This is part two of a two-part article by guest writer Peter Samargia, one of the finest goaltender coaching specialists in the game.

Last week, he covered the first of the TAB concepts (tracking, angles, balance) and began the second concept (angles).

ANGLES (continued)
• Too much movement or (over-moving) in the direction that the puck is moving. When coaches pay attention to discrepancies in their goaltenders’ practices, they can give specific and proper input to help their goaltenders become more consistent. Coaches should watch for their goaltenders over-moving in the direction the player is going. Taking smaller lateral movements, goaltenders start to push the play into the direction that they are moving. This results in less cross body shots and less scrambling to get back to the area that they just left. 

More simply put, goaltenders that move with patience are smooth and fast. They simplify their game by doing less and trusting in their positioning. By smoothing out their shuffling and following the play, they are able to push and influence that play. 

Critically, goaltenders are not giving away the angle. Once goaltenders are proficient at being on angle, they can then learn how to effectively manipulate it. They are simply working the angle from the backside to the area they are moving into. 

• Lining up improperly on the shooter’s body and not the stick blade. If goaltenders are having trouble with finding their angle, they must start by confirming where they are lining up for the shot. Are they being sloppy? Moving to the big reference point, aka the body. Or are they being accurate and lining up on the stick blade? 

Goaltenders must get this concept down to have a high level of success. Observing this basic concept as a coach and being steadfast toward demands in the goaltenders’ effort to find the shooter’s blade will produce the results that both coaches and goaltenders desire. It is easy for goaltenders to forget this when a player quickly changes their release point or when goaltenders react from a pass-to-shot situation. Being consistent with this advice will see goaltenders making more saves.

• Off the post on a low angle. The low angle shot is one of the easiest angles to mismanage due to the limited amount of movement that is needed. Goaltenders that are not patient on their angle give up the little bit of net that is available to score on. An example is when a player passes the puck out from below the goal line to a player in the lower part of the faceoff circle. Goaltenders who are not in control of their lateral movement can easily move too far off the post, exposing the short side. 

There are several reasons why a goaltender mishandles the angle on this play, but mostly it is that they move too much. When goaltenders over-shuffle or come off their post early, they create a situation where they often have to move back to the area they were just occupying to make a save. This is doing twice as much work due to their anxiousness or lack of understanding the landmarks on every ice arena. Coaches who encourage small movements on low-angle plays will more often find their goaltender in the right position and ready to make the save. 

BALANCE
Goaltenders’ balance and agility during movement are no less critical than the first two points (tracking and angles). As mentioned previously, when goaltenders move without verification as to where they are going, their movement becomes forced and timid. 

Balance during movement is the glue that holds the goaltenders’ game together. Balance “strings together” the first save to efficient movement toward the second save. Goaltenders’ balance allows them access to better puck play as well as quickness in covering rebounds. 

Goaltenders that are elite move very quickly – with balance! Big movements with flourishes may look good, but they only appease the eyes. They are not as functional as one might think. Great goaltenders look as if they are “floating on their feet.” As the saying goes, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” like a trained fighter who has worked relentlessly on footwork. The small movements take more effort, but that is the price of success. 

Awareness is on the play, reading and reacting without pause. If they possess balance, they can shift or hold fast at will. Coaches must demand that goaltenders work on movement with integrity in practice – in all areas. 

• Common balance detractors. Big movements laterally with unspecific stops (hard stop on angle that is not absorbed by proper stance) are bad. Coaches should teach goaltenders to use what is useful and get rid of anything that is not necessary. If small movements work, they should be used. Flamboyancy in movement is of no value. Coaches that talk about their goaltender as being “boring” are being highly complimentary. We goaltenders all love the windmill save, but we also know when it is not needed! 

• Over-committing on depth. Often, goaltenders who are not tracking well will try to compensate by moving farther out from the net (taking extra depth). When goaltenders force extra depth, it can lead to numerous breakdowns in their techniques, resulting in loss of balance.  Goaltenders feel like if they just get out a little more they will have the shooter covered, but the exuberance for the extra depth takes time and thus sometimes leaves the goaltender between movements when the shot happens. 

The law of diminishing returns basically states that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. In this case, trying to take too much depth results in a movement that has no balance and results in poor tracking and a tougher time with lateral movement. Coaches should tell their goaltenders to take the space that is necessary for the specific play, but only if they can stay on track and be on their angle.

• Not getting set early. When a goaltender is caught “out of stance” and is not set and ready, the risk goes way up. They do not have balance to react athletically and track well. An example of this is when a play is turned over at the blue line or a defenseman fumbles a puck close to the net on a routine play. Goaltenders not disciplined in “readiness” lose their fundamental ability to handle the situation. Coaches should demand that their goaltenders are set in a well-balanced athletic stance any time the puck is nearby. With balance comes athleticism. From there, goaltenders can better react and play their position well.

In conclusion, coaches who encourage their goaltenders to track the puck on every shot see better rebound control and confidence when making saves. Their goaltenders will move and stay on their angle because they move less. This result is a goaltender that moves with balance throughout the play. This article is intended to be simple and easy so that all coaches might be able to utilize TAB (tracking, angle, balance) in every practice in order that they can monitor their goaltender and give them actionable advice to keep their development progressing. Goaltenders want feedback and every coach can help if willing to communicate with them! 

Email pete@attitudegoaltending.com for information on current camps and programs.

Order John Russo’s new chapterized book, “The Best of 26 Years of John Russo’s Coaches Corner”. It has been described as a “must read” for all youth coaches. Go to Russocoachescorner.com for information and ordering.

John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and now mentor to the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin and recipient of prestigious hockey awards at the state (Peterson award) and national levels (Snooks Kelly). His Coaches Corner columns have appeared in Let’s Play Hockey each year since 1986.

Photo: Christine Wisch