The Players' Tribune: "Elite Snipers 101" by Jonathan Quick

[W75]

"90 percent of the save happens before the player shoots the puck"

So true. Soccer, Floorball, Ice hockey... Goalie must first make it possible to make a save. That's a lot of movement and tracking and movement and tracking.. being aware what is happening, figuring all the angles and positions and moving again. All the time. Because when they shoot, you're already too late.

I like the part in the opening about Kane. He says it all plays out in 1.5 seconds, but for some reason it feels like 7 seconds... in other words, the whole "the game slows down" for him thing. I wish there would be a report of some type done on this subject because it's pretty interesting.

Basically what he's referring to is that in most situations the human brain is processing the information received by the eyes at the equivalent of about 30 frames per second... however in a high pressure situation that capacity will increase to 60 FPS or higher. It's why you might hear someone describing their experience in a car accident or a burning building as "slow motion".

Elite level athletes see this same result due to their high compete level and adrenaline rush that it produces. So when Jonathan Quick says that 1.5 seconds seems like 7 seconds*, it's because to him, it actually does!

The use of high speed cameras compared to regular camera for regular joe fan to simulate this experience would be something i'd love to see a full series of, in all sports. Seems like a good episode of a sports science type of show.

*(though probably more like 3-4 seconds)

This is interesting and I'm glad you added that accident / pressure comparison. Because I've been thinking the same. When you're in the zone, you have that extra time. Can't believe it, not sure how it actually happened, but you had time and you made it.

Of course, first everything else must go according to plan, but those final inches.. sometimes it happens, the bullet time. Many times not. I guess that great goalies know better how to get there. There's the small/big difference.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I can kind of see people's point about Toews. I have never really thought of Crosby as an elite sniper either. Both good goal scorers, but when I think "elite sniper" I'm more likely to think of Stamkos, Ovechkin, Kessel, Datsuyk, Kane. Someone who is less known for being a well-rounded playmaker and more of a pure shooter (other than Datsuyk who is both).

But Quick would certainly know better than me, so whatever.

But he can factor in to why covering Kane can be so hard. And he wasn't going to talk about Kane without at least mentioning Toews. At no point did he actually even mention Toews shooting the puck.

 

[Mount Suribachi]

great read. Not trying to derail the thread, but when I read this: "As a goalie, if you’re relying on your reaction time to make saves, you’re going to get yanked in a hurry". I thought "textbook Hiller". I've never seen a goalie rely on reflexes as much as he does. I'm so glad we let him walk.

In The Game, Ken Dryden talks about how when they did a test together, his wife had quicker reflexes than he did.

 

[LarKing]

Really good read. Loved the Datsyuk and Getzlaf/Perry parts especially. All of it was good really.

 

[TwzKing]

Elite snipers: No mention of Stamkos, Pacioretty, Nash, Kessel, Seguin or Neal.

Jonathan Toews

He talks about 3 players from the east, and four from the west.

An article written by player expressing his opinion based on what he's seen. Yet people complain that there isn't enough east coast players in it ?

 

[Dying Alive]

But he can factor in to why covering Kane can be so hard. And he wasn't going to talk about Kane without at least mentioning Toews. At no point did he actually even mention Toews shooting the puck.

I thought he alluded to it with the bit about Toews always finding himself in the right place at the right time, but it's possible that I misunderstood what he was trying to say.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I thought he alluded to it with the bit about Toews always finding himself in the right place at the right time, but it's possible that I misunderstood what he was trying to say.

I guess, but its still not actually about his shot. Its about his smarts and positioning in that case.

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

So Quick writes an interesting article and chooses to highlight certain players and one of them happens to be Toews ... well there goes Quick's credibility according to HF dogma.

Western Bias!!!

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

Crosby's definitely got a great shot and release, but not Ovi/Kessel/Datsyuk level.

What Quick was talking about was the backhand. Easily the toughest shot to get a read on, and Crosby easily has the best backhander in the game. Other guys like Kane and Eberle have lethal backhanders as well. Just so tough for goalies to track and react to.

It seems to me he was way more concerned with the ability to get shots off from different positions, angles, and ability to vary his shot choice than he did raw power.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Love these things. Great read.

I know I'm a homer, but I have no idea how Ovie shoots the way he does. It's just unreal.

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

Love these things. Great read.

I know I'm a homer, but I have no idea how Ovie shoots the way he does. It's just unreal.

It's the difference between good and great.

 

[Monahan For Mayor*]

great read. Not trying to derail the thread, but when I read this: "As a goalie, if you’re relying on your reaction time to make saves, you’re going to get yanked in a hurry". I thought "textbook Hiller". I've never seen a goalie rely on reflexes as much as he does. I'm so glad we let him walk.

Yup. I was thinking the same thing. Hope Ortio and Ramo send him packing.

 

[Nexus]

This was a great read.

And I lol @ "Why wasn't player from my team in this? Why wasn't player X in mentioned" Did it ruin the article for you?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Are people really complaining that Quick mentioned Toews ?

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

Are people really complaining that Quick mentioned Toews ?

I like that he included examples o what he looked for when playing against guys with vastly different styles.

 

[kingsholygrail]

He also gave a nod to the important role defensemen play in relation to their goalies, mentioning how he is dead in the water on his Kane save if Doughty doesn't clog the passing lane and Muzzin doesn't lock up the floating winger coming down the side, forcing Kane to take the shot.

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

He also gave a nod to the important role defensemen play in relation to their goalies, mentioning how he is dead in the water on his Kane save if Doughty doesn't clog the passing lane and Muzzin doesn't lock up the floating winger coming down the side, forcing Kane to take the shot.

Yeah, I don't get the criticism of this article. My criticism would be, I want more.

 

[I am toxic]

In the NHL, 90 percent of the save happens before the player shoots the puck.

That's actually a really cool way to describe it.

Reminds me of an article on Hasek.

"He played hockey as if it was a chess game. He knew what was going to happen next," Korn said. "The only problem when we first got Dom is he was two moves ahead, but like a poor poker player he would sometimes show his hand."

Hasek was sometimes so far ahead he gave shooters a chance to change their mind. With patience came dominance.

 

[bobbyt 91*]

Elite Snipers 101 by Jonathan Quick

what a great share!! just read every hockey article I could find, they were great!!
thx

 

[Ogopogo*]

It always bothers me when people use this to discredit an amazing glove save, because I feel like it means that people don’t understand the beauty of my position. In the NHL, 90 percent of the save happens before the player shoots the puck. As a goalie, if you’re relying on your reaction time to make saves, you’re going to get yanked in a hurry.

In the first paragraph, Quick reveals why the goaltending position is ruined by huge equipment and the entertainment value of hockey is eroding.

There are no elite snipers anymore - the net is completely blocked with huge equipment.

 

[bobbyt 91*]

Would love an article from an Eastern conf goalie or a goalie like Miller who has played in both.
Will be interesting to hear a goalies perspective with Crosby and Kessel together

 

[HanSolo]

By far my favorite part about it:

There’s obviously a ton of emphasis on puck possession in the media and in NHL locker rooms with the advanced stats movement really growing. But I think it’s about the kind of possession you have. Some teams might have a lot of puck possession in your zone, but they’re really not in threatening positions. They might be cycling the puck around on the perimeter and throwing some stuff on net, but that’s pretty easy to deal with.

I've been saying this since everyone with a laptop started citing possession numbers without a sliver of context.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Are people really complaining that Quick mentioned Toews ?

I think it was just the one guy that seemed to discredit Quick's article for including Toews, but other posts have questioned why wasn't this guy included or that guy?

I think the title of the article may be where some posters got off on the wrong track. The article was not really about elite snipers, it was about how a goalie defends against great players and Quick just used some examples to make his points.

But it doesn't take much to get some HF noses out of joint.

 

[bobbyt 91*]

I think it was just the one guy that seemed to discredit Quick's article for including Toews, but other posts have questioned why wasn't this guy included or that guy?

I think the title of the article may be where some posters got off on the wrong track. The article was not really about elite snipers, it was about how a goalie defends against great players and Quick just used some examples to make his points.

But it doesn't take much to get some HF noses out of joint.

I really liked how he looked at guys in pairs, how the Ducks 2 were physically taxing due to being down low all the time and how the Hawks 2 were mentally taxing in having to keep track of all the options Kane and Towes generate on the PP

 

[BagHead]

Very cool read, thanks for posting. As a goaltender, I get what he's talking about. When you know what a player is going to do, goaltending is easy. When players are able to trick you in some way is when goaltending gets difficult.
I always told people that on almost every save I've made, I was "cheating" in various ways (meaning shifting my weight early, predicting actions, etc.). I'm a very mediocre athlete, but I was always a better than average goaltender. It's interesting to hear that the things I taught myself are the same things that actual pro-level goalies do... just way better.