Nic ⚡ on Nostr: I slightly disagree. I think goalies need to be the best movers, but not necessarily ...
I slightly disagree. I think goalies need to be the best movers, but not necessarily the best skaters. Obviously, they need good balance and basic skating skills, but beyond that, how they move to re-establish position is more important than the way in which they do it.
Nowadays, too many focus on being smooth on their edges, but not enough on how to put themselves in position. Does it help if you're a better skater? Sure. But there is diminishing return, when one over focuses on their skating over their movement.
I had that disagreement with a couple of NHL goalie coaches, two playoffs ago, when Vegas won the Cup. They believed Bobrovsky had better mobility than Adin Hill. In my opinion, Bob was a better skater, but Hill was a better mover.
Bob is super smooth on his edges, while Hill is more choppy. However, Hill's Direction of Movement (DOM), the path that he takes when moving laterally in his crease, is much more efficient.
The book is, right now, around 50 pages on the concept of manipulating space. How manipulating space is key, which is why guys like Hasek were so good, even if their skating wasn't as good as others.
Nowadays, too many focus on being smooth on their edges, but not enough on how to put themselves in position. Does it help if you're a better skater? Sure. But there is diminishing return, when one over focuses on their skating over their movement.
I had that disagreement with a couple of NHL goalie coaches, two playoffs ago, when Vegas won the Cup. They believed Bobrovsky had better mobility than Adin Hill. In my opinion, Bob was a better skater, but Hill was a better mover.
Bob is super smooth on his edges, while Hill is more choppy. However, Hill's Direction of Movement (DOM), the path that he takes when moving laterally in his crease, is much more efficient.
The book is, right now, around 50 pages on the concept of manipulating space. How manipulating space is key, which is why guys like Hasek were so good, even if their skating wasn't as good as others.