Best way to play the screen?

[monicle]

Ok well I have been playing goalie for less than a year but Im looking for advice to help against the screen. Best case scenario would be to have players that get rid of the screen for me but... On average would it be best to position myself behind the screen expecting the shooter to try to slide one just past the screen or between their legs or will they more often shoot wide of the screen? to the open net? Most of my points against are as a result of a screen or as a deflection. deflections i can deal with myself but the screen seems to give me trouble.

last night a dude shot between my players' and his players legs to put it in right past my thigh. I didnt even see it coming. I just heared the shot and then it was in the net. sure it was a sweet shot but theres got to be some sort of statistic as to where they are more likely to shoot.

[Golden Eagle #2]

Hi there, I haven't been playing for long either, but I've heard (and it worked for me) that the best thing to do is to go into the butterfly to cover the bottom of the net, because if there is a screen chances are most of the net will be blocked by players bodies whereas the bottom of the net is only covered by players legs which are less robust in comparison.

[GoalieElls]

Yer that is good advice. Thats what i got taught to do and it works well for me. Also talk to your deffense and let them know...they should know to get them out of your way. If not and the screener is close, push em away but dont lose focus on the puck/ball.

Hope this helps

Ells

[KBeats]

When you are screened, if it's by the other team, get into butterfly. When you're down there you're covering the bottom part, which as stated, is only covered by legs. also... if you're a smaller goalie you can see through their legs and follow the puck.

[Golden Eagle #2]

I find it helps as well if you lose sight of the puck/ball duck and dive your head about to try to regain sight of it but the lower body shouldn't move and the arms shouldn't come down; but you probably already know this lol

[Huntster]

Ignore the noob replies and do a search. This topic has been discussed a million times with some great replies by goalie coaches.

[somethingwicked]

This will sound kinda odd, but...

If the puck is outside of the circles, I have had a good amount of sucess just moving in front of / through the screener. Remember, you have forty pounds of equipment on, most skaters can not stop you shouldering through. And I have never been called for shouldering someone out of the way, just don't cross check them or anything like tackling them. I was warned once for putting the face of my blocker in the guy's back to push him out.

This works particularly well in the lower levels that I play at. The screener rarely knows how to react and just stands behind you. If you have to drop back they normally move or they end up in your crease (so the other team wouldn't get the goal anyways)

I would expect this is not a smart move in upper levels, I'm sure you would pay somehow.

Oh, and not that I ever do this... but if the puck is in close then the guy screening me was simply in the way of my attempt to butterfly slide out to cut off the angles. That will stop them camping in front of the net (I've heard...)

[somethingwicked]

Originally Posted by hunster71

Ignore the noob replies and do a search. This topic has been discussed a million times with some great replies by goalie coaches.

I'll be the first one to agree. My reply above is very unorthodox, and has the limited endorsement of a complete noob!

[GoalieMike99]

When the puck is being worked around in your zone and I have guys camping out in front of my net, I keep my body square to the area that the puck is at, and trying looking around or under(through) the players in front of me, and I also sometimes go into the butterfly when I know the shot is coming. It's also important to keep a low stance as well. This seems to work well for me. But you cannot always rely on listening for a shot and then going into the butterfly because the smart players will often use the ever so quiet wrist shot when they know they have traffic in front. My biggest problem is when I have the other team making a rush into my end and my defense stands in front of me as if they are playing goal and obstructing my view. This happens to me at least 3 times a game, and it p*sses me off!

[monicle]

Yeah tell me about it. Most of the guys on my team arent very aggressive in front of our crease or their crease and the scoreboard speaks for it. When we get a team with players who know how to screen it really causes problems.

[SpyderMan2k4]

I play college club roller hockey. Last year my team had a huge problem with this, I was screened all the time by the opposition AND my own players. One of the best things that I've done is just kinda sit down and talk to my D on how to move guys away from the net... at least enough for me to see. So far they've done a great job and haven't gotten any penalties. Of course this won't always work. The other night I was gettin screened pretty bad (By the way, make sure the D knows to listen for you yelling "Screen" and to move, this helps... a little). Anyway, I'm generally able to lean enough one way or another to at least get a glimpse of the shooter an/or puck. Hopefully before long, the D will move the screen.

[SpyderMan2k4]

Going down into the butterfly is good too

[somethingwicked]

Originally Posted by SpyderMan2k4

I(By the way, make sure the D knows to listen for you yelling "Screen" and to move, this helps... a little). .

One tip (that I am pretty certain I picked up off this board ) is NOT to yell "screen". This a dead giveaway to the other team to shoot.

I use the suggested "let me see" almost at a conversation level voice, and it works well because I have told my D that it means the same thing.

[InsightGoalie]

I didn't read the post's thoroughly but I didn't see anyone say that you should try to get as close to the screen as possible. Even putting pressure on them is good. The "butterfly block", a butterfly with your arms in tight, is the best if you can't see it. That assures it wont go through you and make you look like an idiot.

[The Hoffer wall]

Originally Posted by InsightGoalie

I didn't read the post's thoroughly but I didn't see anyone say that you should try to get as close to the screen as possible. Even putting pressure on them is good. The "butterfly block", a butterfly with your arms in tight, is the best if you can't see it. That assures it wont go through you and make you look like an idiot.

This is the best solution, getting as close to the screen as possible incase it's tipped or deflected then your right there and less chance of it beating you because of angles/depth ! be careful with butterfly, make sure that five hole is completley sealed and that ur pads are down along the ice. and don't hesitate. paddle down can also work too, but harder to recover as quickly then the butterfly. or if u can't see at all just punch the guy screening hopefully it'll lead to a stoppage in play or knock the net off gotta do whatcha gotta do