Stopping sharp angle cut-ins - HELP!!!

I've been having a lot of trouble lately stopping shooters cutting in from the bottom of the circle area and driving hard at the net.

I've tried poke checking with marginal success. Last game I tried following the shooter across the crease using a T-Glide with my trailing pad down but the guy flipped it across the grain above my glove and scored.

I think this should be a relatively easy save but too many have been getting by me. Please HELP!!!

Thanx.

On the contrary, that can be a very tough save to make. The shooter has a lot of options. If you commit to move across too soon they can shoot to the short side. If you tighten up too much to the post, or show poke-check too soon they can go around you. T-glide can leave the five-hole open.

Here's something I do when I can. Wait until they get close and pad-stack with my stick out flat and my skates to the post. This takes up most of the net except for the top, and shooters usually trip over me if they try to go past, and the puck always gets poke checked. You have to be a little brave to do that one, because I've gotten kicked in the head a few times.

For games (from my left) glide with left leg down and stick blade on ice, glove out in front of body close to shooter as I can. (from right) paddle down and right leg dragging on ice.

Can't cover the whole net, but leave just the upper corners, make it a hard shot for the skilled or lucky players. I have found that most shooters when cutting across, shoot on the ice or no higher than the middle of the net.

For pick-up, I would slide out and stack the pads in front of the player, really laying him out. They usually think twice before trying that move again. Saw Billy Smith do it years ago and still keep that trick up my sleeve. Fun to wipe out smart-ass stuck-up showoffs.

[TartanBill]

As visualTK notes, this is really a diffucult save. If the skater is really close, like bottom of the circle, I prefer to use a barrel block with a good leg thrust, as Kracker suggests.

If he is farther out, nearer the face off dots, work on your power shuffle.

Kracker, I like your attitude!

Time to get more agressive a drive a few shooters into the crossbar! No mercy!

Actually, when I was younger (16 thru 20) I couldn't wait to slam my stick into a shooters skates sending him flying into a post. Invariably this would result in the net being knocked off the post and almost as likely me being drilled into the net with the attacker.

While I admittedly miss those days it sure seems like a painful way to make a stop. I must say that when I do play an agressive style it does seem to pay dividends. My teamates notice that when I'm in my "zone" I'm seriosuly attacking shooters.

Time to get of my "a double ss" and attack the sharp angle shooters hard (pain be damned!)

I'll let you know how it works out over the next couple of weeks...

Thanks for the ideas & input. You guys & gals are GREAT!!!





[This message has been edited by wellsie33 (edited November 13, 1999).]

The T-skate is a really effective way to cover the shooter crossing the crease. But the key is patience. You had mentioned that you followed a guy over and he popped it back and over your glove. If you're doing the T-skate, that should never happen.

He has to lead. You wait a beat and force him to keep skating across. This way, if he shoots, you know he only was one place to go... in the direction you're already moving.

I always find it hard to be patient beacuse I don't wanna get beat to the far side, but in the time he preps his shot and shoots, you have more than enough time to slam out a skate save and blocker/glove snap... that's a lot of extension and you can catch up with him in a hurry.

AB

[badgerit]

I second that. You have to be REALLY patient. I find that a lot of times shooters are looking to beat me short side, so if I just keep my legs pretty tight together and I stay close to the post, they end up shooting it right into my pads.

[CKeelty]

When the shooter moves from my left (glove side) across, I usually wait, and go paddle-down, hugging the post, as he comes close. If he goes around me, I push my blocker(and the barrel and shaft of my stick) at the puck and move across, following his motion. I know how insanely risky this sounds, but it works. I've only allowed one goal like this in perhaps 30 games since I started doing it. It helps to get your right pad out in split-style behind you, just in case, but I can't recall if I ever had to use it. Most of the time, the puck hits off blocker/barrel or even shaft and deflects to the corner.

Players coming from my right can be tricker, but are usually quite easy. The important thing is to start with a sideways-barrel-block, with the barrel of your stick out and parallel with the straight sides of the NHL crease (if that makes sense). The idea is to inhibit the ability of the player to bring the puck across in front of you. Hug the post, put the barrel down, and wait. Most of the time the player shoots the short-side and it's an easy save. If he tries to go around you, it's a nearly impossible move--since he has to dodge your stick AND be prepared to shoot--and you can poke check, pad-stack, or do the barrel-down (stupid but good-looking) Curtis Joseph glove save that I usually end up doing (against my better judgement). Granted, if this doesn't work (like if you try it with a player whose path doesn't come close enough) it's a very difficult save, but properly used, this move works splendidly.

Chris

Hey badgerit,

Yeah, you're right. Over fifty percent of the time shooters try to beat me shortside. Usually I stop it but when I get antsy and leave early, that's when I give them the freebie.

I guess it just makes sense. If he's coming at your short-side already, then he's already got that lane to the net. BUT if he wants to go across, then he's gotta contend with a possible poke-check and the potential of getting crunched by a defenseman coming from his blindside... enough to make him think and take his focus off the puck, and shooting the puck.

MMM... It all makes sense now.