“I’ve worked on managing my depth, that’s huge,” he said, referring to shifting his game so that he stays in the blue paint as much as possible.
That doesn’t mean he avoids the white altogether. When there’s an offensive rush and he’s looking to take away corners as an opposing skater approaches, he may edge his way out of the crease and start at the top before working his way back into position.
Once the play is in his zone, though, Blackwood prefers to stay in a more conservative position. To him, there should never be a point where he faces a redirection, unexpected pass, or second shot attempt off of a rebound where he’s too far out to get across to a new position for the next save.