some advice please

[froggy chaos]

OK i need some advice.

Lately ive been having a majority of goals being scored on em in the same way. puck behind the net. pass to the front. usually a goal. either that or i get lucky. i am new to goaltending so i dont really know what i should be doing. i try to move to the front. but i am usually not fast enough to get the save.

[Timberwoof]

When the puck is behind the goal line, it cannot directly enter the net. When the puck is on the open-net side of the goal line, but still pretty close to it (say, hafway between the dot and the goal line) then it takes a good shooter and an out-of-position goalie to score.

When the puck is behind you, you should still be facing forward with your body, but turn your head to look at and follow the puck. You'll develop yoru style of how how with practice; here's what I do: As the puck comes in on one side, I keep square to it, which means that as it passes the dot I'm sideways to the net at the post. Once it gets past the goal line, I turn to face up the ice, but keep looking at the guy with the puck. When he gets behind me, I turn my head to the other side of me. When he passes the midline, I shift over to the other post. Whether I face him or face forward depends on where he goes with the puck. If he carries it forward of the goal line to try to score, I face him, square to the puck. If he passes it to the slot, then I face the shooter there. It's tricky, but you learn to read the play and do the right thing with practice and experience.

You can get sneaky with your stick. First, your outside foot needs to be outside the post, sort of hooked to it. Second, your stick should be ready for those passes up the ice. If you're on the left post (and catch left), you can get readywith your stick to poke-check any pass he makes. You have to know how far you can reach and where he's likely to pass. If you intercept that pass, you're likely to hear a bad word. Take that as a personal compliment. If you're on the right post, hold your stick so its heel is about at your toe and angled somewhat outward. That will make it more difficult for that player to pass forward. But remember: Passes from back there are passes and your responsibility is shots.

Now there is a special circumstance you have to learn to deal with, and that is if it's your own teammates back there passing the puck to the opponent in front of the net. You will have to tell them again and again, over and over, not to do that. From behind the net, they should pass it around the boards or carry it out.

I hope this helps.

[WERNER 1]

Good stuff Timber.

As timber said, you'll develope your own style of how to play this over time.

I'm guessing your "D" sucks? (They should be intercepting the passes, or atleast tying up the opposition infront.)

When the puck is behind the net (or behind the goal line for that matter) this is one of the few times you can "look off" the puck to see where the shooters are. If you can keep track of them, you'll have a better chance at stopping that on-timer out in friont.

The way I usually play this is like this:

I always stay on my stick side. By that I mean when the puck and carrier go behind the net I line up on the right post...my blocker side. I place my skate wheels against the post on the inside of the post. Blocker and stick outside of the post with the heel of my stick blade covering the bottom of the post and the heel pointing out towards center ice. Now you've got that side sealed.

Next is your stance, I always stay crouched and low with my legs/pads apart. If you stand up tall with your pads together, it's harder to do any lateral movments. So now your crouched and ready to explode out to the shooter or other post if need be.

Next is keeping an eye on the guy behind the net. Since you are crouched down low you will be able to turn your head to look behind the net. You will be able to see almost completely behind you over to your stick side. From this postion you can see the puck the whole time it's behind the net, and you don't have to worry about poping back and forth from post to post.......and flipping your head around as well. Every time you go back and forth like that you take your eyes off of the puck and take a chance at being out of postion if the guy behind the net tosses it out front while your moving.

At this point the puck carrier has only a couple of options to make a scoring play. A on-timer pass out front, or a wrap a round.

He' not going to try and wrap it stick side since you've got the covered big time. If he tries to wrap it glove side (You'll learn to read the commitment on this.) all you have to do is a short little push over to that side leading with your stick. Make sure your stick blade is facing so that if he comes around and tries to stuff it, the puck will be directed away from the net, not into it....trickier than it sounds.

If he's going to pass it out front, he's got to have someone to pass it to.....so he's going to have to look, which usually means he'll stop moving around as much behind the net to take a better look. This is your oppertunity to take a real quick look yourself. You can do a quick check look before he even starts moving again. Now you know were everyone is, so when he goes to pass, you explode out to the shooter which you should already have a pretty good idea where he's located.

As the level of play goes up, the carrier behind the net won't have to stop to look, and this will comand your full attention. When he passes now, you're going to have to out keeping yourself between the puck and the net......being ready to make the save at any point allong that line.

I hope this made some sense.

Use what you can, throw the rest out........everybodys different.

Good luck!

[Damion]

I think that it is essential that on whichever side you choose to stand on that you keep your heel indide the post and the lower portion of the pad against the post.

Have your stick positioned so as to block any passes you can reach (don,t show the player your full reach- keep the stick close to the net until the pass then jab it out)

Try to keep track of the opponents in front of the net and be ready to explode out towards their stick if you can get close enough you will take away the entire net with a good solid B-fly or a paddle down move, the closer a player is the easier the save.

[froggy chaos]

Thanks a bunch for yer help guys

when the play is behind the net i try to keep my stick out to block passes this helps a lot. Yeah my d usually is about effective as my grandma playing d. I guess my biggest problem is that darn screen. Hopefully if i can play on monday night. kinda doubtfull thanks to the weather. i play ina outdoor rink. hopefully it doesnt rain or snow again.

laterz
froggy
chaos

[Gimpish Goalie]

hey man i got the same prob as u my d plays as well as a freaking fly when they screen just yell and they should move
if not well thats when u tell them to get in net

[froggy chaos]

Yeah thats why i love my wife so much.
She plays D and she plays great. she loves taking down unsuspecting guys. Living with me she understands the needs of a goalie. i ahte it when she i8snt on my team in pickup games. what i hate worst is last monday's pickup game.

I get all my gear together thrown on my skates. i skate down to the rink . i ntocie a few wetspots ont he ground. i get to the rink to find knowone there. it must of rained earlier. so no game. man i wish i played at an indoor rink. oh well at least im past the days of playing in my friends backyard basketball court. using a fence for a net. but there was one plus to it. no problems behind the net.

laterz
froggy

-happy haloween