Playing 'out'.

[Numbski]

I don't mean skating out. I mean playing goal OUT.

I'll try to clarify...I'm not sure when I picked up this habit, but I've found that I don't play well camping out in the crease as most goaltenders do. I begin the opening faceoff standing at the top of the faceoff circles. As play moves toward my end I slowly move back. If there's an odd man break I match my momentum to the skater moving in. If there's a dump in I'm all over it long before it gets past the faceoff circles and clear it back out.

What I've found is that I can't seem to play any other way. I feel like the forwards have a momentum advantage on me if I don't have a chance to match to their movement. Not to mention the sheer idea of shooting from far out is absurd with this system of play because there's really nothing to shoot at. :P

I guess my question is to all the vets out there (I played for a few years, then quit for 8, then started up again a year ago) is there anything particularly wrong with this style? The only concern I've had voiced to me is getting beat by a forward's speed, but this doesn't happen unless I somehow trip. I'm fast.

[loudog888]

There's nothing wrong with playing out. I think you're just playing out a little too far. It's great that you have speed, but as you move up to better opponents, they will get faster too. It's never good to cost your team a needless goal, and giving the other team a lot of net to look at on the side will accomplish that end more often than not. It's good that you're confident enough to play out, but work on making your way back in some. But your style is far preferable to some goalies I know that play with their backs on the crossbar. That shows a lot of net. All I'm saying is, direct some of that confidence into putting the fear of God into shooters. And don't be afraid to lay a few hits.

[WERNER 1]

From what I've picked up through different training formats is that you want to stay in the crease untill the play begins to develop, and then challenge. For me this is very hard to do. I may not be quite as aggressive as you are, but I like to be out as far as I possibly can......without getting burned!

A couple of things to consider though..........

1. When you come out early to challange, you do alot of moving around to follow the play, and there is a good chance of loosing your "angle". If you have a very good sense of angles, kind of like a 6th sense sort of thing, then more power to you.

2. The further you are out of the net, the greater the chance of you being beaten by a one-timer or a tick-tack-toe passing play. You just can't cover that much space in that short of time.

Personaly when I'm skating out, I love to see a goalie being overly aggressive. I'll just do a little fake, but believable shot to sort of freeze the goalie, then just move a bit to one side or the other, and walah an open net.......the goalie has no chance.

My personal take on aggressivness is this:

If the play is in the zone and above the goal line, I want to be at least out at the top of the crease. If there is a shot comming from the point, I want to be out well beond the crease.

Now these are just "general" rules for me, there are so many variables involved in any given situation that may require me to not be out as far, such as a member of the opposition camped out on one of the post, or a lot of traffic in front of the net, and countless other situations that require you to adjust your game accordingly.

Just some thoughts.......

[Stonemason]

Numbski,

As I understand it some call this playing "Outside-In" and it is a perfectly valid method though of course it has its disadvantages as well as its advantages. I used to play outside-in because frankly I scull backwards better than forwards but after working with keeks I decided to try playing inside-out and I have had immediate success, having to execute fewer lateral adjustments per attack.

I think the key is recognizing that playing inside-out doesn't mean being any farther back when the shot comes. Through timing and skating speed you can be at the optimal depth whether you "faded back" or "challenged out". From The Crease (FTC) had an interesting article about this a while back, I'll see if I can dig it up.

-Stoney

[Numbski]

After reading keeks' entire cd I think I see the difference. Most goalies 'tap off' then challenge. I 'tap off' before faceoff and just keep a working knowledge of where I am because I play in the same rink week after week. I see the problem there now. Perhaps I should try only tapping off when I challenge, but I feel then I have to make up the distance immediately when tapping off that I would have already done at a non-critical time otherwise. :\

Decisions decisions decisions...