Goalie sticks are heavy and clumsy to this day, so I can't even imagine how they were back in Plante's days...
Until about the mid 60's yes, Goalie sticks not the greatest, heavy (and all that tape seemed to make them even heavier as the tape got wetter & wetter through the game), but if you sorted through a stack you could generally find something decently responsive. SherWood was the first I recall that came out with a stick that looked like theyd actually cared, finished it properly with routered edges & so on, lighter, fiberglass wrap & so on. I used CCM's as the only thing available initially & they were heavy. Later, team I played for a batch of SherWood Lester Binkley rejects I guess they were, Les there traded or demoted yet again, selling off his gear or whatever.... Had
L.Binkley stamped on the shafts n' all. Ya. My Hero. Les. Binkley..... I wanna be Les...... Vezinas, Cup Winner, Hall of Famer.... great sticks though.
All of them of course back in the day were straight blades so yes, it did take a lot of practice to become proficient in taking wristers, getting height & speed, semi handcuffed as you were with your lower hand encased in a trapper, giant mitt. Not exactly "responsive" but if you did practice it & kept at it, and really quite critical that you do so, be a good shooter. Accurate passes, raise it if an obstacle in the path or even a 30' lob down past center, like in Rugby with an emergency punt or Football with a short but high punt though thats not something you see much anymore with hockey, only a few Goalies ever really employed it.... Rather amusing really.... Gary Smith for example. Pulled that stunt frequently. Sometimes even deliberately targeting the overhead Scoreboard trying to bust it... oh dear, lights out, game over, cold beer. Others of course over the glass & out of play. That used to be fun too until they made it illegal. A lot of things that are fun & enjoyable in life are illegal. Ever notice that Nick?