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Originally Posted by millsrj
My son and I read these posts alot, so thanks in advance for your input.
He is 14 yrs old, and is having two problems that seem related.
1. on fast breaks, he challenges, but retreats deep into his crease quickly.
2. on point shots, or long shots, where it is obvious that the player is going to shoot, he is hesitant to come out past the top of his crease.
He is big (5-10) and we try to convince him that it is to his advantage to make as many saves as possible a foot or so outside the blue ice, but he just isn't doing it.
What are some of the successful methods some of you have used, or seen used, in order to overcome this. We (the coaching staff) talk to him about confidence, visualization, closing the gap... I think this will be a big issue for him at the next level (and at the upcoming tryouts)
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I would like to speak to the 3 points in bold and italics.
Fourteen years old and 5'10" tall is a decent size (same height as me). Playing a top of the crease depth game (as a 'standard' depth) is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if it helps him play square and on angle.
I agree with the basic premise of challenging a foot or so off the blue ice on clear long shots - play big during those shots as a rule. Having said that, perhaps he was burned on an errant rebound and a guy scored back door? That would explain his hesitancy.
How are his long recoveries back to the posts? If he is slow recovering from that extra depth he might not feel he is able to take the extra depth on those shots? Not having seen him play it is a tough call.
As for retreating in to deep on breakaways, that sounds like a timing and lateral movement issue. He needs to use every practice opportunity to develop his reading skills and fake resistance to ensure he has the confidence to pivot near the top of the crease.
From what I am (trying) to read in between the lines, it appears to me that he might need some extra goalie specific, crease based skating patterns to bolster his confidence. Proper recovery sequence drills with long powerful pushes would help. Lateral slide drills would be useful.
Depth is a difficult thing to judge. I'm a huge fan of maintaining a simple approach when setting up for an impending shot: take an initial depth that will most closely resemble the final depth (ie. minimize in & out depth adjustments and use small lateral adjustments only), make small finite angle adjustments and then use a patient approach and technique that controls rebounds.
Personally, this works best for me when I start my depth near the top of the crease as the puck is skated over the red line. If I read the only option is a shot from the sideboards I can take a quick 12" of extra ice and play big. If I read a possible lateral pass or backdoor play I can give up 12" of ice and make a quick angle adjustment.
It is all situational and is further influenced by the team defence (or lack thereof) and the quality of shooters you are facing. Too much depth can be as big a problem as too little.
You are correct in your assessment of shooters getting better this year. As a goalie coach of a 1993 AAA team last year, I personally observed how much faster and stronger the kids were by the end of the year. Gym work, weights and skill work led to much higher velocity shots with much more accuracy (aspecially top shelf). As a goalie, if you do not understand the vertical/horizontal angle relationship and the affect of depth you will not last long, IMO.
Wellsie