-sized space right now, between the pads, under the arms, along the ice on the short side? Those two reads point you at your best option before you ever have to execute it.
| What the goalie shows you | What it means | Your best option |
|---|---|---|
| Deep in the net, near the goal line | Corners and five-hole are open; angles are hard to cut off | Shoot — pick a corner or the five-hole |
| Out and challenging at the crease | Little net to shoot at, but lots of room to move them | Deke — pull them laterally, shoot the open side |
| Backing in fast as you approach | Losing their edges; a quick shot can catch them mid-motion | Quick release before they reset |
| Squared up, patient, glove high | They want you to shoot into their strength | Attack the five-hole or go low blocker |
Cue: "eyes up, puck in your feet." If you can keep the puck controlled slightly to the side and off your front foot, you can look at the goalie the whole way in and still be ready to shoot or move instantly.
Should you shoot or deke on a breakaway?
This is the decision that wins or loses the breakaway, and the mistake almost everyone makes is deciding too late. If you are still asking "shoot or deke?" at the top of the crease, you have already lost — you will do a soft version of both and the goalie eats it. Make the call by the top of the circles, then commit.
Use the goalie's depth as your rule. Goalie deep, you shoot. They are giving you net, so take it with a quick, accurate shot to a corner. Goalie out and challenging, you deke. There is no net to shoot at, but a goalie who is aggressive has to move a long way to cover a lateral fake, and every inch they move opens a hole. The deke is not about fancy hands; it is about making the goalie commit, then putting the puck where they no longer are.
Coach Joel's tip: Pick your move before you get there, not while you get there. On the way down the ice I want one clear plan — "shoot five-hole" or "fake forehand, go backhand." At game speed you won't have time to run through options in the slot, so the decision has to already be made. If the goalie takes that away, you go to plan B, but you never freeze between two ideas.
For the deke itself, the golden rule is that the goalie follows your stick and your eyes. Sell the fake: if you are faking a shot, load like you are really going to shoot. If you are faking forehand to go backhand, sweep the puck far enough across that the goalie has to slide to cover it. A half-hearted deke moves nobody. The specific hand moves — toe drags, forehand-backhand, one-move fakes — live in our guide on how to beat a defender 1-on-1; here we care about when to use them and where the puck finishes.
Where should you shoot on a breakaway?
Goalies leave the same openings over and over, so train yourself to hit them on demand. The four highest-percentage breakaway targets are:
- Five-hole. The gap between the pads opens the moment a goalie moves, backs in, or reaches. A low, firm shot along the ice at the five-hole is the most underrated breakaway goal there is.
- Blocker-side low. Most goalies keep the glove high and strong and are slower to drop the blocker hand. A hard shot low to the blocker corner beats a lot of goalies who are cheating for the glove.
- Glove-side high. If a goalie carries the glove low or you have pulled them out of position, the top glove corner is wide open — but only take it when it is actually there.
- Short side, high or low. If you can get to the post faster than the goalie can seal it, there is almost always a puck-sized gap. Beat them to the post and the net opens.
Cue: "shoot to the hole you saw, not the one you hope for." Decide your target off your read, not off a habit of always going the same place. For a deeper map of goalie openings and why they appear, see where to shoot to score goals.
Two mechanics make these shots go in. Keep your release quick — a breakaway shot the goalie can time is an easy save, so hide it with a snap or quick wrist shot rather than a big wind-up. And shoot while you are moving; the same weight transfer you use when you shoot while skating gives the puck speed and lets you disguise the release inside your stride.
Speed control and staying calm
New players fly in at full speed and run out of both time and options. Good breakaway scorers do the opposite: they slow down slightly as they approach, which sounds backwards but buys the one thing you need most — time to read the goalie, sell a fake, and finish clean. You are not stopping; you are trading a little speed for a lot of control.
Staying calm is the other half. The goalie is under pressure too — they have to react to you, and you choose when and where they move. That is your advantage. Breathe, keep your head up, and trust the plan you already made. Panic shows up as a rushed shot from too far out. Watch for: shooting from outside the top of the circles because your nerves fired early. Get to a high-percentage area first.
Coach Joel's tip: The goalie moves on your timing, not theirs. When I had a breakaway I'd tell myself to be the last one to commit — hold the puck a beat longer than feels comfortable, let the goalie tip their hand, then finish into the space. The player who waits half a second longer almost always wins that exchange.
Breakaway drills you can do solo
You do not need a live goalie to build breakaway skills. Most of it is repeatable at home if you set up a target to read and finish on.
- Read-and-react finishes (10-15 reps). Set a goalie shooter tutor in the net and treat its open holes as your reads. Skate or walk in, pick a hole on the fly, and finish there. The tutor shows you exactly where the five-hole and corners sit, so you train your eyes and hands together.
- Deke-and-shoot lane (8-10 each side). Approach on a shooting pad, sell a forehand fake, pull the puck across to your backhand, and finish. Do it both directions so your backhand is as reliable as your forehand.
- Corner picking (4x10). Hang shooting targets in the four corners and call your spot out loud before each shot. Calling it forces the decision-first habit a real breakaway demands.
- Slow-it-down reps (10 reps). Deliberately approach at half speed, hold the puck an extra beat, then finish. Training patience on purpose makes it automatic when the nerves hit.
- Puck-control approach (2-3 minutes). Stickhandle in with your head up using a Game Changer so you arrive with the puck settled and your eyes on the target, not on your blade.
To make solo reps feel like the real thing, shoot into a full-size steel goal so you are aiming at a true 6-by-4 opening and your targets sit where they would in a game. Aim at a specific spot every single rep — reading and finishing on a target is how breakaway instincts get built.
Common mistakes
- Deciding too late. Freezing between shoot and deke in the slot. Fix: make the call by the top of the circles and commit.
- Head down on the puck. You cannot read a goalie you are not looking at. Fix: puck slightly to the side, eyes up the whole way in.
- Coming in too fast. Full speed leaves no time to react. Fix: slow down half a step to buy time and control.
- Half-hearted deke. A fake that does not sell moves no goalie. Fix: load the fake like a real shot and move the puck far enough to make them slide.
- Shooting from too far out. A nervy shot from the blue line is a free save. Fix: get to a high-percentage area before you release.
- Always doing the same move. Predictable scorers get read by goalies. Fix: let the goalie's depth and gaps choose the finish, not habit.
FAQ
Should I shoot or deke on a breakaway?
Let the goalie's depth decide. If the goalie is deep in the net they are giving you the corners and five-hole, so shoot. If the goalie is out challenging you there is little net to hit, so deke to pull them laterally and shoot into the space they leave. Decide by the top of the circles and commit.
Where is the best place to shoot on a breakaway?
The five-hole and blocker-side low are the highest-percentage targets because goalies open the pads when they move and are slower to drop the blocker. Glove-side high and the short-side post are great when the goalie leaves them open. Shoot to the gap you actually see, not a spot you always aim for.
How do you beat a goalie one-on-one?
Read them early, control your speed, and make one committed decision. Slow down slightly to buy time, keep your head up to see their depth and gaps, and either shoot into the net they give you or sell a deke to move them and finish in the open space. The player who stays patient and commits last usually wins.
Why do I keep missing on breakaways?
The most common cause is deciding too late and rushing a shot from too far out. Make your shoot-or-deke choice by the top of the circles, get to a high-percentage area, and use a quick release the goalie cannot time. Panic and indecision beat more breakaways than good goaltending does.
How can I practice breakaways at home without a goalie?
Use a goalie shooter tutor or targets in the net as your reads. Skate or walk in, pick a hole on the fly, and finish there, alternating shots and dekes to both sides. A shooting pad and a full-size goal let you train the read-and-finish habit with realistic reps.
Should I slow down or speed up on a breakaway?
Slow down slightly. Coming in at full speed leaves no time to read the goalie or sell a fake. A half-step slower gives you time to make one clean move and finish under control, which is why calmer players score more breakaways than faster ones.
Summary
Scoring on a breakaway is a reading contest, not a speed contest. Get your head up early, read the goalie's depth and gaps, and decide to shoot or deke by the top of the circles. Goalie deep, you shoot a corner or the five-hole; goalie out, you deke to move them and finish the open side. Slow down a touch to buy time, sell your fake, and commit to one plan. Build it with read-and-finish reps on a target at home, then trust it in the game. For the moves that set up the finish, see how to beat a defender 1-on-1, and browse the Hockey Shooting hub for more scoring drills and guides.
