Old Dogs: Session #9 Recap
Thanks again for the great turnout and hard work last night at our first session in the Halifax Civic Centre Arena. I apologize for the delay getting started, as there was a scheduling mix-up at the rink end. Cheryl, the ice scheduler, has promised us some extra time for session #10. We’ll have an extra 30 minutes of time, so make sure you bring lots of water or refreshments. I will plan an extra drill or two to keep in tune with the session’s theme and I look forward to having a full-house.
In our 9th session, we touched on the breakaway and penalty shot situation and I introduced the basic concept of the Y-theory. To be honest, I think I could do three or four sessions just on the breakaway since it is a very complicated scenario for goalies and in “old-timer’s hockey”, it is a little too prevalent. Our 10th session will give us a look at breakaways again in a very special circumstance.
In the breakaway session, we started on working on our “gap control” where we timed our retreat to the net. Our shooting drills highlighted reacting with our feet during retreats with c-cuts. We followed that with the butterfly slide with back angle momentum. Finally, we had the shooters work on a controlled breakaway with a predetermined point of commitment. All three shooting drills focused on the primary elements needed in a “controlled” breakaway save.
“Gap control” is a concept generally used in the coaching circles for defensemen playing an onrushing forward. Goalies can use the same mindset of maintaining an optimal depth while retreating to the net. Essentially, as goalies, we want to force the deke and not the shot. In order to that, the goalie must take an initial aggressive position outside the crease. How far one sets up this initial position will depend on the goalie’s skating ability and confidence in retreating. The general positional guideline that most coaches teach about the gap control on the retreat is that the goalie should be just at the top of the crease when the player is about one full stick length away. The top of the crease is where most adult experienced goalies can execute a controlled slide to one post or the other. Further out than the top of the crease the goalie is the harder they must push and more they must stretch to close off the opening between the goalie and the post. These two things may result in holes that the attacking forward may use to slip the puck past the goalie. The stick length rule is the minimum amount of space that a goalie needs to react to any fakes or deke moves. It also should be where the goalie can force the “point of commitment” on the player. Myself, I think these guideposts depend a little bit more on the goalie’s size, experience and ability, but it is a good starting reference for most.
The “y-theory” of breakaways is a mnemonic tool for our breakaway strategy. Goalies want to force incoming players to split their movement to one side or the other at a point of commitment. Doing so will cause the player to move towards the corner of the end-zone thereby shrinking the net as the attack angle worsens. Goalies will have less net to cover in their save attempt and the players are forced to shoot for the ever shrinking gap between the goalie’s body and the post side that they are skating to.
One more point on the idea of a controlled breakaway save and what we were aspiring to in this session. The word control not only mean controlling the play and what the opposition player is doing, but it also means the goalie is in control of their body and equipment. Many goalies will drop or dip their hands while retreating in the c-cut. This lack of hand discipline will give the player “over-the-glove” shooting options while driving to the net. Hard lateral pushes at the last minute will often mean the goalie loses stick discipline and the extra five-hole coverage that he needs when his legs open up. Finally, when a goalie loses control in their lateral slide, they may make the save, but they may fall forward or backwards and put themselves in a difficult spot to make a potential second save on any following forwards.
I tried to dig up a few video examples of goalies using this method, but what usually happens is that the “highlight” reel saves on breakaways are usually reserved for the big diving or reaching saves. The technically perfect breakaway saves usually only warrant a timely comment by the announcer and then are quickly forgotten. Notice in these videos how the goalie plays the game and where they force the player to break to one side or the other. Also, watch the player’s stick and how they keep the puck in front of them in line with their body. This is usually the “tell” that the player is thinking deke and is looking to cut one way or the other. Lastly, watch for the patience of the goalies as they resist the urge to bite on early stick movements. The main or true deke will come within a stick length of the goalie and typically not before.
Corey Crawford with excellent execution
Tim Thomas with great patience and timing 01
Tim Thomas with great patience and timing 02
Pekka Rinne illustrates the advantage of being a big goalie on a breakaway
That is all for now. Any feedback or open questions to the group are always welcome.
In a final note, please notice that our ice time on May 17th, Thursday at the Dartmouth Sportsplex is at 9:00pm and not 8:00pm.