September 25, 2013

New Season, New Teams

This entry is really just an excuse to post some recent photos Amy took of me on the ice. So if you want to skip the filler text, just scan the photos and call it done.

The fall seasons are underway here in North Texas even though the high temperature still hovers around 95 degrees every day. I'm currently on the roster of three teams - all of which can be classified as lower/middle 'D' level.

The Money Shots- This is my second season with this team and we have a revamped roster of younger, faster players. We've also got one hell of a ringer. A high 'B', lower 'C' player who can skate circles around anyone on the ice and almost score at will. To his credit he plays defense and dishes off the puck at every opportunity. Despite this I think his days are numbered with the League Director getting complaints against him playing down.

The Spitfire- A new team for me and a team that is transitioning names, roster and players from an existing team. I can clearly tell they are in a building mode and are unlikely to be very competitive this season. Still, a new group of guys - and 3 gals! - to meet and get to know.

The Jokers- Another new team for me and a terrific group of players who genuinely seem enthusiastic to have me join. It might be less about my play and more about them having to use 4 different goalies last season. In any case we are off to a good start and this team feels like one I could stick with long term.

What Does Your D-Man Do That Frustrates You?

I found a great thread on Reddit this week that lists some of the things that drive goalies insane. Member Blackmars0 chipped in with a great contribution about defenseman;
  • Putting sticks on shots trying to block them. The opposing forward is trying to do this, not you. They call them "deflections" and they're really hard to stop.
  • Not covering the front of the net. Always leave one d-man there to take away rebounds or clear traffic.
  • Leaving too much space between shooters and themselves. Basically giving the opposing forwards a free screen to shoot through.
  • Not committing to a forward coming in. This happened to me in my last league game. Two D-men were back, one opposing forward came flying up through centre ice. Both D-men started moving in to cut him off, and then stopped and looked at each other. Both of them were waiting for the other to commit to the guy and try and shut him down. The end result was he split the D just over the blue line and had all kinds of time to do a triple deke and then roof the puck top corner on me.
  • Bad pinches. Bad pinches everywhere. The opposing blue line. The neutral zone. Everywhere. I've had D-men pinch down to below the opposing goal line and then get caught trying to be fancy with it, having the puck stripped off them, and then not getting back into position. Makes me angry just thinking about it.
  • Passes from the corner/behind the net through the slot. So many of these are picked off and put in the back of the net. Goddamn.
  • Trying to deke through a forechecker instead of making a good pass out of the zone. Especially when they're the last man back.


Finally, the reason for today's entry... pictures of me!

These players must be small because I look gigantic here.

Im happy with my setup and being at the top of the crease.

The action shot! Good stick position but get that glove higher.

At least I fill up a lot of net.

September 13, 2013

The Break Away

I am not a definitive voice on goaltending instruction. I may not even be a good representation of an over-the-hill, beer league goalie. But for those of you not schooled in the dark arts of goaltending (and by that I mean stupid enough to spend your ice time having pucks whipped at you) you may have wondered what's going through the mind of a goaltender as a breakaway unfolds.

0.0 seconds

I'm standing, relaxed at the top of my crease watching the play in the far end. I try and see who's on the ice both for my team and theirs and pick out the stronger ones on the opposing team and the weaker on mine. I'm also watching how the puck possession battle is going and if by some rare occurrence my team might have a good opportunity to score. I'm doing all this as a kind of threat assessment exercise.

There's any number of events that lead to a break away but one of the most common on my teams is a bad pinch by my defense. Sometimes its a pure blue line pinch in an attempt to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Other times its a loose puck near center ice where the puck squeezes by my team mate and onto the stick of the enemy. In any case, my threat meter pegs at the top and my mind shifts gears immediately.

0.5 seconds

I've already concluded that none of my players will reach the puck carrier in time to avoid the breakaway and I've started my prep. Glide out from the crease towards the blue line. Squaring up to the path of the inbound player. Check my pad alignment with a tap from each hand.


1.0 seconds

I've reached the furthest point away from my net now and I'm making small adjustments to try and keep my angle square between the net and the player. I'm crouching down now. Getting low to the ice and trying to setup a stable inverted 'V' with my pads.

1.5 seconds

I can't hear anything. All sound disappears. I don't hear my breath or some Hollywood slow motion heartbeat. I'm simply not aware of any sound. My peripheral vision will pick up if any of my players are catching up and causing a change in the puck carrier's vector toward the net. I'm trying to gauge how fast he is. I try and note which hand he shoots.

2.0 seconds

The enemy is approaching to my left and he's reached my blue line. I feel my eyes are really wide and trying to focus. I'm not aware of anything except the shooter now. I'd call it a "Zen" state but in reality I can feel the anxiety. Short bursts of conscience thoughts go off like fireworks; "Challenge him!" "Don't fail" "Don't bite on the first move" but these are coming and going in a blur as no time has passed. I've started to retreat now. Beginning an unconscious task of trying to match his forward momentum with mine.

3.0 seconds

He's committed to his approach now. He's going to come in on my left. I'm squaring up. Little pushes with my skate. Again and again. Staying low. Check my glove hand. Is it high and out front? Feel my leg position. Am I balanced and butterfly ready?

The Deadzone

Sometimes the next moment passes so quickly, everything I am about to do happens by instinct- right or wrong. A save - or not - occurs so quickly and through such a heavy fog that I seem to awaken from a sleep to the feel of the puck hitting me or hearing the shooter cheer.

On nights when I'm playing my best, time seems to slow down to a crawl. I see his stick. I see the puck on his stick. He's on his forehand. "Is he shooting?" I'm moving back. He's running out of time. "Is he shooting?" My glove is high. The puck is moving off his blade. He's moving to his backhand. My feet are moving.

I think he's moving to his backhand. I can feel my weight shifting to my outside leg- loading up for the push. "Don't commit!" He doesn't shoot. He begins to cut across towards the middle. I've started shifting the other way now and the puck is on his backhand.

I push and drop into my slide. "He's too fast!" "You didn't match his speed" I can feel the cold of the ice and he flashes across in front of me. All the emergency signals in my mind and body fire at once as I push my right leg behind me while I'm going prone to the ice. I'm stretched out fully prone on the ice now and I wait. Can he lift his backhand over my pad?

Will I feel the puck hitting me or hear the shooter cheer?

Epilogue

Of course, every scenario is different and the variables endless. I often feel overmatched by the speed of the rushing player and am equally often embarrassed by biting on an early move. I try to stick to the basics; Challenge, Square Angles, Match Momentum.

I can tell you that the whole experience is one of isolation, thrill, exuberance and defeat. On any given night and on any given break away.