GCG "Ask the Coach"
GCG "Ask the Coach (Q & A) allows GCG members the opportunity to ask top goalie coaches questions about goaltending. Questions will be answered as they are received. There is also a chance that your question will appear in Goalies World Magazine. Please email your questions to brian@stopitgoaltending.com
"Last year's Stanley Cup goaltenders combined made about two million dollars and this year's starting goalies combined will cost over eleven million, what is the reason for such a discrepancy in the cost of goaltending?" Great question and despite not having an advanced degree in economics I will try to answer it! I think what you are seeing is the most extreme cases at both ends of the spectrum. Last year, Chicago's Antti Niemi and Philadelphia's Michael Leighton were perhaps the most unlikely goalies to start in the finals. One was a rookie and the other a career backup who both got put into the playoff spotlight. Don't forget that Niemi took the job job from multi-million dollar goalie Christobal Huet, so Chicago was spending money on goaltending, just not wisely. Philadelphia went through a season full of goalie injuries and inconsistencies and Leighton was basically last man standing in net for Philly. This year is different as the Canucks' Roberto Luongo and the Bruins' Tim Thomas are amongst the highest paid at their position. With a little further investigation you will see that the total cost for the TEAM'S goaltending is in line with many other teams. Backups Corey Schneider and Tuukka Rask both come in at under a million and a half salary wise so when you average out the cost of the goalie position, it is about three to four million per player. Both teams are in an enviable position with their goaltending for several reasons. First, the team's have cost certainty in the goalie position for several years down the line. This means that the Canucks and Bruins will get outstanding TEAM goaltending and KNOW exactly what it will cost them going into each season. Next, there was plenty of money left to build teams around the goalies. Both teams were smart to sign their goalie tandems for the next several years. With the position solidified on the ice and in the checkbook, it allowed both teams to re-sign key veterans and pick up important role players to fill the depth in the lineup. Finally, there is not a huge drop off from the #1 goalie to the #2 goalie. Schneider is widely considered the best backup in the game and a sure future starter. Rask was Boston's starter last year and is expected to be their goalie of the future as well! Very few teams have a tandem like the Canucks and Bruins where the backups challenge and make the starter that much better. Again, when averaged out I think both teams have made a good financial decision with their goaltending in both the short and long term! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What do you think of the Eastern Conference Finals goalie match up? Do you think it will be 'one for the ages?' " Dwayne Roloson had a spectacular career at the University of Lowell. He bounced around a few teams early in his pro career and never seemed to nail down a spot as a true #1 goalie until late in his career. Tim Thomas had an equally great career at the University of Vermont. He also bounced from the minors to Europe and back before ending up with the Bruins. Both had to make the most out of the chances they had. Roloson was in the minors and almost an afterthought when the Minnesota Wild took a shot with him. He did not disappoint, as he played in an All-Star game and finally established himself as an NHL-caliber goalie. Thomas was actually the third goalie used by Boston during his first season of extended play in the NHL! They also have had previous playoff success. Thomas went to a collegiate Frozen Four and had good playoff runs in Europe. Roloson was likely a Conn Smythe winner before an injured knee ended his and Edmonton's cup run. Playoff pressure is not new to them! Despite their age, there are not as many miles on them as you'd think. Both goalies throughout their careers have played 50 or fewer games in most seasons. Both goalies played in college, which has a shorter season than major junior hockey. Both spent time in Europe which also has shorter seasons. Add to this the time they spent as backups struggling for ice time and you have two goalies that chronologically are older but have less wear and tear on their bodies. They both have a 'been there done that' approach that gives them confidence and that carries over to their teams. Both goalies have played in almost every level of minor pro hockey. They have been starters, backups, all-stars and benched. They have seen all styles of play and coaching during their careers. Not much is new or distracting to them. To have a veteran calming influence from your goalie helps a team in many ways! Finally, let's not forget the most obvious reason, this might be their last chance to get to a Stanley Cup final. They are tremendous athletes and competitors, but Father Time does catch up to everyone! I say sit back and enjoy two true veterans that are still playing at a high level, the goaltending should be spectacular! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: "When looking at the roster of all the NHL teams, I'm noticing that just about every team has at least one European goalie in their top 3 on their depth chart. Why the reason for the European invasion?" Great question, you are not the first to notice this trend in the goalie world! I was fortunate enough to speak with Nashville goalie coach Mitch Korn recently and we touched on this subject as well. Several key factors are playing a role in the emergence of the European goalie, lets look at a few! First, its a pretty big world out there and with the new technology it's much easier to track and find players in every hockey playing corner. Social networking, improved video programs and easier travel has made it possible to watch and follow the progress of a goaltender through one or several seasons. Old scouting used to rely on one or two person's evaluation and if the goalie had a bad game the one night a scout happened to be there watching, it usually meant the end of being scouted. Many of the European goalies are simply better athletes then their North American counterparts. Sadly, many youth hockey programs have lost focus of the skill development aspect and are now overwhelming players with up to 60-70 games in a season. Due to this reason, many goalies opt to train hockey-specific at a young age as they feel they will fall behind if they don't. Goalies are not playing multiple sports throughout the year and are losing the chance to develop overall sport skills that can help with their hockey. Many European goalies play fewer games and more sports during a year. Soccer is a major sport that helps with footwork and endurance, team handball works hand/eye skills as well as quick transitions and footwork. More importantly, these sports get the goalie out of the net and give them the chance to score goals and see plays develop from a different viewpoint. Add in the fact that this reduces overuse injuries and mental burnout and this might help you rethink some of your training choices. Strangely it seems that the Europeans were ahead in the use of goalie coaches within their youth hockey programs to develop and retain good athletes as goaltenders. Often a North American goalie would go to a goalie camp in the summer and not have any follow-up instruction through an entire season. Goalies were on their own when it came to learning the skills both mentally and physically. By having goalie coaches as part of the youth hockey clubs, teams were able to teach goalie-specific skills and help aid and track the development of promising young goalies. Coaches were able to teach age-appropriate technique and watch and train a goalie at all ages. It goes without saying that if a player has success early with the position, they will tend to stay with the position. Finally, many of the techniques that were brought over by the Europeans were new and had not been seen by North American shooters. The Finnish goalies had unique hand positioning and movements. The Swedish goalies played much deeper in the crease and were quicker on cross crease passes. Czech goalies were bigger but just as agile as the smaller goalies. North American shooters had to adapt to these new styles and many goalies have taken parts to add to their own game. Overall, the European invasion has made goaltending better at many levels! Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: "I have noticed that quite a few 'old school' save techniques have made their way back into the newer style of goaltending. What techniques have you noticed and why the change back?" Every 3-5 years goaltending styles change and adapt to try and stay ahead of the shooters. When goalies become predictable with all their save selections, they become easier to score on with both the initial shot and in rebound situations. New techniques are created and some old ones come back. This happens for a variety of reasons. Sometimes improvement in equipment will allow for saves that were not used before. Better masks and upper body gear made the blocking and smother techniques we see today possible. Sharper skates and knee stacks in the legpads allowed goalies to develop a down-low game using butterfly pushes instead of just flopping and reaching for shots. Sometimes changes in the rules force a change in styles. The reduced size of goalie gear has made goalies quicker and more agile. Goalies now react more to shots rather than relying on just the lock and drop approach. Finally, the game itself changes, forcing goalies to create new moves to combat scoring chances. The one knee down or loading position was created to stop potential walkouts or passouts from behind the net. Three 'old school' style techniques stand out most to me. First is simply a return to stand up saves. When the shot is beyond a certain depth with no chance of a screen or tip, many goalies are opting for a standup save - the advantage being that their hands are free to use for the save and rebound direction and control become easier as well. Most importantly, recovery is easier as you have not left your feet for the save. When done properly on off-angle shots, many shooters miss the net and the rebound wraps around the boards creating a breakout. The Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist is dominant in this area. Second is the use of the paddle-down technique on wraparounds and plays around the crease. This was a popular technique 5-7 years ago that fell out of favor due to overuse and misuse. It is a great move when there is a bit of a surprise element that takes all of the on-ice area away from a shooter. If the goalie is down too early or the shooter sees the move, it becomes easy to place a shot over or around the blocker. Buffalo's Ryan Miller is outstanding in his use of this save around the crease. Finally, the half-butterfly save is being used more frequently by goalies. The goalie who goes into a lock and drop too early is either being walked around or having shots go off his shoulders creating big rebounds. The goalie who is patient will hold his feet just a bit longer and use a half butterfly reaction save. New Jersey's Martin Brodeur has consistently been a half-butterfly goalie during his career. Hockey proves that old cliche; 'What's old is new again'! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: " The NHL playoffs are coming up and all I hear from the announcers on TV is, 'This goalie is going to have to win them a game or two if they hope to advance to the next round.' What do they mean? How exactly does a goalie 'win a game'?" Great question as we head into the most exciting time of the year, PLAYOFF HOCKEY! There are many elements that go into winning a game. Some are quite obvious and others happen frequently without being noticed at all. The great goalies in playoff hockey history possessed many of these skills. The first obvious play is the "big save". Underdog teams will need their goalies to make two or three saves that might normally be goals to help them win games in a series. These big saves slowly deflate the other team over the course of a series and give confidence to the underdogs. Patrick Roy is legendary for making that huge save that seals a win. His famous playoff wink was not by accident! Next, a goalie can't give up "bad goal" during a game. I firmly believe that a series can change on one bad goal and that momentum can move from team to team quickly. Just as important but often not as obvious is to simply make the routine saves during a game. Force a team to beat you with quality shots. Ken Dryden played on arguably the greatest Montreal teams in the 70's and many say that any goalie could have won in that situation. Dryden was famous for never letting in the routine shot. Teams would often pass up quality scoring chances, as they assumed that he would not get beaten from a certain angle or distance. He won games by just consistently making the routine saves. Outside of making saves, there are many ways that a goalie can help win a game. Rebound control becomes extra important during the playoffs. By controlling rebounds you will face fewer shots and keep attack zone time to a minimum. This often gives the opportunity for players to take shorter shifts, and helps prevent penalties due to fatigue in the defensive zone . When Marc Andre Fleury is at the top of his game, rebound control is usually the main reason. Puck handling becomes a bigger factor in the playoffs. Martin Brodeur is simply the finest puck handling goalie to play the game. He helps control the defensive zone and disrupts teams' forecheck systems with his skills. He also does the little things, like setting up pucks properly for players and putting passes onto the tape of players' sticks to create a smooth breakout. Another skill that is often overlooked is the ability to communicate and direct your defensive zone. Verbal skills to tell your guys if a man is open or uncovered. Physical movements to direct players to areas in the zone. Good communication might save that one extra goal in a series. Finally, the ability to display supreme confidence at all moments of a game and in a series. Niemi certainly showed that with Chicago last year. He gave up a few easy goals and had a couple of average games, but when it counted he made the saves. He showed unwavering confidence and his team fed off of it. The main difference in the Penguins winning against Detroit two years ago was the confidence that Fleury showed. The previous year his confidence level did not look as strong. The following season he was a very large part of that Stanley Cup win! As you can now see, there are many ways a goalie can help win a game! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: "I am a high school goalie having problems with pucks breaking through my body on shots from the tops of the circle. I feel like I am compact yet pucks are still sneaking by, any suggestions?" There are few goals as frustrating as the ones that you are in position to stop but somehow still end up in the net! A couple of ideas come to mind right away, especially since you were able to identify the area where the shot is giving you trouble. First, make sure you are concentrating and focusing on the puck. Often goalies don't feel that a shot from certain distances or areas are a threat and therefore their concentration drifts. Then when the shot comes, it surprises the goalie and they often will not have proper technique on the save. Make sure your gloves are in proper position. A slight over-rotation on the glove or blocker is enough to propel a puck over or through you. If mechanics are not the problem, check to see if you are over using your butterfly saves from that area. Often goalies will drop just to drop and not read the proper aerial angle of the shot. The shot catches them up higher in the chest area, surprising them and they end up fighting the shot. The hybrid approach leads to better results on shots from this area. Like most saves, proper mental preparation, good mechanics and save selection should help to eliminate these goals! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: "I am the coach of a Bantam team and with the playoffs right around the corner, I have a tricky situation. How do I choose my starting goalie and how do I explain it to both of them?" Great question, as there is more to consider than just who plays and who sits. At the Bantam age, you are still in the development stage with your goalies at both a technical and mental level. If you don't have a clearly defined number one goalie, you have a number of issues to think about; first, recent play, has one of the goalies 'stepped up' and started to perform better in the last month of the season? He may have earned the start. Second, does one of the goalies seem to have more success against the team that you will be facing? Some goalies do play better when they are facing certain teams and that can be a factor in your decision. Next, during the season, who has played well under pressure situations? Often during a season, teams will have played in many tournaments and against teams who were ahead of them in the standings. Remember who played better in these situations and how their performance helped or hindered the team's chances of winning. From a mental standpoint, decide on your starter and give him/her a few days to get ready for the challenge. I think the old way of 'keeping your goalie on their toes' by not telling them who is starting until game time is foolish. A coach in a similar situation in baseball or football would not wait until players showed up at the field to tell them who was the starting pitcher or quarterback, so why do it to your goalies? Also the players need a few days to prepare and be ready for their new roles. A starting and backup goaltender have two different mindsets and each needs to mentally prepare for the game in their own way. Finally, when you have chosen your starter, explain to each one your reasons why. At the Bantam level the kids should be learning how to be a mature player and handle the coach's decision. Be honest with them about the decision and give them a few examples of why you think one will be starting over the other. Explain to the backup that he is still a very important member of the team and will be expected to contribute and be ready when the team needs him. By doing this you will ensure that you have two goalies that know and understand their roles and are ready for playoff hockey! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University: "I have just recently started working with the goaltenders for a travel team program. What suggestions can you give me to help develop a good coach/goalie relationship?" There are a variety of qualities that a good goalie coach should bring, on and off the ice. First and foremost, know your material. You don't have to be a professional player to be a good coach, but you do have to be up to date on techniques. Watch lots of games, goalies have so many styles that you should be able to learn different techniques. There are plenty of great websites (such as this one!) and magazines, manuals and videos to increase your knowledge base. Next, be able to break a skill down to the basics and have patience when doing so. A simple butterfly recovery takes proper footwork, hand positioning, hip rotation, and upper body positioning to master. You can't teach the complicated parts until the basics are mastered. Learn the type of athlete you are coaching so you can enhance their strengths and work on their weaknesses. I've found the goalies who also play soccer tend to have quicker feet, while the goalies who also play baseball or tennis tend to have better hand-eye skills. Create drills that challenge the individual athlete; trying to make EVERYONE a cookie-cutter goalie will frustrate both you and the goalie! Act like a professional at all times. Dress, talk, interact with everyone you meet in a polite but professional manner. This will help you to develop your credibility as a coach. You will command more respect from the goalies and the parents. This is an essential part of becoming a coach. It still holds true that first impressions are often lasting ones. Finally and MOST importantly, have excellent communication skills. Probably 80% of your work will be talking in some capacity. Out on the ice, create a language that you can use to communicate with your goaltenders. When you call out a specific technique or drill, everyone should know what is expected. Understand the age and skill level that you are coaching; a 10 year old goalie with three years playing experience will have a different skill set then a 10 year old trying out the position. Create a positive atmosphere on the ice when coaching. Goalies don't want to be yelled at for a mistake, as they know a mistake has been made because they can see the puck in the net. They do want to know how to correct the mistake. Break the play down so you can point out a positive before the negative, such as, 'Great foot work getting to the puck, but your glove hand was a bit behind you' has a more positive tone. Learn how to talk with parents, as most just want their children to enjoy the hockey experience. Finally, create a fun working space, you'll be surprised how much more work you'll get out of a goalie if they enjoy what they are doing. Don't forget that we are all involved in this game because it is FUN! I hope this gave you a few useful ideas on how to develop your relationships with your new goalies! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My coach on my hockey team shows me different techniques than the goalie coach I train with during the year, what is the best way to handle this situation?" Interesting question that I have been hearing more frequently! My answer is to try new techniques in practice and see which ones might help you in a game. The challenging part of goaltending is that there is no "right" way to always stop a puck. One of my favorite quotes from Tim Thomas is, 'I'd rather make an ugly save then let in a pretty goal.' I think that Thomas is trying to say that it is important to have strong fundamentals built into your game, then you have to allow your natural ability to complete you as a goaltender. No two goalies play every situation the same. Take a look at the goalies in the recently played NHL All-Star game, Cam Ward, Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, and Tim Thomas all have completely different styles but are all All-Stars. They have strong fundamental such as a comfortable compact stance, strong foot work in the crease, and great rebound control but after that their individual style takes over. For a younger goalie learning new techniques will put more tools into your puck stopping tool box. The game constantly evolves and goaltenders must learn to adapt. The lock and drop butterfly approach is slowly giving way to a more hybrid mix of stand-up, reaction saves, and butterfly technique. There are many small changes that are constantly being added to the game. One of our goalies at Northeastern University showed our other goalie a better way of shooting the puck that I had not seen before. I recently spoke with goalie coach Clint Elberts on a crease skating movement that is helping the goalies I coach at all levels. Challenge yourself to try something different! One last bit of advice when dealing with a new goalie coach is to work on developing a relationship. Ask what situations you might use a certain technique in. Ask about his/her mental approach to the game and how it could help you. If you can add two or three ideas or techniques, then you have become a better goalie! "I have been getting beat to the short side on pass-outs from the same corner. I've tried butterfly and stand up saves but am still getting beat to the short side, any suggestions?" Great question, as short side goals tend to deflate a team. Four thoughts come to mind to help eliminate this problem: As with most situations, the problem usually occurs before the shot even happens. First, how are you setting on the post? Often goalies will be passive with their hand and foot positioning when plays are in the corner as they feel there is not an immediate danger of being scored on. Your stick should be in a position to block passes, usually heel of blade to toe of skate, if the play is close to the net. If the puck is further in the corner, toe of blade to toe of stick to keep your five hole covered. When on the stick side post, your glove should be held in a similar manner to your normal stance for balance and compactness purposes. On the glove side, the glove can be positioned off the side of the knee to maximize coverage. The feet should NOT be flat on the goal line. When setting on the post, the foot closest to the post should have the heel resting tight against the goal post and the other foot should be 12"-18" off the goal line. This hand and foot positioning allows maximum coverage and visually takes angles away for pass-outs to the back side post. Second, when you have established proper post integration you know must learn to look off the puck briefly to see where the other attackers are positioned. Often a goalie will say they got beat on the pass-out because they were focused on the puck and didn't see the other player. This is nonsense, as goalies have to be aware of the where the puck IS and WHERE it is GOING. This will help the angle of which you step off the post to meet the attacker. Next, lets address the depth and compactness when stepping off the post. Most goalies do not take a strong aggressive push off their post. The depth in the crease is shallow, allowing shots to beat them over the shoulder. When the play is in tight, the closer you can get to the puck the tougher it is on the shooter, as you take away BOTH time and space. Practice hard steps to and from the post at every practice. Be comfortable around your crease with your movements! The next issue is coming off the post in a compact position. Check to see that you are not opening up holes in the arm region and your stick is not opening up five hole. There is nothing worse than having proper positioning and allowing a goal to go in through your body! Finally and most importantly is the angle of your step off of the post. As discussed earlier, take a quick look off to know the angle of the pass. Make sure you step out to the blade of the stick and not the body of the shooter. Most goalies are so concerned with getting their center net coverage that they don't recognize to what area of the ice the pass is going - and then short side becomes exposed. This seems like a lot of work, but this can easily be mastered and solve your short side problems! "It seems there are many goalies suffering hip injuries these days. Why are they happening and how can this be prevented?" Hip injuries are becoming more prominent in goalies, mostly at the older levels. The most common is the femoroacetabular impingement, (FAI) and the torn labrum. These injuries are caused by overuse and the problem is magnified because a goaltender does not generally feel pain until it’s too late. The explanation of why goalies are suffering these injuries is actually three-fold: 1. Goaltending equipment is a major factor here. Goalies are using the butterfly predominantly as well as butterfly slides and pushes enabled by superior equipment. These butterfly techniques put a lot of strain on the hips and the smaller the pads get the more stress will be put on the knees. Goalies today also compound the problem by wearing their pads very loose. When a goalie goes down, his knee is pulling away from the knee cradle in the pad and the knee is collapsing lower than if the knee stayed tight in the cradle of the pad - therefore producing more stress. 2. Experienced goaltenders (High School age and older) are receiving considerable goaltending training above their busy team schedule. This goalie-specific training will add to the amount of butterfly work that a goaltender does and therefore increase the stress on the hips. 3. Goalies are not getting enough off-ice training specifically designed for goaltending issues. Most goalies take part in team off-ice training and do not spend enough time on Injury prevention. These programs are designed for players and lack the emphasis on goaltending needs. The solution to the problem has to be a team effort between the goalies, goalie coaches, equipment manufacturers, league administrators and strength coaches. 1. Goalie pads should be allowed to have thicker inner knee rolls so the goaltenders knee height in the butterfly stays higher than the skate. League administrators must agree to this specification and equipment manufactures should design a better way to stabilize the knee in the knee cradle while allowing the pad to flare up in the butterfly. 2. The amount of butterfly, butterfly slides and butterfly pushes should be monitored. Goalie coaches should track the amount of work a goalie is doing down low and adjust training accordingly. A goalie coach should continue to train the butterfly technique, but proportion the amount of down movements within training by conducting a mix of training while in the upright stance and in the butterfly. 3. Strength coaches must create separate training programs for their goaltenders that center on injury prevention, flexibility and core strength. The demands of a goalie are very different than that of a player and a standard team training program is not going to cut it for today’s goaltender. " I've heard a lot of talk about how Roberto Luongo's new goalie coach Rollie Melanson has changed his style. Could you explain what he was trying to change and why?" Great question! Luongo is already a super goalie with a gold medal to prove it! The adjustments had to do more with his positioning and crease movement then his overall technical game. Luongo has been a successful butterfly goalie who has sound technical skills. Melanson wanted to work on two major points with Luongo; first was his positioning in relation to the crease. He wants his goalie to play a bit deeper in the crease with the toes just about touching the top of the crease. The benefits of this change of positioning is that you are less vulnerable to lateral passes, it makes you quicker moving from post to post as there is less room to cover. Another benefit is that more rebounds stay in front of you. You will be able to see any rebounds quicker and use a blocking type of save when needed. If you are outside of the crease area, pucks can get outside of your body and you can be beaten on lateral plays or back through the post. The second adjustment was to allow the play to come to Luongo, be more patient and hold his feet just a bit longer before he drops. It forces the shooter to make a quicker decision to try and hit a perfect shot to a small area or pass laterally, usually through the traffic of the back check. As mentioned earlier, the lateral pass becomes easier to stop as there is less back door space to cover. The other advantage is that shooters are now being taught to shoot high to create rebounds off the shoulders as most goalies drop automatically. By holding the feet longer, the goalies still has his butterfly option but can use his hands more actively on shots up high. The changes are small adjustments to Luongo's game. The style of goaltending is constantly changing and being refined. As the shooters develop or figure out our techniques we have to adjust to stay ahead of them. The fun part of the game is that it is always changing and evolving. It is a battle to stay ahead of the shooters and makes playing and coaching the position unique and challenging! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can you give me some suggestions to help improve my mental game? The fact that you are asking is a great start. Mental training is often neglected when coaching goaltenders. I'll give you three ideas that should help you elevate your mental game: First, develop a vocabulary of trigger words. A trigger word, when used, should help produce an immediate desired physical response. 'Showtime' is a word that might get you mentally ready and help eliminate distractions as a game begins. 'Focus' might remind you to not get too emotionally high or low during a game. Many players have to say 'breathe'. It offers a physical reminder and regulating your breathing helps maintain an even flow of oxygen, crucial for maximum performance and focus. Develop trigger words that resonate for you, to help you address your own needs during a game. Many athletes have also developed a set of physical cues to help them re-focus on a specific task. Batters will step out of the batters box to regroup and possibly disrupt a pitcher's rythm. Basketball players will bounce the ball a few times before a free throw. Many goalies have cues they use during play stoppages; some skate out of their crease, much like taking a short break from their work. Others will tap the goal posts. Somtimes just a specific movement will offer a reminder of how to regroup and concentrate on the task at hand. If you are a kinesthetic learner, physical cues are a great way to stay mentally involved in a game. Finally, a term we developed at Northeastern this season that I think would help any goalie is what we call 'another chance at greatness'. The term covered both the specific and general parts in a game, for example being short-handed offers a chance to show you are the greatest in the league in that situation. Playing the puck gives you an opportunity to show your greatness. Playing with a one goal lead, winning games while getting outshot, name it and you can use it as a motivational tool to show your greatness. This will keep you constantly trying to improve your game and keep your concentration level high! It also sends a positive message to yourself and your teammates. Slowly you will achieve greatness in many small parts of your game, translating to an overall positive result! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goalie Coach for Northeastern University: "I coach a PeeWee team and was wondering how I could go about teaching my goalies to go behind the net to handle pucks?" Great question and a great skill to teach young goalies! This is now a part of a goalie's game and not just a bonus if your goalie does happen to handle the puck well. First, simply have them get comfortable moving from their crease to behind the net and back. No pucks yet, just teach them how to move, set and return. Next, show them proper stick positioning along the boards once they get there. Most goalies will feel more comfortable moving to their forehand side at first. Now add pucks; soft dump-ins to allow them to move from their net and get to the puck. Teach them how to set the puck about a foot from the boards and smoothly return to the net. When this is mastered, start adding a defenseman to the play, then finally go full speed with a defenseman and an opposing player. Be patient, as mistakes will be made and some will result in goals. Just remember you are doing your job by developing skills in your goalies that can be used at the next levels! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My son is about 5'1". He is having trouble transitioning out of the load the post play. He loads the post ok, but if there is a rebound he gets into trouble on the short side. What is the proper play if the player backs out while you are loading the post? To try and open up the short side? Any info on post work would be helpfull. He likes to paddle down,but he does it too much. Any alternatives?" Great question. Loading or the knee down is one of the most overused positions in goaltending right now. The best option is to stay on your feet as long as possible and you can also use a pre-load when anticipating a loading situation but still holding your feet. A pre-load is bending the weak-side knee in anticipation of driving it into the ice while at the same time staying on your feet. While on your feet you have the chance to butterfly slide and cover more range as opposed to using a push from a load. Patience is such a big aspect of the position and having the patience to wait to the last minute before loading is essential. The patience theme continues when actually in the load. A goalie can't pull off the short side early. A well-executed load should block the entire short side. In a load, the goaltender is in a great position to push toward the weak side but can't leave that strong side post too early. The ice will be covered and the ability to keep the gap and stay big in the push along to ice is key. If you do have to track and follow a puck carrier, then you want to be in a blade down load. Loading with the paddle down should only be in a jam situation as opposed to a walk-out situation. The reason for this is if a goalie has to track and follow along the ice, he will not have his blocker available if he is paddle down. If you try to move from paddle down to blade down within a track and follow, you can get beat in transition. Be patient, be patient, be patient. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My son is getting pummeled with shots at practice and hardly has enough time to get up before the next shot is coming. What should I tell him?" One of the most important skills a goalie can have is the ability to track the puck. That means not only before and during the shot but after the shot as well. After each shot the goalie should have the opportunity to track the rebound with his eyes and utilize a post save recovery technique. Ideally, the shooter or shooters in the drills are allowed to play their rebound and continue to try and score. Implementing the five second rule in practice is the best way to train goaltenders and teach goal scoring as well. After the initial shot the coach begins to count down loudly down from five. The payers and the goalie imagine that they are playing in a 0-0 game with five seconds remaining in the third period. This scenario creates a sense of urgency for the players and goalies alike. I have used this 5 second rule at the Mite level as well as the Pro level with the same results. If your son is a youth then it is important for you to communicate with his coach. If your son is in High School or older then he must discuss this with the coach on his own. Communication in any relationship is important and it is no different between a goalie and his coach. Explaining the importance of situations that occur after the initial shot and how it is crucial for goaltending development is an important subject. The coach may allow for the five second rule or play the puck until the whistle. In any event an open line of communication is important to establish and maintain throughout the season. College recruiting has changed dramatically over the last ten years. Leagues and teams are doing a tremendous job providing current stats and information. Webcasting, email, exposure tournaments and camps have created a situation where very few stones are left unturned for recruiters. If a student athlete is interested in specific schools, a personal email with basic information is a good idea, but a blanket email to every school or league in the country is not the best avenue. If a goalie is not a Division I caliber student athlete, then a more pro-active route can be taken with emails and phone calls to coaches of schools that are the right fit both academically and athletically. The interesting thing about goaltenders is that schools tend to be more patient before committing goalies than players. Goalies in general develop later than skaters and their importance to a team means that recruiters can’t afford to make mistakes. An exceptional young goalie may receive an early commitment, but for the most part coaches are waiting to see how the goalies do against the best competition and track their maturation. If your son is a potential college goalie the recruiters will be watching. His job is to stay focused on playing well, helping his team and hitting the books. In general, the college teams that consistently are at the top of their league will produce more professional players. This being said, there are pros coming from almost every Division I college program and the most important decision is to find the right fit. If option A is to go to a hockey powerhouse and sit behind an All-American and option B is to have the opportunity to go to a non-powerhouse and play every game…. the decision is an easy one. " What are some of the off-season moves in the NHL this year that caught your eye?" The obvious choice is Chicago not re-signing Niemi. He ends up in San Jose and helps to keep the Sharks a legitimate Stanley Cup Contender. During the season I was impressed with his mental game. He was able to shake off the bad goal and was very strong protecting leads. His teammates had confidence in him and it showed in the team's play. His technical game wasn't always pretty, but he has quick legs and feet and he used them to his advantage. I'm interested to see if he can put San Jose over the top in the West. The other two that caught my eye both involved Montreal. I was surprised that they let Halak go to St. Louis. I understand there were some cap issues that factored into that decision. If you watched him during the Olympics you could see he is the real deal. He plays an aggressive and technically sound game and seems to give his team a chance to win on a consistent basis. The other Montreal move that didn't get as much attention is the signing of Alex Auld. He should be helpful in the development of Carey Price. Auld has been a number one and a dependable backup. He will push Price in a positive way by offering veteran advice. If Price falters, Auld could comfortably play 50 games. I stated last year that Philadelphia helped themselves by signing Brian Boucher again, who ended up helping them get into the Cup finals. I think Auld could have a similar impact! " A journeyman who few had heard of (Michael Leighton) and a rookie (Anteri Neimi) were the goalies in the finals. I thought experienced playoff-savvy veterans were supposed to be the only way to get to a Stanley Cup final, what gives?" Great question that will help dispel a few myths about goaltending! First, Leighton is the best example of the old phrase, "Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation!" He had bounced around a few teams but when given the chance he seized the moment. He had worked and mastered his technique and was mentally ready when it mattered. Neimi was questioned all season long and all he did in the playoffs was out duel an olympic gold medalist and beat the top seeded team in the playoffs,THEN won the Stanley Cup! His technique was unorthodox but effective! The main thing both shared was their teams believed in them and they believed in themselves. Both over came adversity along their path. Maybe we should think more about mental toughness and how a team plays for their goalie when we look at playoff goaltenders! "How in the world can two goalies that both make less the 1 million per season end up in the Stanley Cup finals while there are goalies that make over $7,000,000 playing golf? " Thank you for the very interesting question. I can understand the how it must be difficult to understand the dollars and cents of this equation but there is some logic to it. This season Michael Leighton of the Flyers originally started the year with the Carolina Hurricanes at $600,000. By the time he ended up in Philadelphia, the Flyers only had to cover $145,000 of his salary. This was due to Leighton being released by the Hurricanes and claimed by the Flyers. When it happened, Philadelphia was only responsible for half of his remaining salary and the Hurricanes the other half. You must keep in mind that Leighton was brought in for security and, with an injury to Brian Boucher, was able to go on an impressive run. In eight seasons Leighton had averaged less than 10 NHL games per year and only 18 total wins. With seven games played this season with the Hurricanes his GAA was a high 4.29 with only 1 win.
Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
That is a very good pun! Now on a serious note I think we are going to see an outstanding goalie battle between 37 year old Tim Thomas and 41 year old Dwayne Roloson! There are some similarities in their game and their careers:
These goalies both had to learn new techniques and adapt their games to succeed. Butterfly slides, butterfly pushes and proper leg recoveries were not a regular part of either goalies' game growing up. They learned new skills to stay current and make themselves better goalies.
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Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
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Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
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Question for Brian Daccord, Stop It Goaltending Director and former Boston Bruins Goaltending Coach:
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Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goaltending Coach for Northeastern University:
Question for Brian Daccord of Stop It Goaltending and former goalie coach of the Boston Bruins:
Question for Brian Daccord of Stop It Goaltending and former goalie coach of the Boston Bruins:
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Question for Brian Daccord of Stop It Goaltending and former goalie coach of the Boston Bruins:
" I have a son who is a goalie and we're both interested in learning more about the recruiting process for goalies and which colleges have the most success in promoting goalies to professional levels. What are your thoughts? "
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Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goalie Coach for Northeastern University:
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Question for John Carratu of Stop It Goaltending and Goalie Coach for Northeastern University :
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Question for Brian Daccord of Stop It Goaltending and former goalie coach of the Boston Bruins.
