bunnyman666

Deflection from my CA.

I can boast that I got dinged in the chin. Yeeeeouch! No stitches or anything, but I have a robin's egg on my chin. I think I am going to get a better dangler.

Poor sportsmanship just makes me angry. And so many learn it from such an early age. I have skated out of the net in stick and puck the next time a young cocky player shows a bit of cheek after scoring the fifth time. I have seen a few goalies have enough of a cocky little show off and put their shoulder down and lift the stick up when a twerp skates through the crease and gives a snow shower. That usually calms them down for the rest of the game. @tedpenguins I don't mind winning 5-0 if it was a hard-fought 5-0 and the other team just had poor puck luck. But damn! When it just becomes a snoozefest and play is 85% on the other end, it is BORING! But then you have a real bone of contention on playing goal the second half of the season, ted. I am assuming that forwards are charged more than goalies.

Sure it does. The guys who are playing Game 7 of the Sh*t Show Cup care a WHOLE LOT when they think their team will be skunked because of what they think is sub par goal tending. I have fun with it, as well. "Bloody well give me a chance and I will try my damndest to stop shots!!!!" That sometimes gets the message across, or not.

Your choice. I see your point. If it is a good guy, I WILL challenge him in a one on zero breakaway, unless it becomes a habit. With most Mc Danglers, they know the score and I have NEVER had to explain; in fact, most comment "guess your D is boycotting you, eh?".

When I get ZERO defense, I skate out of the net when there is a breakaway. Or I just let in shots when fifty rebounds that could have been cleared don't. Infact, when I want to make certain that I want my D to work, I purposely let in soft goals. Nothing makes a defense work harder than when they think you're a bloody pylon ?

I can't remember how much stuff is in a Brian's leg channel. Is there a lot in there?

Good onya! Now having done this stuff for nearly a year, I can relate to where you are now. I still call myself a neophyte in net, and will for quite some time. But it sounds like you have a few basics down already. You probably won't fit that liner from those other pads in, right? I'm telling you that a fair few experienced goalies like the uncluttered leg channels of senior pads.

There is much debate about whether or not the differences in pro vs. senior, senior vs. bottom-end, smu, special runs exclusive to certain stores, etc., etc. is labour (North American vs. Asian) or the just quality of materials or both. I think the X24 is the top-line senior, so my guess is that the padding is not that much different from a top end pad from a few years back. Brian's claims their top end senior pad has 85% of the same materials found in their top end pro offering. Knowing what I know about manufacturing, foam is the cheapest part of a pad. Of course when you are trying to meet a certain price point, everything gets dumbed down. The Jenpro-like material will be thinner, high end specialty foams will not be included (especially if it has a name that must be advertised, therefore paying the manufacturer to use the name in addition to the product), straps will be flimsier, etc., etc. I don't think you have anything to worry about with your pads, as I am wearing used senior Vaughn pads (7470 V5) and they feel pretty much like a new set. I haven't felt shots in mine, and I've played in these 1-3 times per week since November in intense shinny (scrimmages, in reality). It's not like you have Bauer Reactor 2000, which are DEFINITELY a low-end pad (I have a set). Many goalies I know wish for the simpler leg channels of senior pads when they buy pro and often strip them down to what a senior pad looks like in the leg channel! You may figure out how much you love the senior style leg channel! Now, the only pad I would play in roller would be a low-end senior pad, as they are light weight AND relatively painless to drag across concrete (to a degree). I will be putting slick tape on my Reactor 2000 pads and try some roller hockey. I would only use them on ice in an emergency basis, as just getting my moves down in these broke them down quickly, as well as degrading the toe trims, though I hear this is a common problem with the Jenpro-like material used as toe trims on the Reactor line (save for the pro line).

Send the glove to Factory Mad, pay a bit of money, get it back within a week or so, admire your better closing glove. I tried the Keeps33 method (search the net), but it never worked for me. I threw my glove in the oven, put a garment steamer all over and got bupkis. I only got relief by having it re-worked. Mind that it was a Warrior Messiah, which was a claw.

@tedpenguins My two cents worth on the thigh boards and Padskinz- 1) yes, those thigh boards are pretty silly, but save them as you now have extra padding to use in something else and an extra set of quick release closures (if so equipped). You will find that your CA gets more mods than any other piece of equipment. 2) The sheets are the only way to fly if you're going to try and follow the lines in black on the graphic portions on your blocker. Besides, I cover the nose of my blocker with Padskins to prevent wear when playing paddle-down and if some waterhead ploughs into you and cuts your pads with their skates, you can patch the cut after you beat the crap out of the said aggressor. I always keep black and white Padskinz material around for the purposes I wrote about more than changing graphics. Good looking set you have. Well done!

I bought three sets of Brian's and plan on trying the HAL when those turn to trash.

The only "better" neutral would either be all-white, retro tan, or even grey. Sounds like a good purchase.

I second the Brian's Smart Toe straps, though there is a new kid in town: Monster Goalie. Look them up. The K strap is PHENOMENAL! The quality of their elastics is subliminal, and the K strap is an elastic version of the "professor strap". You can eliminate most of your strapping with the K strap.

@magnets That BLOWS!!!!! Sorry to read that, matey! Hopefully, some solution can be had where you can still play.

I was a big pest left winger in my day. I got off on drawing penalties, getting under the skin of goalers and defensemen alike. I had no other skills! I did not play any other position in any other sport except for full back in foot ball (soccer to those in North America), and I was a yellow and red card leader. I don't know why I always wanted to play goaler, but I always did. I don't let stupid goals drive me nuts. Some blokes will apologise for their poor defense, but I always tell them that I am having a cracking time out there DESPITE the fact that I am playing both defense AND goal. Bloody hell-it is bloody well PICK UP, I say. I will yell "pylon" for those blokes who just stand in front me. If you're going to be an immobile object, at least LET ME SEE THE BLOODY FACKIN' PUCK!!!!!

I do, mainly so I can learn my angles. But bloody hell- I am skint from buying new gear :(***

Drop in report: 5-on-5, three subs on each bench and two goalies. 20 minute shut out was possible to to the opposing team playing good, solid Defense. Furthermore, the deluge only started with Donny McDangles arriving. I stopped him four times today. He then lit me up later, especially after fatigue. The goals piled up after I started getting tired. In all, I made a few really good stops being more aggressive with my stick. There was a time where shots would go on every blocking surface but in the openings. I am getting better at reading plays, but I have a long way to go before I would feel comfortable playing in a league. But I am going to get there ;) In all, a decent skate today.

As posted on a female hockey forum: "...Last Friday, I was like in this Ducks throwback tournament. We were like down 7-0 and this goalie had the nerve to be like yelling at his D to like cover me. I'm like 'STFU, you guys are like up 7-0 and I have like NEVER scored a goal in my life!!!' Uh my G'd!!! What a jerk!!!!..."

Oy Vay!!!! I call him that to his face, as in "wassup, Mc Dangles?" He's good natured about me calling him "McDangles". Shalom L'chaim!

Thursday Drop-in Report: 3-on-3 one sub, two goalies action today. It felt like I was not on the ice for awhile; it was only a week and a day. Anywho- the title of this post should be "angles, angles, angles". I need to get a GoPro like Opti has. That is the number one thing I need to do. Number two is to use those angles to close holes. Number three is to set myself up as a bumper stopping pucks from going IN the goal. I had a ten minute shut out, then Donny McDangles showed up. I did shut him down more today than ever. But I got lit up like a bloody Menorah on the eight night of Chanukah. I got shots pinballed from poor coverage on the posts. I let in some weird goals, but there were the gimmees they thought they would/should get. In all, I do believe I am improving. Cutting off plays is getting better. Next time is next week.

No stick and puck today due to severe ear infection. I hope I am over it by Thursday, 'cos Thursday is drop in with cops 'n' firemen.

The coins themselves are worth MUCH more than the actual value.

lol about "natural padding"; I have plenty and it STILL hurts like a mofo when I got hit in the love handle on Wednesday! I am going to see a Passau in the flesh in a couple of weeks and make a decision on my future purchase soon. I was going to put my ducats towards a new set of leg pads, but a CA is DEFINITELY on the MUST BUY list!

Stick and puck report: Facing better shooters has been paying off for me. I am starting to figure out how to cut off parts of plays. I am trying to play more aggressively. Though I was one of five people at the rink both Monday and Wednesday, we would play three on two or three on three. I feel that this change of scenery may help my drop-in hockey at my home rink, as the chance of playing against good players is better. Monday, I faced the hardest shot I had EVER faced, as this guy dented my wooden goalie stick. He also gave me a few stingers. Speaking of stingers- I am going to make a "love handle" guard. I got stung pretty hard on a love handle yesterday! No bruises, oddly enough; but I need some protection in that area. Ouch!!!! Next Monday is back at the "other" rink; then Thursday at the "home" rink.