Managing Depth

[Srsieve]

I have been struggling lately with managing my depth in net for the given situation/competition level.    I generally play 2-3 times per week.    

• On Tuesdays I play in an adult over 40 Rec league with a wide range of skill levels.    
• On Thursdays I occasionally sub for an over 40 "Advanced" league, with mostly higher level players 
• On Sundays I play back-to-back pick-up sessions with a wide range of skill and ages. (there are always a few young, fast snipers in the mix)   

The problem for me is trying to adjust to these different levels of play.    Ironically, I have been playing better when I play against the higher level shooters, and giving up more soft goals or bad rebounds against the lowest level players.   This has been very frustrating lately.    For example, at the higher level, if a guy shoots and I get a piece of the shot with my blocker or elbow, it will generally end up out of play.   However, at the lower level, it might be a slow knuckle-ball shot, so instead of deflecting out of play, it ends up fluttering up and then back down into my net instead.    Also, when it comes to managing my depth, at the higher levels, if I don't come out to cut the angles they will pick me apart.   But the defense is also more skilled, so they know to tie-up guys on the back-side, or clear rebounds, not screen me, etc.    At the lower levels, if I come out the same distance, guys will pass it back-door, send weak fluttering shots to the net or miss the net so badly that it bounces off someone else and into the net behind me.    Therefore, at the lower levels, I am better off staying a bit deeper and just reacting to the shots as they come, or be ready to slide over for the backdoor pass, deflection, etc.    The same can be said for break-aways, odd-man rushes, etc.   The speed and skill level is so different between the different skates, that it can be very hard for me to adjust.     

Does anyone else have this issue, and if so, how do you deal with the constant adjustments from one skate to another?   

[Ghostender]

I think you’ll find most goalies have the similar experiences that lower caliber is more difficult to play (assuming you aren’t a newbie yourself).

As you alluded, I find the higher level has harder shots* which: travel straighter, a lot of the time the deflections will actually bounce clear of the net, and more importantly, when they hit my pads they are either easier to re-direct (leg pad and blocker saves) or swallow (glove or gut trap). Soft shots are just a pinball disaster looking for a goalie to humiliate.

Also agree, with weaker D (assuming it exists) you are very susceptible to the pass option if you come out too far to cover the angle and the D is lacking Having said that…

I am now of the mind that it’s not the level of play, it’s the gradient. If they were all low level benders, I’d just lie down on the ice and get my save % up to about 0.999 : it’s the gradient that kills. As an example I play with a co-ed group on Wednesdays which is made up of players that could and probably did play Jr. A, to a few (literally) benders. The organizer also has a rule that you can’t take the puck off let’s say the “less-skilled” players.  What happens then is one of the lesser skilled players will work the puck out of their zone, and either skate right down on the goalie and shoot, which isn’t too much of a problem, or, at the last possible second as you are covering them and usually pulled to one side, pass it off to the Crosby-wannabe on the other side – one-timer and the goal celebrations begin. And of course a lot of times the less-skilled players stay back on D because they can’t keep up with the play. Usually by the end of the game I have one or two guys from the opposing team floating around my blue line waiting to initiate another “seagull attack”.

Adjusting to this? The only thing that has helped me is going in with the attitude that I am going to ignore the goals against and try to play a technically sound game. I try to keep my positioning, angles, depth etc. sound, I track well on breakaways, work to see through the screen etc. I think the other trick is to know (and tell yourself) when a goal isn’t your fault.

BTW – it has been said that type of hockey is good “practice” because of its lack of predictability. This is true to some extent, but I think you also run the risk of developing bad habits (chasing the puck, desperation plays etc.) or losing self-confidence if you are the victim of incessant drubbings, so apply with caution.

*With higher level shooters, a lot of people will get out of the way of a shot as opposed to trying to screen or deflect it because they don’t want to get hurt, to which I say - if it hurt, good! You shouldn’t have been in my way!!!

 

[parebele]

To me, it doesn't sound like you're struggling at all. You have it figured out. I'm in the same situation. Against higher level players I'll come out and challenge because I know what they'll do and how the defense will react. If I come out and challenge against lower level players I know they'll just pass to a guy whose off to the side and behind me for a one-timer. But if I stay deeper in the net then I can slide across and usually block the one-timer because the pass will be slower, given they're lower level. It's nearly impossible to play the exact same way against different skill levels. Just accept that goals will go in, no matter what. Concentrate on your game and that's all you can do.

And for some reason, I tend to play better against guys of higher skill. I don't know why.

[Srsieve]

Thanks for the replies.   Glad to hear I am not the only one facing these challenges.   I have a few D-men on my team that have no clue when it comes to playing goalie and they seem to think that every time I leave a rebound of any sort, I was not doing my job.   As we all know, sometimes you are lucky to just get a piece of it with your pad, etc, and rebounds come with the territory.    It doesn't help when they screen me or fail to tie up guys standing at the edge of my crease.   Certainly, some of the rebounds I give up could have been eliminated, and I am working on that.  Either directing them to better areas of the ice, or just gobbling them up when possible.   It seems to happen more at the lower levels, which is probably due to the weaker, often fluttering shots.      

[bunnyman666]

Knuckle ball pucks shot by benders almost always result in a goal for me. I'd rather play against skilled players any day of the week.

[Ghostender]

1 hour ago, Srsieve said:

...I have a few D-men on my team that have no clue when it comes to playing goalie and they seem to think that every time I leave a rebound of any sort, I was not doing my job...

LOL – unless you are a goalie, you don’t really understand the job.

I was watching some drop-in the other day and the one goalie clearly struggling: his skating was weak enough that he had to dive to ward off an icing shot.

One of his opponents came in on a breakaway and shot mid height glove side – by some miracle, he dove while falling forward, stretched his glove hand out to the max and caught the puck. Just as I was thinking to myself if he had better centration and depth, I doubt he would have had to have moved to stop that shot, along comes the Zamboni guy and says to me “Wow! What a great save!”

[bunnyman666]

37 minutes ago, Ghostender said:

LOL – unless you are a goalie, you don’t really understand the job.

I was watching some drop-in the other day and the one goalie clearly struggling: his skating was weak enough that he had to dive to ward off an icing shot.

One of his opponents came in on a breakaway and shot mid height glove side – by some miracle, he dove while falling forward, stretched his glove hand out to the max and caught the puck. Just as I was thinking to myself if he had better centration and depth, I doubt he would have had to have moved to stop that shot, along comes the Zamboni guy and says to me “Wow! What a great save!”

One man's great save is another man's (fill in the blank).

[Srsieve]

Isn't that the case!   Most of my "best" saves were the result of a desperation situation that I caused by being in the wrong place to begin with, or not reading the play correctly, etc.    For example, the other day I came way out to play a puck that was dumped in to avoid a potential break-away.   I decided to fire it off the wall and up to a team-mate.   However, I failed to lift it, so it was picked off by an attacker.   I scrambled to get back in the net, and while doing so, he fired it towards the goal.   I dove and was able to deflect the puck away with my stick just before it crossed the goal line.    It was one of those classic "high-light" reel saves, but one that should never have happened if I would have played the puck correctly to begin with.    

[Hills]

I have the same issue and is one of the reasons why I don't play on the lower levels anymore. The slower speed, total lack of defense just throws me off and makes the game not enjoyable.

While people will "owe and awe" over the diving desperation saves, usually the best ones are where you don't have to move at all.

[BadAngle41]

I'm in the same boat with varying levels of play given the night. Sundays are quick, A-League, Tuesdays are an A-B Mix, and Thursdays are the killer... B2. Great guys on Thursdays, some can even play a little hockey. The struggle is exactly what you're describing @Srsieve. Un-hockey plays, things that defy the laws of physics, but I find reminding myself why I'm playing helps too. Get out of the house, skate, have some beers with the guys. No scouts in the stands, no coach riding your @ss between periods, just hockey.

Ironically, Thursday night league probably has the most camaraderie. It's a draft league, so every session guys sign back up and are drafted by the guys who volunteer as captains. This weeds out any jerks by and large and leaves a good group of guys who like I said some happen to be able to play or at least did at some point. All the teams getting together after games are over and having a beer is what that league is about. Night and day difference from my Sundays. That league is competitive, and while occasionally some guys might stick around for a beer, largely it's "see ya next week." 

Don't let the level of play mess with you. Your job and how you do it stays the same;  keep a little black disc out of your net. Let the slow league be a practice for puck focus (body follows head) and be more conscious of your movements. Might translate into better tracking and movements when it's quicker and you don't have the time to contemplate things... just do.

[Fullright]

Different ways to address the issue. http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/high-contrast-goaltending-the-depths-of-quick-and-lundqvist

 

I think these two guys know what they are doing.

[mik]

Good article, thanks for posting.

[SaveByRichter35]

You're definitely not alone there broski.  I have gone through the same thing many times over.  

[CG35]

On 2017-10-04 at 4:23 PM, SaveByRichter35 said:

You're definitely not alone there broski.  I have gone through the same thing many times over.  

^^^^^^^ Agreed...

[Chenner29]

You are experiencing what a lot of pro goalies have experienced when they get sent down to a lower league.

For us regular humans, playing down means playing behind defensemen with little to no puck sense, gap control, ability to anticipate plays.
There is increased exposure to broken plays - passes that would have been on the tape in a higher division usually end up bouncing back to the passer off someone's skates.  Meanwhile you're sliding over to where the puck should have been and can't recover in time.
There's the dreaded misread off the stick.  Guy's body language looks like he's going bar down; in the higher division he probably could.  But the bender in front of you magically whiffs and a knuckleball goes in under your arm.
With rebounds, there's an anticipated puck trajectory that you process almost subconsciously based on what you imagine the velocity of the shot will be. 

Playing down is nasty.  Games have no rhythm, teams have no cohesion.  Sometimes, I liken it to watching two 5-man curling teams bash each other over the head for 60 minutes.