The goal is to tire out defenders and create openings. A good cycle wears down the defense because they have to keep turning and chasing. Eventually someone gets caught out of position and a lane to the net opens up.
Cycle
Moving the puck along the boards in the offensive zone while teammates rotate positions.
More in tactics
Backcheck
Skating hard back toward your own end to help defend. Backchecking is one of the most important habits in hockey. The best players in the world backcheck. When a player does not backcheck, it creates an odd-man rush, which is one of the highest percentage scoring situations. Players who refuse to backcheck will find themselves on the bench.
Dump and chase
Shooting the puck into the zone and skating in to retrieve it. Used when the defense is set up at the blue line and there is no lane to carry the puck in. Dump and chase gets a bad reputation but it is effective, especially against teams that play a tight neutral zone trap.
Own goal
Scoring on own team's net
Odd-man rush
Attack with more attackers than defenders