bunnyman666

I switched from the old 12" pads and it wasn't a big deal. Of course on my 12" pads, they weren't mobile until I chopped 6" off of the thigh rise. That being said, they became a LOT more mobile. But a pure butterfly pad like a Vaughn V5 is generally more mobile than my Vortek pads that were neither pure butterfly or stand up. I play mostly stand up with some butterfly saves thrown in. I think going from a Nike/Bauer Vapor to a pad made in the last three years would be a huge difference. Improvements in foams and such have thinned pads down a fair bit. It is a totally different feel these days from the pads of yesteryear. Keep in mind that I have been only playing goal on ice for nearly a year. Most of us here have played goal fewer than five years.

Daytime skates are a mixed bag- some are full, some are not. But it is a guarantee that when word gets around that a goalie is there, it will fill up. As far as beating yourself up over your last game, badger_14: Don't. Have fun. Don't take it too seriously. Are you going to get fired and become homeless after letting in 6 goals? I think not.

Drop-in hockey report: Had a ten minute shut out going, then the deluge happened. Stopped Donnie McDangles a couple of times, but he got a hat trick and a half on me. I did stuff him good when he tried getting too "cute" on me. Stopping break aways is NOT my strong suit. I just SUCK in a 1 on 0 situation. I made some weird stops, and made a couple good ones. I also let in dumb ones. I got pucks banked in off of my skates and the handle of my stick. I also froze the puck against the outside of the net with my stick handle. I see incremental improvement, but feeling comfortable playing leagues is a bit into the future for me.

Good onya, matey!!!!!

Sir, I do not disagree in the least. Hexy gave good stick therapy, as did my idol Billy Smith. I believe mismatch sock ponytail boy needs a therapeutic session with your goal stick. Maybe get out the composite for the next time you play against "classy".

Did you take chirpy out? I hope you did, Opti. Edit- just watched the game. The next time you play against ponytail boy, you need to make certain he doesn't want to get anywhere near you, if you know what I mean. He needs a bit of stick therapy.

That's the way!!!!

It can contribute. Sometimes, we forget that this is supposed to be fun. I predict that you are going to have a better game next time up :)

magnets- How long was your hiatus? That could have a bit to do with your slump. Sometimes when a few fluke goals happen, it works your mind game over time. Try to shake it off and have some fun.

I added to the rib protection on my Vaughn, and it was definitely needed. My hits were never direct, but could have been bad, none the less. When I get a CA with adequate protection and no Frankensteining, it will be a very good day.

Flop- Most of my goalie moves are more of the stand up variety, much like the stuff you had posted (but I don't execute very well). The hardest part is, of course many modern pads do not seal the 5 hole standing up terribly well, and I have been caught with a five hole open when standing. There is so much to learn. If I get good at this goalie thing, I hope I am not falling apart by the time I am playing well for over a couple years! I started old, which is why I say that.

Good job, Opti!

Drop-in hockey today: Three goalies showed up YET AGAIN, though probably next week is when the goalie count will go back down to two or one goalie. Donnie McDangles scored a hat trick on me today, but then got nothing else behind me today. In all, I think I even had fingers left counting goals against; of course if I would have played the whole hour and a half, my goal count would have gone UP UP UP!!!! None the less, I tried to smother moving pucks with my glove and it didn't happen. At least they didn't result in goals :) Glove is still a bit stiff, though I did make a few juicy glove saves. In the end, I saw slight improvement in my play today. By no means I am in any danger of taking any NHL goaler's job away from them.

I've had a few try to give me pointers, and a few whom are OVERLY apologetic about their poor defence, but none have yelled at me as of this time. There is always the occasion where guys think there is no consequences for playing in a dangerous and/or extremely unsportsmanlike manner. Thank G'd that usually, that play is rewarded with BOTH teams beating the crap out of the offender.

Ack. What is the point of screaming at the tendy? These games don't amount to sh** at the end of the day, after all. I don't mind good, physical play; goonery has no place, especially when 99/100 of you have to work the next day.

When is college back in session?!? Bloody fackin' hell- three fackin goalies at shinny?!? McDangles was there- I stopped him three times. He scored on me more than that. Let in a few really, really stupid shots. Made some weird, weird saves. I still suck like a Dyson.

Most of the time when ordering custom pads, you're asked for your skate size along with every other measurement. Some of us have weird proportions. I have short thighs and long shins, which not only screws up my thigh rise on leg pads, but also requires that unless I wear a size small breezers, I have to hike the inseam anywhere from 1-3". The only way I would fit in a small is to be as small as I was when I was much younger, like a teenager. I could stand to lose a stone or two, but that would still get me into breezers that would require an inseam hike, and I wouldn't have the blocking area of a large. +1" is the max for my thigh rise, and I would probably do better with a +0". I fit well into a 33"+1", but my boot size could probably shrink a bit, as I wear a 8 in a Graf or a 7.5 in everything else. The point of this rambling is that not all of us fit into the stock sizing, and we need a little customisation. Seeing that you're a 6 boot but are tall for that size, you could easily stand to lose an inch or more from the boot of the pad. You could have the boot on your pads shortened- it is not a big deal repair. A LOT of pads have boots too big. This is not something to sell your pads over; depending on where you live, it might be something that could be done locally. If you're handy with a needle, thread, and scissors, you could do that repair. But if you buy a new set, go custom. You won't fit into stock sizes without modification.

Seems like that game got kinda chippy in parts, even without seeing the scrum behind the net, Opti.

Flop- love your username! Getting shooters and goalies playing out to compliment you on your second time playing goal means that possibly you could teach a couple of us a thing or two! Welcome!

Drop in report: Two NYE skates today. I elected to go to the afternoon skate. Yes, it was twerpfest. But they were good players, but danglers fo sho! Five goalies showed up (?!?). My end, we did 15 on, 15 off. That was fine with me. Got in touch with my inner Hasek, even executed (poorly) a Hasek roll that stopped the goal. Didn't quite have sight of the puck until I just saw it sitting in the crease! Covered it up and was called a genius. But in all- I still SUCK at goal but am having enough fun to keep coming back for more. Am I a sucker for punishment? I think so...

When I was a lad, the fields would have just enough water to freeze, so we had the best of both worlds: ice to skate on; but if you fell through, you had a muddy skate rather than a rescue situation. Of course it has not been cold enough around where I live for the best part of twenty years. I definitely recommend a low-key drop in for your first times. I felt like I had jumped into the high-energy drop ins too quickly, but it was going to be a minimum of a six month wait for a stick and puck with no games for me. Going to twerpfest can also be highly stressful as a neophyte goalie. If you can take your friends to your first drop in, I would HIGHLY recommend it. It will be 1,000% less stressful.

Opti- You are getting to be a bloody good goalie for having been at it in as little time as you have done this!!!! Good onya, matey!!!!!

Good purchase!!!!

I know what you're saying, Opti. I don't get cancelling games for the Super Bowl, myself; but I don't get American football, either. No offense to American football fans is intended. Winter holiday cancellations make WAAAAAAAAY more sense, IMO.

Where I live, there is a skate every day next week and TWICE on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, I have to work every day this coming week EXCEPT New Year's Eve. No, I am too old and out of shape to do the double. NYE is ALWAYS full, even OVER-FULL. I imagine I am going to split ice time between three goalies on Thursday.