Getting Agility and Power
Like forwards, goalies must master their edges in order to achieve power and agility in their movements.
Unlike forwards, goalies have a very nuanced movement; they move in inches not feet, which is not always obvious to the eye.
So the untrained observer would not expect skating to be so pivotal to a goalie’s skill set.
But small movements in goaltending make the difference between an incredible save or an inevitable goal.
You must have balance on your feet in order to make the strongest push possible.
And balance is only achieved when you have dug into the ce with your skates. Edge control helps goalies be explosive because they grip the ice to get a strong push.
It is a movement very specific to ice skating.
Balance
But the other component to explosiveness is found in all explosive movements on the ice or off the ice.
And this is balance. Without good balance, you will not use the full strength in your muscles.
Ice skating adds a slippery and more narrow balance point which makes edge control and balance harder to achieve.
But once you learn those edges, the movements will become faster and stronger.
Body Alignment
The last fundamental concept to explosiveness is related to balance: body alignment.
You cannot be explosive if a part of your body is pulling you away from your center of gravity. This is especially true for lateral movements.
Try it for yourself. If you are trying to turn around and run in the other direction, but you only twist your head, how fast will you go?
Odds are, your feet will get twisted up, and your shoulders won’t turn around completely.
This will limit your ability to get a good push and may possibly result in you taking a digger.
Edge Work
Now that we’re balanced, we can focus on the mechanics of each goalie skating move. The main staples are: shuffles, T-pushes, and C-cuts.
There are two types of edges that are involved in all of these techniques: an inside edge and a neutral edge.
An inside edge is a bit more obvious, but the neutral edge is when a goalie is balanced on both edges.
The duel edge allows for less friction when shuffling which can mean a faster and more efficient shuffle (i.e. less leg strength is needed to shuffle).
Inside Edge Only
Goaltending is played on the inside edge. This provides a perpendicular edge by which a goalie can move laterally.
This inside edge should be “gripping” the ice most of the time in order to push at the first hint of a change in direction.
This means that when an opposing player has the puck, goalies should be locked into their inside edges.
Every movement a goalie makes should be as quick as possible to get back to their inside edges.
Because the inside edges allow a goalie to move, this means that the goalie will be able to move fast in any direction.
The only exception is when moving; at that time, the lead foot should have a neutral edge in order to change direction quickly.
And that’s about the only time a neutral edge is used. You cannot push in either direction quickly because you must grab an edge to push.
It requires the extra step of moving off the neutral edge, which makes the movement slower.
Being Set
And that is the biggest challenge for young goalies. They equate movement with being involved in the game and being “active.”
But being ready and “set” (i.e. not moving and gripping your inside edges), is better for making the next move.
You have to push off your inside edge to make a move, therefore having your weight on your inside edges and being still will reduce the number of movements needed to make the push.
Even creeping backwards is done on a neutral edge which is why moving backwards and the little movements made before a shot will only make the push slower.
Shuffles
Purpose
The purpose of a shuffle is to keep the five blocking surface points (head, shoulders, hands, hips and feet) squared to the puck at all times (i.e. facing the puck from the perspective of the net).
This allows for the goalie’s body to have the most blocking surface between the puck and the net and is especially effective when small adjustments to ones angle is needed.
When to Use
The shuffle is usually used when small adjustments are needed to stay on angle. The shuffle is the most minimal movement a goalie can make. Full stop.
If anyone tries to argue otherwise, they have not thought through the mechanics long enough.
The Mechanics
The only movements needed for a shuffle are to unlock your lead foot from an inside edges to a neutral edge and then push with the trailing foot.
Lastly, a hard stop with the lead foot and gripping both side edges again. Three distinct moves are needed and there is no drastic repositioning of hips or shoulder positioning.
From these simple moves, you can see why the key to a good shuffle is inside edge grip and being set. They are the only mechanics at use in pushing.
T-Push
Historical Usage
The T-Push was less widely used than the shuffle in the pre-modern era of goaltending.
The old adage with goalies was that they never sharpened their skates and had a wide hollow which made the shuffle easier and the T-Push harder (it's harder to stop on a full skate or flat radius).
But the new era revitalized the T-Push as goalies started to deepen their hallow and sharpen their skates more often.
The T-Push became the primary method of movement for many goalies. When executed well, it can be faster than the shuffle, but it does require more hip movement which must be precise.
The Mechanics
The T-Push starts with the lead foot turning towards the destination, and the goalie's weight transfers to the back foot.
To facilitate a better transfer of weight, especially for more novice skaters, the lead foot should come heel to heel with the back foot, making it perpendicular to the back foot.
This helps the goalie get their center of balance under them and transfer the goalies weight accordingly.
Now we have the "T" in T-Push which comes from this initial movement. From here, the back foot, loaded with weight on it, will provide the push.
The lead skate takes that power and glides towards the destination in an efficient and quick movement.
Common Pitfalls
One common pitfall of the T-Push is gliding for two long. The longer the glide is, then the slower it becomes.
If the puck is not in a shooting position, this can be fine. But when a shooter can shoot the puck, the goalie should refrain from a long T-Push.
It invites the shooter to get a quick shot off when the goalie is in a vulnerable position.
This is because it is difficult to make a blocking manuever when a goalie's hips are "open." The goalie must rotate the lead foot so that it can be parallel with the back foot.
This can be achieved through a butterfly slide or a quick stop, but either way, a movement must be done before a balanced save can be attempted.
Angles
Angles are arguably the most important part of goaltending (maybe second only to a willingness to get hit by things).
Playing the angles will decrease the amount of net that is uncovered- meaning the goalie won't even have to move to make a save.
Pretty great right? Be lazy and get hit by things. A goalie's job can be really simple.
But there are more than one kind of angles. There is the center of your body in relation to the puck.
And there are a goalie's hands and the angles in relation to the angle of the puck coming off of the ice.
By stretching your hands closer towards the puck, a goalie can significantly reduce the amount of available net.
This is why you will inevitably see the puck go right into the goalie's mitt when there's a seemingly wide open net available;
the goalie is stretching towards the puck rather than across the back of the net.
Depth in Net
A goalie's depth in the net is a bit tricky because it varies depending on the situation.
For a single, static play (i.e. a stationary shot without any re-directions), a goalie will take up more net surface area by coming farther out of the net.
Less available net surface area is a good thing, right? But it does come at a cost. Being closer to the shot means less time the goalie has to react to the save.
So playing deep in your net can have the advantage of having more time to react to a save, as well as covering any re-directions or passes to shooters behind the goalie.
Inside-Out vs Outside-In
These two polar theories are referred to as the Inside-Out playing style and the Outside-In playing style.
They both have advantages and, like many strategies of goaltending, one is not always "the best" - each can have their advantages given the situation and the goalie.
With Inside-Out, the goalie stays as deep in their net until the shot is imminent. At that point, the goalie will start moving out towards the shot.
This strategy is effective because:
It can dare a player to shoot the puck early. Players think that there is more net available when they shoot, only to have the goalie take it away.
The goalie can play the percentages. What are the odds that the player can hit the top corner?
It's an energy saver. It reduces the amount of movement and energy that a goalie uses. Sometimes it pays to be lazy.
The Inside-Out style is the opposite. The goalie starts farther out in their net and then retreats back towards the goal line as the play develops.
This is most obvious for a breakaway where the goalie comes out 5 or 10 feet in front of their crease and then backs into the net as the player approaches.
This strategy dares the player to move around the goalie or pass the puck. Perhaps someone else can make a better play.
By making the player move the puck, rather than shooting, the goalie is buying time for their teammates to join the play.
If a player does take a direct shot, the goalie has a greater amount of the net covered, giving the goalie the best position to make the save.
On the Post
Playing on the post has changed the most in the last few decades with most radical changes being the two most recent positions I mention below.
There's a great article that summarizes the history of a goalies post play (here).
Of these moves, I see post play as the most likely to evolve in the next decade as well.
There are some serious flaws with these moves and they are ripe for improvement. These are:
The VH
The Reverse VH (RVH)
Personal Preference
Personally, I was a standup goalie on the post, and I still think that was an advantage for the goalie.
If you're being patient and respecting the shot, standing up covers 95% of the net if not more.
I could stand there and make a save without moving - my absolute goal. It was the easiest shot to save, even wrap-arounds.
Just standing on the post or having your stick flat up against the post is enough to stop a wrap around.
This is because the shot it only on the ice. So it does not require anything more than a block on the ice.
Issues with the VH
The Vertical-Horizontal move is mostly out of style these days. At a static glance, it seems like a great position.
The biggest part of the pad takes up the majority of the net, and the glove hand is covering the top corner. But this is a very limited position.
Once the goalie is set in this position, you have committed to Blocking the shot rather than reacting to the shot (more below).
It is only effective on a very narrow angle from the net, and it should only be used when the forward has committed to the shot.
This situation probably occurs once or twice in a game, if at all.
The blocking style of the shot is inherent from the body position and weight distribution of the goalie.
With the one leg vertical on the post, the goalie must put some pressure on the post in order to seal all of the gaps.
That is very difficult to do if your flat pad is completely on the ice. There is nothing that will create a force pushing towards the net except leaning with your body.
This is what creates the blocking position because with your body weight off balance, the goalie must re-establish balance on their foot in order to move and react out of the position.
With your weight off-balance as it's leaning towards the post, it is more awkward to use the vertical leg to move off the post - the leg doesn't have a balance point from which to push off from.
And that leads to being "stuck" in the VH for longer than is necessary.
Issues with the RVH
The RVH was borne from the awkwardness of moving out of the VH. Goalies liked sealing the bottom of the net but also wanted the mobility of moving out of the position easily.
Being down in a comfortable butterfly with balance distributed nicely, a pushing leg (the outside leg) that helps to seal the post, and a muscle-memory position that does not have to be re-learned - all of these reasons helped the RVH gain popularity.
But I see this position as starting to lose favor.
It's kind of like the blocker down position when there's traffic in front of the net - there is a false sense of security and it creates more problems than solutions.
Just like the VH, there is a gross misuse of the RVH. When a player is far away from the net, they have a better shooting angle to the top corner.
Additionally, the RVH creates even more holes to the net than it seals up.
There's the top corner (with a bank shot off the head), the spot between the post and the body, the out-stretched leg that can re-direct in (see Samsonov in the 2023 playoffs), and also five hole.
The biggest benefit that I see is that the rebound control is very familiar and can be easier when there is a scramble in front of the net.
Wrap-Arounds
For a wrap-around, a save can be made by simply making contact with the post. Be it your skate or your stick jammed up against the post -- that is enough to prevent a wrap around.
This is because wrap-arounds always slide on the ice. You don't need to worry about any vertical angles off of the ice.
I loved this because you don't even need to look at the shot.
Since the forward is racing to beat the goalie to the post and it will take longer them to lift the puck off the ice, it is incredibly predictable as to where they are going to shoot.
Also, for the older goalies, you can probably cover both posts at the same time. It doesn't take a perfect straddle or split to put one foot on each post.
You could also have one foot on the post and your stick stretched across to the other post.
For the same reason that players can't shoot high on a wrap around (because it's a race), it is also extremely predictable as to what side of the net the player will wrap a puck around.
They always want to wrap around on their forehand side. I'd guess that it's about 98% of the time true, that wrap-arounds are on the forehand side.
This is because a forward can be standing well behind the net and still reach around to get the wrap around shot off.
But on their backhand, they have to be nearly in-line with the goal line to shot it accurately on net.
Because of that, players are more likely to hold onto the puck a bit longer or look for a pass when on their backhand.
Initial Drop
Young goalies look at a butterfly and tend to think they have to fall on their knees. This is wrong. A butterfly does not fall; it pushes and drives the knees down.
It must be done with force and quickness. And it should be approached in the same manner that skating is approached - the goalie's balance point must be ready to move down when the shot is taken.
You should not have to make a pre-move in order to initiate the downward motion.
Secondly, the ending position should have the knees squeezed together. Any day light that is between your knees will be an opportunity for the puck to go through.
Even though the thigh board extensions of your pads may cover this area, it is not guaranteed. The only guarantee is when your knee pads are touching each other.
Squeeze the knees and drive your knees down through the ice is probably the best advice I ever received when learning to butterfly.
Lastly, the pads should flair out as wide as possible.
This may change depending on the situation because the more flair you have, the longer it will take to recover and move out of the position.
It can also change depending on where you need the rebound to go. Having your foot farther out towards the puck will angle the rebound in front of you.
Keeping your ankle back so that your pad is angled will rebound the puck to the corner or at least farther away (the corner is the best as long as no one is waiting back door).
Body Positioning
There are a few dimensions of positioning: the position in relation to the net, to the puck, and to the players on the ice (see Positioning above for the players on the ice info).
First, I'll talk about the relationship to the puck since it has an impact on the goalie's movement and balance.
No matter where you are in relation to the net, a goalie should always be facing the puck (with the only exception being when the puck is behind the net).
And that is not only for the goalies head and shoulders, all of their body should be squared up to the puck, including their toes, hips, feet, head and shoulders.
This was one of the most resonating points that I took from Brian Daccord's book on the basics of goaltending book.
I devoured that book as a young goalie. And it only holds more and more truth as I analyze and coach goalies decades after I applied it to my own game.
The hands positioning of the goalie should have its own angles to the puck. And the hands are wonderfully deceptive to shooters.
The physics are very easy: if you stand on the goal line, you don't take up a lot of net. Now move to the top of your crease, and you will take up a fair portion of the net.
Now move your feet back towards the goal but leave your hands outstretched so that they are away from your body. Do you think they are cutting down any less angles?
Definitely not, but I guarantee that a shooter thinks they have more room than they actually do.
The next piece is mobility. The positioning of your hands and feet will dictate where your balance is centered. The greater your center of balance, the faster you will be able to move and react.
So your hands can actually help you move your feet. Again, the physics are easily demonstrated.
Put your right arm behind your back, and then try to move left - it's a little awkward, right? That's because your shoulders are less likely to move toward the place you want to move.
Even more so, put both arms behind your back. Your shoulders will start to move back and you might end up falling on your butt. It's subtle but that shift in balance changes a lot on your skates.
Generally speaking, your upper body should be 'detached' from your lower body. Meaning that your upper body should be able to move independently from your lower body.
The upper body should be upright and your arms tight to your body. This keeps your center of balance maintained over your legs as well as sealing up any "holes" that outstretched arms may create.
Practicing how to keep these separate will allow your legs to move your torso while your hands are free to make saves and keep your body balanced.
Next for positioning is the goalie's position in relation to the net. The only absolute is that the goalies midline should be directly in the middle on the pucks angle to the middle of the net.
Obviously, this doesn't hold true when the puck is behind the net or even only 15 degrees above the goal line. But after that, it's generally true.
The only time that I fudged this rule was when I intentionally favored my blocker side to entice forwards to shoot on my glove hand.
That was a calculated risk but sometimes is worth it.
Butterfly Slide
The butterfly slide is a powerful tool in the goalies toolbox by allowing the bottom of the net to be covered while moving laterally.
It always results in the goalie ending in the butterfly positioning but moving to the left or the right side.
Typically, the position also requires the goalie to change angles so there is an upper body rotation as well the lateral movement.
This is what makes the move more technical than the butterfly:
the goalie not only has to execute a fast butterfly, but also move in a direction while maintaining good upper body control and staying in position.
Here are my main points that can help execute a goalie's butterfly slide:
Mechanics of a Butterfly Slide
To execute a butterfly slide, the goalie starts in a standing position and determines what direction they want to slide. Let's say they are sliding to their left.
To start the move, the goalie lowers their left leg so that the leg pad starts to lie horizontal on the ice and the goalie's left knee is dropping to the ice.
Good control over your right foot's inside edge is needed to maintain balance and push off the middle of your foot, which will create a powerful push.
When the push starts, the goalies weight will move from the right foot and be transferred to the left knee.
The goalie's hands can be used to steer the goalie towards their target and keep the goalie squared up to the shot.
Once the goalie's weight has moved to the left knee, the back leg should snap towards the left knee which can also help drive momentum and seal the five hole.
Quickness
Anticipation and balance on your feet is the first step to achieving a fast butterfly slide.
As always, having your balance on the "balls" of your feet is required. This will allow you to push off with the most amount of blade.
Being too far on your toes will shorten the amount of blade that you can push off on.
And being "heely" will probably make you lose your balance.
To go with being balanced, the goalie should also anticipate the direction in which they need to move.
This can only be anticipated on a 2 on 1. That's because the open player is obvious and must be respected.
Put some weight on the foot opposite of open player so that you can push off towards them.
I call this "loading up for the pass." You want to load one foot with a bit more pressure so that it's ready to react fast.
But the key is only SOME weight! You can have your weight dispersed with more on one foot than the other without leaning entirely on that foot.
For example...
If your're staring down a 2 on 1 with the puck carrier on the right side near the face-off dot and the open forward on the left-side face-off dot,
you'd want some weight on your right foot. So that you can react immediately once the pass is made. But keep yourself honest!
If the shooter instead drives hard towards the net and tries to go short side, you should still have enough balance that you can move to your right (by pusshing off on your left foot).
The only way to keep your balance on both feet so that you can react in both ways but still be "loaded" to jump faster to one side, is to ensure that you aren't cheating with your upper body.
Your upper body must help drive your movement by rotating your body towards the place you want to move. But if you overly anticipate the pass and move your shoulders towards the open forward,
the puck carrier may read that and then opt to hold on to the puck.
Patience is a virtue. And in a 2 on 1, that holds incredibly true. Don't commit too early to the pass and don't show any tells to the puck carrier.
That's another reason why loading up your balance on one foot is a nice trick.
It isn't easily recognized to anyone looking at the goalie (or at least as recognizable as twisting your shoulders towards a shooter).
Body Positioning
Following our example, once the pass is made, the most important first step is to keep tracking the puck. Never stop watching the puck.
Besides the obvious intent of knowing where the puck is, turning your head has another side effect of starting to square-up your upper body to the puck again.
First, your head turns --> which allows your shoulders to turn --> which should be followed by your hips turning.
It is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to turn your shoulders and hips towards the puck without turning your head.
To facilitate the shoulders moving, your hands should be the second movement made after turning your head.
This will definitely turn your shoulders and will give another desired side-effect and giving your movement more momentum - thus making the movement faster.
One your upper body is in a good angle towards the puck receiver, to start the slide, the lead knee should be pushed down to the ice as fast as possible.
This will create a seal on the ice so that any on-ice shots, tips, or deflections will be blocked and not slide under the lead leg.
Once the knee is down, the goalies weight settles on top of that knee and the other leg is snapped towards the lead knee.
The knees should be squeezed together so as to seal the five hole (in a textbook save).
Sealing Up the Holes
Additionally, keeping the knees together allows the goalie to maintain their balance equally distributed on both knees. This is much like keeping your balance on both feet.
If you have equal balance, you can move in either direction quickly. Having balance on one knee or one foot will allow the goalie to only move in one direction.
But be careful not to lower your hips. Some younger goalies have a tendency to sit back when moving which ends up looking like your butt is touching your feet.
This moves your balance from your knees to your hips and it ends up being an immoveable position. It is akin to sitting on your butt - definitely not a place the goalie can easily move from.
One tip that I liked growing up was the "egg shell" rule. Pretend that you have egg shells on top of your skates and if you lean back when you move, those eggs would break.
If you move in such a way that would break eggs, then you do not have the correct balance on top of your knees.
When and Where to Stop
Now in the progression, the puck is on route to the passer. The goalie is watching the puck and their shoulders and hips are squared up to the angle that the puck will be at when the passer receives the puck.
The goalies lead knee is sliding on the ice towards the new puck carriers, and the back knee is snapping towards the lead knee so that the five hole can be sealed.
The next important reaction should be what route the goalie should take to square up to the passer (who would now be the puck carrier).
For many goalies, it is safer to go back to the post. Regardless of where the puck receiver is, the post can be a safety net to ensure that the goalie does not move too far out of the crease.
It is very easy to over-shoot the movement and completely slide out of the net.
If you aren't concerned with overshooting the net, the goalie should target their movement to a place that is between the net and the new puck position.
While this seems obvious, I state it because you can't let the pass receiver be below you once they receive the puck. Remember, they are still moving too.
You have to play this more conservatively or a more skilled player will be able to collect the puck and then find an open shooting lane towards the net.
For example, if the player receiving the puck is on a forward diagonal and charging towards the back post, their body may be in front of the net,
but they could receive the puck closer to the goal line.
Now, if both opposing players are completely in front of the net (say top of the circles) and are not driving the net, then it is important for the goalie to maintain their desired depth in net.
Rather than sliding in a back diagonal and towards the post, the goalie can slide to the top corner of the goalie crease.
Doing this would also be a shorter path to the target area which means a quicker movement. But be careful not to make a slow movement just because it's a short distance to cover.
All movements should always be quick and powerful especially when there is a shooter present.
To prevent over-movement, the goalie should know when to recover to their feet or to break themselves if they want to stay in the butterfly position.
Breaking is as simple as raising the lead leg, catching their inside edge to stop, and then re-sealing the butterfly by squeezing their knees together.
Do not get "lazy" with the re-sealed five hole as that is a classic forward hole to shoot at.
Powerslide
Powersliding mechanics are very similar to the butterfly slide with the exception that the goalie is starting with both knees on the ice in a butterfly.
The goalie's lead leg is already laid flat on the ice, and the back leg must grip its inside edge and create a strong push to move laterally.
To create a strong push, do not sit down and violate the "egg shell" rule.
Keep your hips up and your weight on your standing foot (which is awkward because the other knee is on the ice).
Many young goalies struggle to make this push because their inside edges are not strong enough or they do not have the correct balance on top of the back leg's knee.
They also do not recognize that their back leg must be more upright and have more weight on it in order to push.
Because the lead pad starts on the ice, the powerslide takes more leg strength and a better push in order to execute the move (because there is more friction from the lead pad being completely on the ice).
Honestly, I hae tried a few ways to teaching young goalies how to powerslide, and at this moment, even after leading them through a step by step direction on how they should be placing their weight,
it still seems like it's a trial and error brute force method of learning. If you try enough times, you will naturally figure out how to slide.
When the goalie is older (say 9-10 years old), they will be stronger, more coordinated, and possibly better skaters so they will have more success.
Recoveries
Butterfly recoveries have become less important with the advent of the powerslide and the improvements in goalie pads since the 2000s.
Before then, goalie pads did not slide well on the ice, so it was more important to recover to ones feet in order to have mobility and setup for the next shot.
Nowadays, a goalie can stay on their knees but still have full mobility.
This arguably is a preferable position since the bottom of the ice is sealed and less movements will done after a shot is taken.
Despite the increased ability to slide on ones knees, it is still faster to move in/out of the crease and to change directions when on your feet. So recoveries are still valuable.
When in a butterfly, there are three options for recovery: left-leg recovery, right-leg recovery, and both-leg recovery. All of these have their uses and all should be mastered.
Each of these function exactly sa they sound. Left-leg recovery means that the goalie's left leg is raised first and then the right leg, and vice versa for the right-leg recovery.
These single leg recoveries are valuable because while in the movement to get to both feet, the goalie can still move laterally, but only in the direction opposite to the leg that is doing the recovery.
So getting up with your left leg will allow the goalie to move right.
Both-leg recovery usually starts as a jump for younger goalies who are still building their leg strength. They tend to coil up to get some momentum to "pop" up.
While this may seem like the best option, it is deceiving because it can slow a goalie down. While in the movement to "pop" up, the goalie does not maintain any balance points.
Resulting in a moment when a goalie cannot do any other movement except complete the movement. Only then can balance be re-established and a second move be made.
The mental game is what makes and breaks good goalies. Yes, you have to be strong and quick to get in position to make a save.
But doing it consistently and being ready for every single shot and accounting for every different possibility is mentally taxing.
Even a moment's lapse in concentration or a blink at the wrong moment can result in a goal.
But the odds aren't in a goalie's favor - goals will go in. It doesn't have to happen often, but it will happen.
So how do you react to that? Do you take it in strides or does your confidence get shaken?
Do you change the way you play or do you stick to your game plan? How do maintain consistency?
Every person is different and has different needs.
But there are a few techniques, just like the physical side of goaltending, that can be tools for mental strength.
Here are some of my favorites:
First, break the game into smaller pieces. Staying focused for 60 min (or however long the game is) is daunting.
But staying focused for 5 minutes at a time is much more manageable.
It was always difficult for me to not be thinking of the clock so rather than be mad at myself for doing it, I made it a tool to help me stay focused.
Getting through one five minute segment without letting in a goal was an achievement. And those little successes would give me more confidence.
It also allowed me to set consistent goals for each game.
I always wanted to start the game strong and not letting a goal in within the first 5 minutes of the game was a big boost for the team.
It usually allows every line on the team to have a shift and hopefully one that did not result in a goal, therefore boosting team moral.
The last 2 minutes of the game was also a big goal for me. Having the consistency every single game builds on a season.
Your team can play the last minutes of each game focused on their game plan rather than being worried about soft goals.
Besides game and clock management, there were other rituals that would help me remain focused.
You can see this in NHL games when goalies will "take a lap" after the whistle blows by skating to the corner and back.
I would clean the snow from my crease and take a few deep breathes.
Some goalies would splash some water around and squirt themselves with water.
There are even some players that would go to the bathroom between periods and flush the toilet. Even if they didn't go.
All of this has the same mental effect - you ware washing away what just happened and clearing the slate for the next play.
Lastly, I had some physical routines that I would do before the play starts.
When there was a face-off in my end, I would get my angles by banging my glove on the left post,
then use my stick to find the right post, tap the ice, tap my glove with my stick, and take a c-cut to get in position.
Doing this movement every single time let my mind know that my body was ready.
It became mental muscle-memory to be ready for the next play.
The goalie's stick work is a lost art. When traditional stand-up goaltending was the norm, the stick was a necessary tool.
Back then, goalie's were not good at sealing the ice with their pads and the easiest way was to use your stick to make a save.
It's still the most efficient way to make a save, but the safety of the butterfly and a goalie's natural tendency to do the same move on every save,
has made it a lost art. It's much easier to drop to your knees on every shot than it is to mentally process the play and decide what save to make.
But in terms of efficiency, it is far less taxing physically to move your stick a few inches than it is to drop to your knees to make save.
It is also far easier to control the rebound using your stick, provided that you want to re-direct the puck to the corner.
And the last argument for my the stick is valuable, is that it gets great reach.
Without much effort, you can change the direction of a puck that is two to three feet away from your body.
This can mean the difference between a save so easy that no one really realizes it was a great save, or
a forward sitting on the back door that has an easy tip in from a slap pass.
Some of the key mechanics to using the stick are the same as the rest of the goalie's body.
First, the stick should be covering the five hole and should always be squared up to the puck.
That means the stick blade should be mostly facing the puck.
I say mostly because it can be angled slightly to the stick hand's corner.
This is because if the puck hits the stick without the goalie making a reaction,
the natural direction of the puck will be to the corner, which is an ideal place for a rebound.
Second, the stick should be flat on the ice. There is a tendency to only have the heel or toe of the stick on the ice at times.
This can happen if the goalie's stick is too short or the goalie's blocker hand is too low.
This generally makes less of a blocking surface on the ice so it's not ideal.
To prevent this, one old goalie trick (I think this might have been an Ed Belfour trick) is to push your stick into the ice at all times.
Make that muscle-memory. By doing so, you will guarantee that your stick is on the ice.
And also you will be strong on your stick. Regardless of how hard the shot comes, you stand a better chance of controlling the rebound and
not having the puck bounce through your stick.
Lastly, when moving around the crease or into a save, the goalie should obey the first two rules.
Very often, especially in today's world of "blocking style" goalies, the stick face is pointing away from the shooter
and is "left behind" when moving. This actually stems from the blocking nature where the upper body does not rotate towards the puck first.
Rather, goalie's tend to move their skates and have their bodies follow their feet.
By moving more efficiently and leading with the hands, the stick will naturally follow the hands and will even direct the movement.
This gives the goalie more momentum and speed when moving and will put the stick in a proper position.