beedee

I hear ya regarding during the game. It all depends on how the game is going, I should have specified that. If it is one of those ones where you are working hard all game and are sucking wind any spare second you have, then yeah, screw practicing stuff when play is at the far end. Otherwise, you just have to go for it. There are tons of videos out there, I know you know how to internet, lol. I've never had any formal training but watch all those youtube videos (including the Wogtech that you graciously hooked me up with). Anyhow, thanks for posting your videos. I'm still lagging hard on getting a suction cup mount. Once I get one I'll post some footage.

Come on man, you have all of warm-ups to work on that, and at pickup, I'm sure there is warm up time as well. When the play is at the other end of the ice you can work on it too. I always work on pendulums and vh/rvh throughout the game when the puck is at the other end of the ice. Usually always do it before the start of each period as well. Since our daughter was born 6 months ago, I haven't had time to go to pick-up or sticktiime, yet I still manage to work on stuff as I mentioned above. I know others have mentioned these times of the game and what not are great for working on stuff. I suppose if people really want to learn/improve their technique they will make the time.

Opti, have you been working on sealing that left leg to the ice when you drop, and/or push across the crease? Here are some screen grabs with time stamps on them so you can see what I mean. Looks like you heavily favor your right leg when moving once you drop, and rarely, if ever get your left leg sealed to the ice. This video might also help you with pushing...I know you keep saying your right leg doesn't cooperate or something, but I say keep trying and it will eventually learn through repetition.

We lost 5-1 last night against the first place team. I can honestly say I should have had 1 of those goals. First goal was a beauty snipe, top right corner from middle of the face-off circle. I should have had this next goal, banked off the inside of my right leg as I slid to my left to seal the post, the shot came from down at the bottom of the face-off circle and in between the goal line....ugh! Third goal, COMPLETELY screened, couldn't even see it come off the stick, this happened right after I told my defensemen I couldn't see and to move left or right, then I saw the puck go through is legs, then mine. :( Fourth and Fifth goals were hogwash, I made the first and second initial save on scrambles in front and then the puck squirted to the back door where no one was covering their player and they were able to knock them in...one of them i almost had with a desperation dive. Overall though I was very happy with my play, I stuffed two or three 2 on 1's with beauty lateral butterfly slide saves! My goalie buddy was watching from the stands and always has great things to say, very positive reinforcement for every game. It also helps because he recognizes and understands the goals that I couldn't save were results of defensive breakdowns. He also ribs me for ones that I should of had. haha. The team started off solid in the first and it was 0-0 after 1. Then they just kind of got gassed in the second and third. Also, this was our first game in 3 weeks, and I guess we have this coming Sunday off as well. :/ Looks like I may try to find a stick time or pick-up to get in on this weekend.

Thanks Opti!And yeah man, you nailed it. It straight up is more frustrating than fun. I have tried and tried again to not stress out during games but it's next to impossible. Now Incan just focus on my Copper team. They actually appreciate what a goalie does for them, lol.

Cliff notes version of this weekends games. Lost both games over the weekend, 5-3 in Copper and 4-0 in Rookie. I quit my rookie team after the game, I couldn't handle it anymore. Pic from last night:

This past weekend game results. Copper, won 3-2. The score was much closer than the game play reflected, their goalie was on fire!) First goal I gave up was on a 4 on 0, #derp. The second goal I was screened during a scramble in the slot and didn't see the shot until someones leg moved and it then hit me in the thigh as I dropped and went in. Rookie, lost 6-4. Our team can't play defense for the life of them, 4 goals were backdoor passes for easy tap ins, nothing I could do. Then I gave up a soft 5-hole, and one on a penalty shot that I thought I had saved. The other team and two Silver level players playing on it....talk about b.s.., that is the 2nd from the highest level at our rink, sandbagging in a league with people that are playing their first ever season of hockey. One of the two had 3 or 4 goals, including the penalty shot. This rookie season can't end soon enough. I literally hate it.

That would be fun man! I know my Copper level team has dicussed it. I played there at Staples a couple years ago and I think each team just had to buy 2 tickets per player and maybe a small fee on top of that? I can't remember. Like you said in your other post, there is nothing quite like NHL ice! It was funny because I was nervous out there (played as a winger, wasn't playing goalie yet) even though we were only playing in front of family and friends! I wish I could still do more Stick Time's but ever since our daughter was born on July 15th, I haven't been able to get out there on Saturday morning's since then. I would also like to say thanks again to Opti for all of his help when I had a million and one questions when I was taking the same plunge he took into the goalie realm. This thread is the best thing that has happened to MSH since I have been on the forum. So much help and support, and tons of laughs as we share our stories from our great games, and not-so-great games. This weekend I have a game with my Copper team at 10:10pm on Saturday night and then one on Sunday at 6:40pm with my Rookie team. I'll post updates here when I get a chance. By the way, I am going to use my old Sherwood and I hope it breaks so I can have an excuse to buy a new stick in the very near future! I might have to accidentally put too much weight on it late in a game. Happy Holidays everyone! and Opti, those new Passau's look suhweeeet!

Had a very fun 2 hour skate yesterday morning with my old team that I used to play left wing on in Gold division at Lakewood. We had three goalies so we rotated every 10 minutes. This was cool because you were on for 20 and then off for 10. It was really cool to play against these guys as it was the fastest and highest level I have played against as a goalie. Some of the guys were really good and had very fast hands. I got beat on a couple breakaways...bad. I simply am not used to facing quality players that have good moves! Everything else was fine, gave up a couple backdoor goals on 2 on 0 attacks. Overall it was cool to play against these types of skaters and having a third goalie really helped from fatigue being able to set in. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Friday night our Copper game was at 10:40pm, ugh. To make things worse, we were playing on Rink B but had to suit up in locker room 1, which is on the other side of Rink A. So we had a nice lengthy walk to Rink B....which sucks in goalie gear. On to the game. We were playing the first place team (whom only had 1 loss, we had two). Our team pretty much dominated the play all game long. I swear there was one shift where we were in their zone for over 2 minutes straight! I felt great all game and made some big saves. I was practicing my back and forth butterfly pushes a lot when play was at the other end. They are coming along nicely, it feels really good to finally be able to do them quickly in precession. It was a goal of mine when I started, so I'm stoked! Ok back to the game, I lost my shut out on a breakaway with 3:25 left in the game!!! Ugh! I stopped 22 of 23 and we won 4-1. I believe we are tied for first place now. I am 3-1 with this team. I joined them the second game of the season.

Congrats OR, beast mode, 36 of 38 is ridiculous!!! Those gloves sounds pretty legit too, i might have to give them a shot. Right now I'm just using a Taylor Made golf glove on my glove hand and it is amazing regarding grip, no slippage at all, but it doesn't breathe all that well. I should do one for my blocker hand too, that starts to get slippery. I also had a win on Saturday night, 3-2. I subbed in a division higher than ours and to be honest the play wasn't all that much better than my current league. The bench had 9 skaters, and the first period was solid, I only saw like 2 shots. The 2nd and 3rd got sloppy and I saw nearly 20 shots between those periods. Felt great though to play at the higher level and get another win up there. Last night I wasn't able to play with my normal team due to a birthday bonanza yesterday (two separate bday events) but our team lost 4-3 to a team that we beat 5-1 last time. Their goalie isn't good at all and it was disheartening to hear they couldn't score more on him. Our defense is atrocious so the sub goalie did the best he could, he mentioned that the play was in our zone for most of the game.

tonight i subbed again in bronze east at lakewood for the same team that i subbed for a month back. it is 2.5 levels higher than my current league and is so much fun! we were up 3-0 after the first, then i gave one up in the second on a partial breakaway, the guy had dirty dangles! third period our team got sloppy and i gave up two goals, yikes. one was a total fluke from almost along the boards that looked like it was going wide glove side but i swear it bent and squeezed in about 6" of gap between my left pad and the post! this led to a shootout. our first guy shot it wide. their first guy muffed the puck and didnt get a shot off. our second guy scored, their next guy was dr. dangles (same guy that beat me in the 2nd) and can-openered me, beat me 5 hole. our next guy scored and then i stuffed their 3rd guy for the win!

we lost 7-4 last night. i gave up two crappy 5-hole goals and then a really bad one that deflected off a chics skate about 10 feet in front of me, redirected my way, off my skate and in. it was one of those blooper type of goals you would see on a Top 10 Crappy Goals compilation. everything else was either a good shot, or i made an initial save and our defense couldn't clear the puck. Our defense sucks, I have given up on trying to help them after doing so all last season. Im convinced they just dont get it. One out of the 5 we have is what I would consider strong.

nice pix man! btw, i recorded my first shutout on sunday night, we won 9-0! (this came in the 2nd game of my 2nd season of playing goalie)

We had our season opener last night and won, 5-1!

last night i subbed in Bronze East (2.5 levels above Rookie) and stopped 23 of 24 and got the win, 5-1. only goal came in the 2nd after i stopped the first two shots and the d couldnt clear it. one of their guys roofed it from the middle of the slot, top blocker corner. i had so much fun, the game moved so much faster and it had great flow. i really, really, really hope to play at this level full-time next season!!!

practice during warm up man, practice when play is at the other end. some practice is better than no practice. if you never practice it, you will never improve. (if your goal is to improve)

have you worked on getting up with your right leg yet?

When I first started back in April, my buddy hooked me up with his old Vaughn V3's in a 33+1 (double break) and they were well worn, and probably shrunk a bit. I felt like I couldn't close my 5-hole for the life of me with them. I had just started in goal in April and come June Goalie Monkey was having a huge sale, I initially was looking at the CCM EFlex 500, but they didn't have any good color options left in my size (33+2), so I looked at the Reebok P4. Being that I am still fairly new in net, the difference in the two pads didn't feel all that substantial even though the CCM I tried on had an external outer break, and knee rolls (the P4's are flat faced, with no external break, but are "pre-curved"). Also, since both pads were brand new, it was hard to gauge if one felt more stiff than the other, all I knew was that my old Vaughn V3's were very soft and I had trouble pushing in the butterfly with them so I wanted something that was more firm, with more thigh rise for more 5-hole coverage. When I tried them on, I brought my skates and my knee-guards (Bauer Supremes). My knee sat dead center in the knee-stacks in the 33's. The 34+1 was too tall, and I wasn't really interested in a 33+1 (maybe I should have been?). All in all I have been happy with my P4's, but they are all I really know at this point. I'd love to try out a broken in Eflex soon to see if I can notice a difference between them and my P4's. Sometimes I feel like the +2 thigh rise does get in my way when I'm up and getting ready to get into my ready position. However when I'm down in the butterfly and doing lateral pushes I don't have any issues with them at all. They slide very well and seal equally as good. Regarding my "playing style", I have no idea what it is. I feel like I do a bit of everything, my butterfly isn't the widest (as I am 40 years old) but I am able to drop and seal the 5-hole, so that is good. Rebound control, meh, it depends on how hard the shot is. Being that I am in a lower level league, the shots aren't the hardest but every once it awhile someone will get good wood on one and the rebound will go pretty far.

Thank you for the reply. The bolded part resonates with me for sure. I thought the +2 thigh rise would help with the 5-hole coverage, which it does, but I feel like it does annoy and hinder movement to a degree when getting into my ready position. I also feel like a single-break (external) would benefit me to a degree as well. When I was shopping for new pads (back in June) the P4's were on sale for a great price, they also had EFlexs' as well, but the color selection wasn't anything that I liked (slim pickins as they were on clearance). I suppose I can try to borrow someones pads that is local to me to see if I notice a difference.

well our season came to an end last night. it couldn't have been a better game to end it on, tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, then went to an 8 round shootout. our team couldn't manage to score once during the shootout, talk about aggravating! i stopped 7 of 8 shooters, the last guy beat me blocker side in between my arm and chest...i was kind of fatigued at that point and got lazy and didn't seal that area up. I'm proud of my team, they really did improve and worked hard all season long. Some people "got it" while others I really feel like they just "don't get it". Others are more naturally talented and coordinated while some people aren't. This completed my first season as a goalie and I feel like I learned a lot about the position and improved as the season progressed. I will reiterate once again how playing goalie really opened my eyes to the game from a different perspective. You see EVERYTHING, the good, the bad, and the flat out ugly of positional play. I learned that you really can carry your team and keep the game close when it shouldn't be nearly as close as it really is...I also learned that you can royally blow the game and have it be out of reach when it should be in reach. I did sign up again for Rookie at Lakewood but do plan on actively subbing higher levels. This time around I am just going to focus on my position and my position only. If people want help, I will gladly help them out. At the beginning of our season I was the only one with experience on the ice, so I gravitated to trying to coach from the crease and I was expending way too much energy on that, as well as trying to play and learn my new position...it was exhausting. We did eventually get a coach about 3 or 4 games into the season and that was a huge load off my mind as he handled everything from there on out. In between periods I would offer up what I saw from the crease, but that was it. It was a great experience overall and I'm glad I met some new friends. **Equipment Question** ​How do you know if a pad "isn't right for you"? My P4's are the second pad I have used, with Vaughn V3's being my very first pads. My P4's are a double internal break with no outer break and are 33+2, my V3's were 33+1 (probably shrunk to be smaller) and a double external break. Being new in net I'd like to hear feedback on what makes a pad work or not work for someone. I know P4's are primarily a "butterfly" style of pad, but is there anything else to what makes a pad work or not work?

Here is a write up i did for an Adult Clinic last night.... Wow what a huge turnout at Lakewood last night, probably at least 30+ skaters, and two goalies, including myself. Got on the ice and did a couple laps and then stopped at my usual spot along the half boards to do my stretching. At that point pucks were on the ice and people were skating around, shooting, stick-handling and what not. I noticed the other goalie (he was newer than me) got in the net at the far end and was taking shots....no way in hell I would do that...it was semi-controlled chaos with pucks coming from every angle. Once I stretched I did another lap then the whistle blew and I asked one of the instructors to put the pegs in my goal...not sure why they don't do that at the beginning? At that point they had everyone line up on the goal line and I was greeted by the goalie (as an instructor) from Long Beach State. He asked what I wanted to get out of the clinic, so I told him a few things. First we went over some basic crease movement and puck tracking drills and angle alignment. From thre we went into some butterfly positioning and active hands. This was great because I always struggled in my head of when I should have my glove hand in the 10'o'clock position vs the 3'o'clock position. He gave me great tips on when and where to use each one, again stressing active hands with elbows snug to the trunk of my body. I really wanted to work on absorbing shots to my chest and smothering those. I have noticed that I would use my blocker in those scenarios when shots were coming at my chest. This isn't a good habit because it created unnecessary rebounds when I could have easily just smothered it. Fortunately it never cost me a goal, but there have been a few close calls. After we worked on those (he shot like 10-15 pucks at me when down in b-fly) we then worked on some post work. I asked him questions regarding VH and RVH and what he preferred, we both agreed that RVH was a better method (but it is all preference). He showed me some good pointers regarding foot/pad position along the post and how to seal it up. We worked on both glove side and stick side positioning, and transitioning from one post to the next, it was awesome! After that we just talked about rebound control and reading the opponents eyes after blocking a shot. Often times you think you have the puck covered but you don't, he was telling me a great way to tell if you don't have it covered was by looking at the opponents eyes and if they start to get big or they make a move towards you, obviously it isn't covered. That wrapped it up for my goalie instruction. At that point the skaters looked like they were done with their drills that didn't involve the goalies and were ready to get us involved. The ol' 2 on 0 was up next...the death of the goalie!!! This drill while seemingly harmless is pretty taxing on us, as it requires a lot of movement, first out to the puck carrier while keeping an eye on the off-winger, then laterally tracking a pass to him, then another pass and so on. The skaters were coming down from the far end of the ice. It basically came down to track/shuffle/lateral butterfly push and hopefully a save. This got VERY tiring as it was non-stop for what seemed like 10 minutes. After that they did a 2 on 1 from within the own zone, this wasn't quite as tiring but I would say maybe one shot got through for every 5 groups that went. That went on for about 10 minutes as well it seemed and I was beat at that point, I stopped dropping and was basically just a human cone that would rotate to cut off the angles at that point, exhausted!!! Time was running out after that and they did a scrimmage in which I didn't see any shots and lasted maybe 4-5 minutes? All in all it was rad to see so many people out including a couple of my teammates. I also noticed a few others from our league and the league above us...for whom I subbed a couple games for last season. Gear update: My skates felt much better this time around, I put my wax laces back in and they felt snug. At one point I did have a little discomfort, I could feel the forward lean of the Bauer cowlings putting pressure on my arches, that eventually went away though. This was also my second time using the Brians Smart Toe Straps, I'm kind of on the fence to be honest. Maybe it will take more usage but they honestly don't save me much time in the getting ready department, as I use a piece of sock tape around the fastening area to insure they don't come apart, I swear that velcro connection just doesn't look trustworthy. (i know people say they haven't had it come undone, but many have...so i play it safe with the tape). They do help keep the pads centered, however since I'm not used to that it feels like my pads are always kind of pointed inward at the top of the thigh rise area, and it bugs me. I might go back to traditional toe ties with 2.5" of slack...

Congrats on the invite man! I totally feel you on the rookie league frustrations, from the knuckle-puck that gets redirected 4 times on the way in, to the lack of flow and tempo it is tough. I plan on doing the draft skate in a couple weeks in hopes of getting on a higher level team for this next season at my local rink. My buddy did ask me to play on his Bronze team at Anaheim Ice (which is about 20 miles further than my local rink) so there is that. Its just a matter of do I want to make that drive on a Sunday night.

Playoffs started today and we lost 2-0 today to the first place team...that we beat last week 4-2. According to the scoresheet I saved 20 of 22 and both goals came in the first period. One was a hack rebound after I made two initial saves. The second goal came with 25 seconds left in the first, from right around the left faceoff dot. Our d got beat around the corner and I was on the edge of the crease and had the angle. It was a great shot that snuck by lower blocker/above right pad and just inside the far post. Our team took around 25 total PIM I believe and it felt like we were always short handed. At one point we were facing 5 on 3. Luckily nothing got by me. It really is a bummer when your team cant score one goal. Their goalie was good and has more experience than I do. I heard he plays on a higher level team there, maybe lower Silver? I am still torn on what to do for next season, my buddy pointed out that I looked bored more or less...and it was true. Not only that but he mentioned there are a lot of new rookies coming into the league next season (i am playing rookie league). Which is a great thing! But for me it means even more slow-mo shots and lack of game flow. Gear update: I also got to finally use my new cowlings and steel, as well as the Brians Smart Toe Straps. The new steel is longer than my Graf's were, so that took some getting used to. It also felt like there was a slight forward lean, which was fine. The other thing was that GM replaced my waxed laces with some cloth ones, I didn't like that switch though as my feet didn't feel quite as snug as normal. The smart toe straps felt fine, I wasn't used to my pads being a little bit higher though so I felt like I was getting caught up at the top of the pads, that will go away as I get used to them though. I put a little sock tape around the velcro fasteners just as insurance to make sure they wouldn't come undone. I foresee myself modding the fasteners sooner than later, as the way they come from Brians is anemic.

what type of mask?