The Cost of Big Adjustments vs Small Adjustments

Last Saturday night in UE's Elite Program, we worked on making small movement adjustments to constantly improve our positioning on the puck and the development play.  Imagine my delight when I watched Martin Brodeur commit the mistake of making a large over-anticipatory move on a puck carrying player in Game 2's overtime period.  Well, I wasn't delighted that the Devils lost, but I was happy to see the mistake made on such a large stage so the focal point of the lesson could be driven home.

Jeff Carter catches Brodeur overanticipating

Brodeur moves to the center of the net well before Jeff Carter has brought the puck to middle.  Carter throws the puck to the net back across the grain or against the Brodeur's momentum.  By the time the puck arrives at the net, Broedeur has shifted with a single push and then a paddle down to lose total coverage to the short side.

In our session on the 2nd, I asked the goalies to make small adjustments to the puck carriers and to not cheat and drive large movements that would actually put them out of position for extended periods of time.  The large positition adjustments also prevent the goalies from making quick reversals, as some of our high level shooters in the drills can perform.  Once you have committed to a large positional adjustment, you have gambled.  Sometimes it will pay off and other times you will look like a heel.  Save the large positional adjustments for when a puck carrier is totally committed to go in that direction and not able to shoot until they can get the puck to the far or open side of the net.

The other lesson from this big goal that was also discussed in our session was that we used the circle as a reference to be "save-ready".  I told the goalies at the level they play in that any player with the puck on their stick and able to shoot within 40 feet of the net is a threat to score.  We cannot relax in that situation and we have to be moving quickly with tight positioning during that time.  A shot from that distance can always make it to the back of the net if the goalie isn't "save-ready".