Gear Notes & Save Strategy Question
Lots of stuff to talk about after tonight's fun drop-in, so I'll just dive in.
First up is the heart rate monitor. I finally managed to do it correctly and got readings for the full 1:20 that we were on the ice. The beats per minute data seems solid: 155 average and 179 max. It's wasn't a super strenuous game but I didn't have any long lulls either.
The part that doesn't add up is the calories burned: 1901. Ha! I WISH, but I don't think so.
However, I did find some places online that will calculate calories burned based on that average BPM number, weight, and age, and those come back in the 800-1000 calorie range. It's still higher than I expected, but seems much more reasonable. That pretty much covers my post-game snack of a breakfast sandwich and chocolate milk. :)
I'll wear it for women's league tomorrow, which isn't as long, fast paced, or busy for me, and see what the results are. Fun with science!!
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I overdid it with the Sweet Stick on my right skate and that felt pretty weird. Hopefully I can get them sharpened before my game tomorrow night. They just don't feel right now. But there's no question the sweet stick gives them more bite between sharpenings. Just need to use a lighter touch.
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Skate laces in the glove pocket did nothing for me other than look cool. Every single puck that went in my glove came right back out. If they made a glove called the ROACH MOTEL, I would buy that. Pucks check in, but they don't check out. Mine's more like a trampoline.
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Okay, so now I need the union to put their heads together and help me figure out how to stop this move:
Skater shoots left (er, I mean the puck and stick face are to his left when he takes the shot... I guess that's shooting left? I should probably know this but I've never been curious enough about skater stuff to figure the lingo out.)
He comes in on MY left and then cuts across, usually around or just below the hash marks, so I track him across the top of my crease. My main worry is that he's going to try and put it high short side over my blocker shoulder, so I'm headed that way and my momentum is going to my blocker side.
Instead, he shoots across himself and puts it just inside the post far side, usually up a couple of feet to make sure it misses my pad (because I invariably butterfly). I reach for it, but it's JUST outside the tip of my glove.
This happened to me FOUR times tonight. The exact same approach, same move by me, and same shot, in the exact same spot.
And I just don't know what the fuck to do about it. I feel like I have to honor the threat that they could just pop it over my blocker shoulder, but if I'm over far enough to prevent that, I'm pretty much on the post.
Does that make sense or do I need to draw it? Anybody got any advice for that?
I don't get too hard on myself when I understand my reasoning for my move and simply don't know what else to do. That's just a learning opportunity. But these vultures have figured out this works on me, so I need to shut that shit down. All I can think is to challenge more? I dunno. I just can't figure it out.
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Felt like I had to ask Gun Show tonight if he was okay with me giving him shit sometimes. Told him it's a compliment because I don't do that to guys who aren't a threat. This guy is amazing how fast he's picked up the game.
I remember when he first showed up at novice league, wobbling around on his skates. Now he's fast and strong and has pretty sick hands. He's a dentist though, so I guess good hands are part of the deal. Always think it's smart when dentists and orthopedists play hockey. They can probably just write it off as a business expense, right?
But anyway, minus the French Canadian accent, if I'm feeling good about my game, I run my mouth like Fleury. It takes a special (and confident) bunch of skaters to put up with me. Somehow it's adorable when Flower does it, but I do it, I'm cocky or whatever. Please. Just having fun, kids. I can take as much as I give.
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Anyway, good night of hockey. Had some nice saves and played without thinking much. Man it feels good when the brain gets quiet and you're just playing.
I don't understand this song, but I like it. Hit the right note on the way home tonight.
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8 comments:
Not a goalie (of course), but I'd think challenging more. If I were in that situation, I'd be trying to make you move one way or the other and see if you bite and then go to the other side and put it in. If you come out and don't fall for the head/shoulder/puck fakes, I'd cut across to your right because I'd want to get you moving. If you're moving too fast and are too deep, then you'd have the opening on your left. Otherwise if you're coming toward me while moving across, I think that would cause me to second guess what I'm doing and I'd just shoot the puck on your right side and hope for the best.
Yeah, I love a skaters perspective on stuff like this. I need to be more focused on covering net than on the shot I think they're going to take, it seems. Which sounds obvious but really isn't when you've been beat high blocker side a million times. :) Thanks Jarick!
Sounds like you're over-committing to the blocker side. How far out are you generally? At the top of the paint? I'd try to challenge a little more and maybe that will cover your need to feel like you have to be so far over blocker side. Hardly an expert here though... that's just what I'd try.
Oh completely forgot to comment on the heart monitor. I really need to get one of those, that sounds really freakin cool. Knee guards are probably first priority though... lol
Sorry to hear re-lacing the pocket didn't help, especially since I suggested it. I assume it's kinda loose and the pucks you're talking about popping out aren't just hitting your palm? Oh well, hopefully it was worth a try.
I have a suggestion for your question, or at least what I do ... hopefully my opinion will still have some merit after the glove suggestion. ;-)
Depending on the level of players you face, this is one of the smarter ones that gets you going right and shoots back to your left side, kinda against the grain the way I understand your description. The first step for me is to put that player in my mental notebook. They're no different than the guy that has his same bread and butter move or deke he goes to every time.
Second, which everyone has mentioned, is to be on the top of your crease. Somehow I think you were probably doing that already.
The third thing I keep in mind is slowing down my lateral movement on guys cutting across the slot ... lemme explain (or at least try). Think of your crease as half a pizza, with 3 slices. When the puck's angle is in the outer/extreme slices, you obviously have to consider post coverage. However, you're reading the play and knowing the forward's cutting across the slot where you'll need to cover the angle for the 'middle slice'. It's here (and applying that you know this player likes to shoot against the grain of their motion) that you don't bust it across your crease quite as fast as you'd think you'd need to in order to maintain your angle on the puck. This way you're keeping your body in the middle of the net space for just a bit longer, playing the angle percentages, instead of overcommitting and opening up (in this case) your glove side.
I feel like this gives me a better chance by being a bit more centered. The minor drawback to me, if any, is that it puts a bit more responsibility on my limbs/gloves to stretch and make the save. It sounds like you got a piece of it, but this small adjustment might have given you just enough to get more glove on it.
Clear as mud? Hopefully this makes sense!
Bottom line ... don't feel as if you have to hurry so much laterally when you're in the 'middle slice' of your crease. Obviously, you have to read the play and the player. Covering the middle of the net is always better percentage-wise.
Yeah, actually that does make sense. I can picture it in my head, so I must have seen "real" goalies do it. :) Will have to play with that in warmups or something. Thanks!
Oh and Nick, don't feel badly about the glove thing! I actually had fun learning to do that and indulging my crafty side in the name of goaltending. :) Plus, like I said, I like how it looks.
I do think a lot of shots are hitting the palm, just below the pocket, so they're not getting a chance. I'm just a total retard when it comes to catching things. Poor Mr.C tries to help me by throwing stuff at me. Not meanly, of course, but just to get me used to it and to get me to relax. I get all tense if I have to catch a football or whatever. Mainly because I don't wanna get hit in the boob or face, so I just want to bat it away. Which, come to think of it, is pretty much how I play goal. REBOUND QUEEN!
Cool, you'll have to let me know how it works out for you. One other thing I forgot to mention ... if that forward continues to come across, you'll have to be prepared to load for another push if he decides to wait you out and continue across to the right!
I've been tempted to relace my glove, but haven't made the time and am nervous about screwing it up. I have a difficult time catching as well and usually end up blocking more than catching.
Good luck!
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