Most four-on-three power plays set up in a diamond with a player planted at the net, two shooters on the sides and a player sliding through the middle. The one-high triangle answers it directly: the center player stands eye to eye with one of the two opposing defensemen when the puck is high, then stays central once it drops low, denying the pass between the two side shooters.
Both defensemen at the base of the triangle step out to cut the shooting lane of each shooter the instant he receives the puck. The most important rule concerns the player planted at the net: never tie him up, but stay ready to defend his stick and take body position if a shot gets through.
The real choice on this penalty kill fits in one sentence from the manual: decide whether to cover both high shooters or stay packed in front of the net. The one-high version chooses to cover the shooters while still keeping the base of the triangle for the player parked in front of the goalie, a trade-off rather than a perfect answer.
Compared to a three on five, a three on four leaves a bit more margin: one fewer player to cover allows slightly more honest pressure on the shooters without opening up the middle as much. The number to watch stays the same as on any three-man penalty kill, one-timers off the sides, the real threat to anticipate.
The situation is easy to spot: three jerseys against four, almost always facing a diamond. Count the shots blocked by the defensemen at the base of the triangle, a direct sign the read is working. RinkLog timestamps every shot allowed, which lets you check whether the unit truly took away the high shot or just moved the danger lower.
- Same family of system as a three on five: the one-high triangle
- Never tie up the player planted at the net, only play his stick
- The real choice: cover both shooters or pack the box in front of the net
- One fewer player to cover allows slightly more honest pressure than on a three on five
Frequently asked questions
When do you see a three on four?
Most often when a penalty is called during four-on-four play already, or when two penalties partly overlap and one has just expired, bringing the team back to three against four rather than five.
Does the three on four use a different system than the three on five?
No, it is the same family, the one-high triangle, because both situations typically face a single opposing defenseman at the top of the formation. The number of shooters to cover changes, not the triangle's logic.
RinkLog measures and computes all of this automatically during your hockey, ball hockey and ringette games.
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