Goalies... hardest shot to save?

DarrenBanks56

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May 16, 2005
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when i played goal, the hardest type of shot to save was a backhand while the player was cutting across me, also deflections were always tough. My weak spot was always under the armpit of my blocker arm.
 

Brodeur

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Feb 27, 2002
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Since I'm a terrible skater, I tend to suck against the shots that go against the grain; ie left handed shot skating to my right then shoots high glove.
 

PurpleShamrock

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Dec 29, 2005
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Brodeur said:
Since I'm a terrible skater, I tend to suck against the shots that go against the grain; ie left handed shot skating to my right then shoots high glove.

Not that I'm a great skater either, mind you, but those shots can be hard for any goaltender because when the puck carrier cuts across, you tend to follow suit, and your momentum is taking you away from where the puck is going. I've often found that dragging my pad can be an effective defense against this move -- but obviously that doesn't do a lick of good if he shoots it high.

I find high shots to the stick side challenging, myself. Obviously, the weight of the stick precludes the blocker hand from moving quite as freely as the glove hand, and I find that I tend to be just a little slower on that side as a result.
 

pelts35.com

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Oct 4, 2004
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Shortside glove side was one of my biggest weaknesses. If the shooter is good enough to find the gap between my shouder and the post/crossbar, I take my hat off and say nice shot.
 

RSBPC

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Jan 19, 2005
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Five-hole...get the goalie moving side to side and it will open up. I've been giving up quite a few five hole goals lately, and it is starting to **** with my head, which throws the rest of my game off.

Maybe I need to borrow some pads from Garth Snow.
 

RangersMoogle

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Oct 25, 2005
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RSBPC said:
Five-hole...get the goalie moving side to side and it will open up. I've been giving up quite a few five hole goals lately, and it is starting to **** with my head, which throws the rest of my game off.

Maybe I need to borrow some pads from Garth Snow.

You're eight years too late with that joke!
 

gr8haluschak

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Jul 25, 2004
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Are you asking where the hardest placement of a shot to stop is or what is the hardest type of shot ?
 

RedK

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Dec 2, 2002
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A soft cut in with a rising wrister through traffic - The puck can go so many places, it's hard to see, and it's difficult to stay precisely on angle to make the save.
 
DarrenBanks56 said:
when i played goal, the hardest type of shot to save was a backhand while the player was cutting across me, also deflections were always tough. My weak spot was always under the armpit of my blocker arm.

If deflections give you trouble get closer to the guy delfecting the puck, it works basically the same as cutting down the angle and you'll even get a few gravy golatender interference calls every once in a while. As far as the hole between your blocker and your body, move your hands further in front of your body. It seals that hole much better.

To the posters original question....

Backhanders; particularly guys who can roof it with very little room.

If you're refferring to a specific area where shots are toughest to save go about 13" off the ice towards the far corners of the net. Too far to reach with a glove, to high for a pad save. That works on any goalie unless he cuts the angle on you. As for the other stuff; it varies too much from one guy to the next where his strengths and weaknesses are. Less experienced netminders to have more trouble with low shots while they are moving though.
 

Mackee

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Oct 9, 2003
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Montreal
Definitely going to agree with backhand. A very deceiving shot, mostly because neither the shooter nor goalie know where it's going much of the time.

The other that'll give any goalie problems is a forward cutting across the slot, catching you with a shot going to the corner you just pushed off from.
 

Le Golie

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Jul 4, 2002
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Leaf_Crazy said:
Jesus, I gey my chances but I have no finish..... I usually go glove side but I think im going to start shotting stick side.....

Goalies, what is the hardest shot to save?

You aren't going to find a spot that is going to just work and go in for you all the time. It all depends on the situation. As a generalization, low stick side is usually a difficult place for most goalies to reach quickly - but that doesn't mean every goalie struggles there all the time.

Work on your shot. If you can become more accurate, any spot on the goalie will be hard to stop. Work on releasing pucks from all over, instead of just shooting from your ideal spot halfway between your feet. Take a bunch of pucks and stand at a circle and fire them all at the net from way behind your stance, then do it again from way in front of your stance. If you can get good at releasing those kinds of shots you will score a lot more because your release will be fast and deceiving.

Also, when you do get a scoring chance, you NEED to learn how to get an advantage over the goalie. Get his feet moving and you'll have an advantage. Make him move side to side so he has to change his angle, and you'll have an advantage. Learn how to sell a fake shot and you'll find some goalies making the first move - that's a huge advantage. Once you learn how to get the upper hand, really focus on burying your shots.
 

Le Golie

...
Jul 4, 2002
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dru said:
(HM: Crosby's hot dog shot in the Q)

That should NEVER go in. I have never seen it executed fast enough that the goalie had no chance to react to it. It's a poor goal to give up. It's been tried on me three or four times and all you have to do is stand at the post. Very easy to stop.
 

allin4466

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Apr 8, 2005
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I always found the hardest save to make, was when the player was out of control IE sliding, or being hooked. You cant predict where its going.

Hardest shot to save is a backhand
 

expensivedirt

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Apr 28, 2004
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Vancouver
low blocker side.

A lot of shots become difficult to save if the shooter is a fast trigger hand. Sometimes if you don't think about it and just let it go ASAP it will cause chaos to ensue for the goalie who may not be set. Either a goal or a rebound. It's win-win for the player.
 

Qui Gon Dave

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Aug 3, 2005
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Cheshire, England
I'm not a goalie but i've taken a fair few shots at them and found a few things work well for me.

High blocker side is one that i have found works well for me, particularly when i cut across the crease and shoot back to the side i came from (im a right handed shot going left to right across the net, i usually shoot when im in line with the centre of the net or just past centre). If you do this with speed, it draws the keeper from the post and gives you something to aim at.

Another one that was mentioned was shots using a screen. I always try to take advantage of a screen set (usually by the other teams defence). If they dont know better, you can skate in as far as you want with a screen in place the whole way. If they can actually play defence, maybe fake a slap/snap shot and make a slight move to get the defender in the goalies line of sight and then quick release wrister.

Another thing that goalies can have difficulty with is if they know how you tend to shoot, change it up and send it somewhere else. For example, i like shooting high glove side a lot of the time and sometimes keepers have me pegged from the moment i approach the goal. When i started putting them low stick side or five hole things go my way a little bit more often.

Another trick i've seen Joe Sakic do in the past is if you are on (for example) a 2 on 1 and you have a decent shot, get close to the net, look continuously at your teammate as if you are desperate to try and set them up and then wrist it near side top corner. If the keeper thinks your gonna pass, they might leave the near post a little more open and if you can get a good shot away when the keeper is half expecting something else, that can be difficult to stop ;)
 

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