i certainly hope not, as the guy is a professional athlete, should be in top physical condition, and gets professional massages/recovery treatment whenever he wants it. A lot of the guys on our team played 70+ games (and the same 5 games in 7 days), getting hit, etc. and aren't breaking down to the level you want to believe Mason has because of it. All he has to do is sit down and stand up for an hour a day. it's not like the goals he was giving up were on athletic plays going across the crease or anything anyway, he was getting beaten on straight up easy shots. You're telling me his arm was too tired to glove that ovechkin goal? Or he's too exhausted to stop a trickling 100 foot dump in? Ridiculous. He didn't even play that many games this year. Meanwhile, teams play every other day in the playoffs. Are you saying every goalie should be burned out and giving up weak goals with under a .900 save percentage by the end of a 5 or 6 game series? Funny, because almost none do so every year. Nice to see you admit that he's been bad though, finally, but you're still giving him excuses for it that aren't valid
Oh boy... This is one of the worst posts i've ever seen in my life.
I am 27, i've been in net since i was 5. I currently play in the two A-Leagues in town, i coach the goalies at our collegiate level, i also have a 12 year old, a 14 year old and a 7 year old. I played Junior Hockey and had a brief stint in the ECHL. So my credentials are there. I'd love to see yours whenever you find the time to respond to my post
Lets start with stand and sit down multiple times: its very common to have a goalie be the best skater on the team. Before i accept a goalie for coaching, I make them take figure skating lessons. Reason why? You not only need to be able to get from Point A to Point B at the speed the puck is moving at, but sometimes you need to do that while "sitting down." Do you think you can sit down, and get across 6 feet?
Second, let me ask... How many times have you been in the splits? Well, i'm willing to be that this year alone Mason has been in the splits 1000+ times when you consider stretching, practice, games and warm ups. How do you think YOUR body would hold up with being in the splits even 50 times a year? That's without even facing rubber or having to contort your ankle to stop yourself as your sliding in the splits.
So now, grab a chair. I want you to stand up and sit down in that 100 times in 60 minutes. Do that EVERY day for a year. Oh wait... also add 50 pounds to your body when you do that. I'm not confident that you'll wake up feeling great the next day and that's without hockey involved.
Have you ever done an Iron Chair? Or a wall sit? Well, a goaltender who is focused is doing that the WHOLE game when he's not "standing up and sitting down." I'm not confident that you can give me 240 seconds right now. I'd LOVE to have you prove me wrong.
On to your next asinine question: You're telling me his arm was too tired to glove that ovechkin goal? You ever had a stubbed toe? You ever see how a STUBBED toe forces you to change EVERYTHING you do, including how you distribute your weight when you "stand up and sit down?" Now, imagine that on your groin, or your hip, or hamstring, or glutes. Hell, even imagine being really tired. Well in a position of repetition such as goaltending, ANYTHING can throw your rhythm off. And wouldn't you know? sometimes that effects your ability to catch 100 mile per hour pucks. Have you ever had anything come at you lets say even 80 miles an hour? How do you think a moment of hesitation, discomfort or fatigue would effect that?
Now the fluke goal that we all discuss: Its a terrible goal. There's no excuse. But ask ANY goaltender. You perform at your best when you get to think the game and react to the puck. Sometimes reacting to the game and thinking the puck leads to blunders. It happens. There's a reason that goalies have a saying "Its easier to play up than to play down." I would rather face NHL shots than even face C level shots. its SIGNIFICANTLY harder to stop shots that aren't moving at the pace that you're accustomed to. The goal was an AWFUL goal, no excuses, but it happens. It happens all the time.
Now something that you didn't mention: Goaltending is a mental position. When your confidence is shot you may question your angles which leads to your angles being off. You may question how the puck is coming instead of just reacting to it. You question a lot. If Mason isn't feeling confident, his body language would change, which would cause him to fight the puck both physically, visually and mentally.
I'm not saying Mason has been playing well, because he hasn't. But i am saying that your post doesn't convince me that you know squat about goaltending.
But you know, lets hope that Neuvy is better at standing and sitting down.
I was the guy who told everyone at the start of the season he wasn't on the same level of consistency as Holtby, and I never had a problem with Neuvirth playing ahead of him during the rare instances when Neuvirth was actually healthy and playing better.
