It is nothing short of typical for today’s goaltenders, NHL or otherwise, to play a moderate, reliable style, being aggressive when needed and conservative when needed— come out of the blue paint on breakaways and straddle the top of the crease under zone pressure. It makes sense then, that when Henrik Lundqvist spends an entire game near his goal line, or Jonathan Quick acts like a third defenseman, that it makes us wonder how they enjoy the success they do. Here, I break down the pros and cons and give tips on both deep and aggressive play.
Category: The Break Down
I break down techniques and strategies of some of the best goalies in the game. I take them apart piece-by-piece and help goalies understand how to use them in their own game.
Break-Down: Head Trajectory
Goalies have been told to always “keep their eyes on the puck” and “follow the play with their eyes,” lest they lose sight of the puck and it ends up in the back of their net. However, in recent years a new trend has been making its way into the crease: using your entire head to track the puck, rather than just your eyes. This technique is called “head trajectory.” It has helped pros such as Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk revitalize his game, but is it as “revolutionary” as some claim?