Goalie Advice: Fighting the Screen Video Example
Several months ago, I profiled a great video of Antti Niemi using his great bob'n'weave technique to battle a screen scenario. The video and the blog article proved to be very popular in driving home the issue with many of the young goalies with whom I worked this summer.
Ms. GoalieBanger came home with a couple hours of video fresh from the Major Midget Early Bird Tournament 2013 from Port Hood, Nova Scotia, of Roman, my son and head instructor at Upper Echelon Goaltending. The video showed a great goalie's-eye perspective of puck movement in the defensive zone. I decided to hack and slash some of the moments from the game against Cape Breton West Major Midget where the goalie had to deal with multiple dynamic screens.
What Roman demonstrates in this collection of clips is several of the most important elements of "fighting the screen".
- Even while screened, keep your feet on angle to the shotline.
- Use all three vertical visual levels (high, medium, low) depending on how far the puck is away from the net.
- Use the bob'n'weave to look around and above bodies; keeping strong visual attachment at all times.
- Long visual attachments before peeking on the other side of the screen.
- Use only the trapper to help direct or move traffic; keeping your stick on the ice at all times.
- When in doubt, use other visual cues like position of potential tippers or the shooter's shoulders or stance prior to shot release.
- Don't let the screen back you in. The very little extra reaction time you may gain is nothing compared to the lost net coverage. If there are no open attackers or backdoor options, play with depth to the edge of your crease.
Anyways, I think these clips from the Valley Wildcats Major Midget team's game against Cape Breton West Major Midget are a great demonstration of the above principles.
Banger Maxim #91: "I couldn't see the puck" is NO excuse! It is the goalie's job to see the puck.