Goalie Knowledge
-
Why are edges so important as a goalie?
Your goalie has those big, cushiony pads, why can’t they just stay down on the ice the whole time, and just flop around like a fish? Let’s start off with a video below on Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks working with legendary goalie coach Ian Clark. So what did you notice during all those…
-
Video: Getting beat five hole
Your goalie is on their angle, ready for the shot, reads it’s going low and… It squeaks through the five-hole in Vitek Vanecek of the Washington Capitals’ situation. It’s a goal he would like to have back and every goalie has experienced this fateful mistake. So what went wrong on this play and how can…
-
The Butterfly
Some call it a style, some say it’s overused, we know it’s a way to make a save. It sounds like we’re cooking something up. What makes a good butterfly? Currently, the butterfly is the preferred save choice for most goalies. From this position your goalie can make a variety of saves: blocker, chest, glove,…
-
Video: The poke check
The puck carrier is cutting across the crease, they have a small opening to get across, your goalie goes to cut off that option…. …and swing and a miss! Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars probably wants that goal back. The poke check is a great tool for your goalie when the play gets in…
-
C-Cuts, Shuffles & T-Pushes
Omne Trium Perfectum. Latin for “the rule of three” (Don’t worry I had to look it up too). The movements your goalie needs to practice constantly to be the best they can be. So what are C-Cuts, Shuffles and T-Pushes? C-Cuts These are the same movements all the skaters practice as they learn to skate…
-
Video: the RVH
The Reverse Horizontal aka the “RVH” in hockey lingo, is the new fad goalies love to use for any plays down low in the corners or behind the net. Let’s take a look at how Nico Daws of the New Jersey Devils implemented this save technique. I think even Daws would agree, this is a…
-
Be square to the puck
Be there or be square. Ideally, as a goalie, you want to be both. Your goalie should be there in the correct position on the ice, and square to the puck. But what does it mean to be square to the puck? The short and simple answer, is the shoulders and feet of a goalie…
-
Video: Rebound control
Goaltending is about stopping the puck. That’s all that matters right? Check out Pavel Francouz of the Colorado Avalanche: Notice how Pavel Francouz of the Colorado Avalanche stopped the puck, but he failed to properly control the rebound? This created a great scoring opportunity off an originally simple play. Goaltending is more than stopping the…
-
Depth and angles
Unfortunately, trigonometry is one of those few classes in school you’ll actually use in your real life. When you hear a coach or parent say “Cut down the angle!”, they’re saying apply math to your hockey problem. Scary, I know. “Square to the puck” is another term we’ll talk about in the next Goalie Coach…
-
Video: Hold your edges, ready to react
Not on your toes, not on your heels, but juuusst right. Every goalie gets caught doing this and it’s okay. It’s a good lesson learned and a reminder.
MAX Hockey 