bunnyman666

Drop in report: Returned to the home rink. I actually was doing well today. My ear got pinched from a shot to the side of my head. No blood, no foul. I did let in a few clunkers, but more goals were from motionless pylons around the crease who were standing five feet away that would not even try and cheque the back door plays. Many I let in were tic-tac-toe plays that were poorly defended. That group even noticed my improved play, though I also had puck luck today. I felt okay about my play. Guess I have to go to that other pickup on occasion ;) They improved my game by a fair bit.

It takes YEARS to not make those blunders frequently.

For someone who hasn't played goal for all that long, you're looking cracking in net.

I just hope that you turn the corner soon and have a few months WITHOUT a cold ;)

I hope you take no offense by what I say. My wife has a rare immunity disorder that requires monthly treatment. Call me your concerned internet friend.

It seems you are perpetually ill. What keeps you ill?

Got a ways to go before THAT type of swagger. Great video, thanks for sharing.

I haven't made full reports in awhile, but here is a chronicle of yesterday's drop-in: I have happened upon a highly organised and skilled group who plays on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If this rink were closer, it would be my go to group. I deal with non-stop breakaways and a singular dangler in my home rink, and a mixed bag who may or may not play defense on any given day at my home away from home rink (which I go to on Mondays). None the less, it is a downright pleasure to play with this group. Sure, there are a few breakaways and wrap arounds, but defense is actually played here with great passing and players who take short shifts. This would be a fun skate to do if I were skating out, had I not lost the skills as a result of a twenty five year absence. I let in a few soft goals five hole (more than I would like to count), incidentally kicked one in (grrrrr!), and still get beat top shelf often. But there were a few times I showed some progress, and even stole a couple by flashing the leather. I can even get a shooter to rush their shot by smacking my stick on the ice; sometimes it results in a poor shot, sometimes it results in a goal against. Am I going to steal games at this point? No. Am I getting a bit more confidence and swagger in net? Yes. I gotta get myself into the butterfly more often, I gotta learn better angles, and I need to be in better aerobic shape. I am going to be quitting my current band in May, so some time will open up for me to work on things.

@Thinkingjack That sucks. I hope your rehab goes quickly and you're right as rain in no time. When someone jumps on your knee, it is scary stuff- ESPECIALLY when they are HEAVY. Glad to hear nothing major happened. I think the fat hero deserves a knee-capping with your goal stick the next time you play against him.

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!!!!!