PHYSICAL SKILLS & BREAKDOWNS

COVERING UP - PUCK HUNGER

KEY POINTS

• keep head up all the time

• use catch glove to cover puck

• do not aimlessly dive for pucks

• use stick for protection, & to bring pucks to your  glove

COMMON PROBLEMS

• Goalie afraid to take a whistle

• Goalie diving at everything

• Goalie has weak “puck awareness”

• Goalie not aggressive

• Goalie puts head down losing sight of the action

• Goalie leaves feet too quickly and has to crawl to the loose puck

OVERALL

A goalie must know when to take a whistle, when to clear a puck, and what the league rules
permit regarding covering up. A goalie must be strong and aggressive with the ability to find
pucks in a crowd (puck awareness).

DRILLS

• Find and Cover - place pucks behind goalie who stands at corner of crease.
Tap of stick allows goalie  to find and cover.

• Squirm - second effort drill to create hunger.

BACK TO ALL COACHING TIPS

FOLLOWING PUCKS BEHIND THE NET

There are several philosophies on how to follow the puck. They probably all could work.
Here’s my favorite:

KEY POINTS

• Goalie should remain square to puck behind the net, just like when the puck is in front of
the net

• Do not leave the goal post until the puck begins to move behind the net

• A blind spot is created when the goalie turns his head . . therefore do not turn your head until
the puck gets to the
middle of the back of the net

• As the puck moves behind the net, the goalie moves with it, without turning his head until the
puck gets to the middle of the back of the net. Then the head turns.

• Use short shuffle steps...   avoid T-glides

COMMON PROBLEMS

• The goalie turns around facing the back of the net

• The goalie leaves the post too early

• The goalie’s head “spins” out of control

• The goalie turns head too early and loses puck

HUG POSTS

KEY POINTS

• Body faces the slot

• Head faces the puck in corner

• Keep stick “off front foot”

• Keep elbow outside post

• Keep stick in position (on either side) to break up centering passes

• Skate up against inside of post, with pad flush to post

COMMON PROBLEMS

• Stick extended too far showing the passer your poke check limits and creating a
hole between stick and post

• Stick positioned so the puck can hit the stick and go in the net

• Goalie turned too much toward the corner

• Goalie lunges to break up a pass, misses, and is out of position for a slot shot

• Back foot kicks up on poke check attempt

• Goalie should not automatically depend on or use the “paddle down” position

• Goalie stands upright too much