DEEKS

[Aussie_Goalie]

i'm also having trouble stopping deeks like i don't have a clue which way they r gonna go on me and when i go for a poke check they just go round me easily. don't think i'm crap its just i'm only going in the net for the first time this season but those annoying deeks.

[Bernie]

This is something only a LOT of practice will help with but, for beginners, this much generally might help:

When the shooter has the puck in FRONT of him, he's probably gonna deke (btw: deke not deek). If the puck is to the side, he's probably gonna shoot.

Later in life, this has almost no substance whatsoever but certainly in intermediate or lower levels you can count on this to be true about 90% of the time.

[Squealagig]

If your gonna poke do it really fast so the shooter doesn't have time to avoid it. also try and get it when the puck is at the side rather than directly in front as they usually have less control then. After that half the time they always seem to fall

If you have time come out as far as you can and start backing up. Distance from the net will help you cut down the angle while the shooter comes at you. Momentum will help you move to whatever side the shooter deke's to. You shouldn't have to commit as early if you have enough backward momentum.

[Bryan]

You're not sliding your hand up the shaft early and waiting for them to get close before you poke check, are you? If you are, then the puck carrier knows you're going to poke check and he's waiting for you to do it so he can side step you. The poke check has to be one quick motion up the stick and stab the stick out all at once.

One thing I find is useful is PATIENCE.

If he's deeking, he can fake all he wants but sooner or later, he's gotta go wide. Wait, and go.

Just to be clear about your question -- you say that you're having trouble stopping dekes. By this, do you mean that you've already been deked and want to know what to do about it, or do you mean you're having trouble stopping break-aways?

If the situation is that you've already been deked, then try to do whatever you can to make the save. Usually, I'll try to do a two-pad slide...if I can get close enough to the skater, then he won't be able to get much lift on the puck (works great in theory...but I've had the puck lobbed over my pads more times than I can remember).

If he's really got me faked-out, then I'll try to use my stick -- ANYWHERE! I may not be able to poke check the puck away, but I may get it in-between his skates and take him down.

In general, regardless of whether you're playing the breakaway or have already been deked, just try to stay on your feet as long as you can -- because once you're down, there's not a whole lot you can do.

Also, try not to get too worked-up about breakaways...the drama of it is far too overrated, in my opinion. As one of my coaches told me, there's a lot more pressure on the shooter than there is on the goalie. Think about it -- he's got to skate in with the puck, and he could lose it off his stick; he can shoot, and it can go wide; he can shoot, and you can stop it; should he deke, or should he shoot? He's got all of these things going through his head, and you only have one: Stop the puck.

I found myself getting more confident over the years in playing breakaways by convincing myself that I HAD THE ADVANTAGE, not him! Now, I actually enjoy them...however there are a few other basics you need to keep in mind.

As visualTK said, come out as far as you can to cut down the angle. When you start to back in to the net, don't back in at a faster rate than the skater is coming in at you. That is, try to keep the distance between both of you about the same as you're backing up. Early on, this is tough to judge, but you should work on it during practice. In practice, you should also try playing way out, and deep in -- this will help you get to know your own limitations and get more comfortable around the net.

Another thing you may want to do is to take a few steps TOWARD THE PLAYER as he's skating in on you. He's probably got his head down, looking at the puck while he skating in...he's occassionally glancing up at you...then you skate up a few feet, and the next time he looks up --WHAM!! You're practically in his face! This may be enough to shake him up for a second and throw his stride off.

The key with the poke check during a breakaway is to do it quickly -- something I've never been able to get the hang of, so I don't usually do it. However, if you're going to use it, my recommendation would be to do it ONLY when the skater's coming in on your stick side -- that's when you have your best chance.

[CKeelty]

My advice: NEVER poke-check on a breakaway or man alone deke. It works maybe 25% of the time, if you're a good poke-check. I say, watch Mike Richter. In my opinion, he's the best 1-on-1 goaltender in the league, technically speaking (Hasek has better results, but his technique sucks). Richter comes WAY out of his crease (like to the middle of the face-off circles) and moves back with the shooter, forcing the shooter to pick one side. He waits, then reacts, doing a hard kick save (or a split) to whatever side the shooter chooses. Granted, you have to work hard to make this work (skate backwards masterfully and be able to do a full split) but any goaltender THAT worried about what he's doing is, I would hope, working as hard as he can off the ice to improve his game.

Chris

[badgerit]

I have to disagree here. There are some situations that call for the poke check. Say, for instance, there's a guy on the other team that you know doesn't deke--just shoots when he gets in close. I've come across a lot of players who are wholly uncreative and will come in close and shoot. I've found that the simplest solution is to poke check. Even if I don't get the puck (which I usually do), the guy's brain overloads and the puck happily slides into my pads.

[Kuzma]

I heartily disagree Chris. The safest time to poke check is on a breakaway with friendly trail or no trail. Then there is no chance for a rebound. As for the 25%, try 50% puck, 10% player, and 5% general disruption for those of us who've made it a part of our game.

[daemyn75]

Poke checks and sweep checks are great I play in C league and these guys get really worried when I jump at them and most can't get around me when I'm sprawled out on the floor. Poke and cweep checks work great.

[CKeelty]

Well, allow me to also go on record as saying two things: 1) Even if a poke-check works, it's never the SAFEST play... and 2) You guys must poke-check better than I do. But I've never claimed to have stick skills.

Chris