Starting in Goal as an Adult

[bunnyman666 445]

Nah, I appreciate the thoughts, I do. You are correct. (One of the reasons I wanted to play was because I have been working so much, and wanted to see some people who were not work-related and/or small children.) I don't even work full time right now, but this is a stretch of the most hours I've worked since getting mowed down by my non-physical illnesses about 5 years ago. One more week of extra shifts and then I take it easier for a while.

Okay. It's the old man uncle in me that wants to keep my goalie bretheren from being sick. Carry on, young man. Just be safe :)

[badger_14 601]

And, naturally, right when I'm sick a flurry of goalie requests for places i can actually get to crops up on the Mass. Goalies list. Of course.

I'm hoping I can swap tomorrow's ambulance shift for a detail at a local HS hockey game on Saturday. That'll give me more time to recover without taking yet another sick day and losing hours. And also, HS hockey detail.

[bunnyman666 445]

There you go.

[magnets 98]

After a very hot day here (41°C = about 106°F), played two games back to back, both filling in for other teams. Game one was one of the worst in my career, letting in five goals from just 15 shots (0.666). Back in to play the second game, turned it around for a 6-1 win, jumping the SV% back up to a 0.941 making me feel a lot better. Only one that got through, the opposing Centre screened me perfectly, and annoyed me just enough to push the catcher into his back exactly as the shot went off. If I didn't let him distract me, I may have shut the five hole in time, as my positioning was spot on.

Took a couple glove saves that the same guy screening me turned around and said "how the &$%^& did you see that???" because even in front of me, he couldn't track the puck from the slap shot, yet I effortlessly took it. Tried to get back into his head by down-playing it - always act like you've been there before :)

[psulion22 402]

Well, I just lost my starting spot.

My team wants me to skate out and have another skater replace me. They need the help on defense. And I haven't exactly been helping them in net either. Of course they say it's only temporary. We have some injured better players, and they say I'll go back in net once they don't need me out and him in net anymore. But we all know how that works. Once the team starts doing better, and they see me out and have solid goaltending they aren't going to want to switch.

[bunnyman666 445]

^

Time to quit the team ;)

Bloody emoticon didn't work.

No, I said that with tongue in cheek.

But it sounds HIGHLY frustrating to say the least.

Edited December 7, 2015 by bunnyman666

[IPv6Freely 2084]

Well here it is, my performance at Winterfest. Thankfully it wasn't quite the slaughter I was expecting, but that's primarily because the D was so solid. I wasn't THAT busy, as you can tell by the fact that the video is only 6 minutes long. Most of the goals I let in were actually mistakes that I would count as "bad" goals if it were a normal pickup session.

The slapper from the point actually curved towards me. Seriously. It must have been spinning pretty fast for it to hook the way it did!

Also, sorry about the camera angle. Had it pointed too far down. At the same time though, it's almost better since you can't see the far end of the rink in these videos anyway, it's good to see some of the action behind the net.

Hope you guys like the intermission section I made for fun :)

Enjoy!

Edited December 7, 2015 by OptimusReim

[Thinkingjack 51]

Well, I just lost my starting spot.

My team wants me to skate out and have another skater replace me. They need the help on defense. And I haven't exactly been helping them in net either. Of course they say it's only temporary. We have some injured better players, and they say I'll go back in net once they don't need me out and him in net anymore. But we all know how that works. Once the team starts doing better, and they see me out and have solid goaltending they aren't going to want to switch.

Not entirely, i've done this multiple times for my teams i used to play for, we lost a player, cant have subs by league rules so we use a different goalie and i play forward. thats why last year at my old league i had 2 wins 1 loss but 5 goals and 3 assists

[magnets 98]

Well here it is, my performance at Winterfest. Thankfully it wasn't quite the slaughter I was expecting, but that's primarily because the D was so solid. I wasn't THAT busy, as you can tell by the fact that the video is only 6 minutes long. Most of the goals I let in were actually mistakes that I would count as "bad" goals if it were a normal pickup session.

The slapper from the point actually curved towards me. Seriously. It must have been spinning pretty fast for it to hook the way it did!

Also, sorry about the camera angle. Had it pointed too far down. At the same time though, it's almost better since you can't see the far end of the rink in these videos anyway, it's good to see some of the action behind the net.

Hope you guys like the intermission section I made for fun :)

Enjoy!

Love the videos Optimus... I asked my league if I could put a GoPro up on the boards behind the goal like you do, even if it was behind the netting that if it touched the puck would be dead, and they refused. I've tried helmet cam and net cam in Shinny before, but helmet cam either looks too far down the ice, or too low so you don't see the shots coming, and net cam gets plenty of shots of my butt and not much else.

I'll keep trying to get them to let me mount behind like you do, your angle is great to actually see play develop, as well as your movements and reactions.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

Put it on the outside of the glass. You'll only get two periods but better than nothing!

[magnets 98]

Unfortunately, our rink wasn't really designed for hockey viewing and has non-transparent boards behind the goals, so that's not an option.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

That's... Really weird.

[magnets 98]

That's Ice Hockey in South Australia. I think the rink was built in the early 80s, and the ends of the rink butt up almost against the exterior walls. We have a stand on one side above the benches, and a smaller sheet of ice on the other.

When they play National league games here, they move portable bleachers on to the smaller ice to expand capacity, but it's still not much. Unfortunately though, it's the only rink in this state big enough to play hockey.

[bunnyman666 445]

One of my favourite rinks to play in is about 20' shorter and 5' narrower than an NHL spec rink. The only spots for spectators is above the rinks (one side roller, the other side ice) in the upstairs bar. Weirdly enough, the pic of your rink @magnets reminds me of the rink I describe, especially with the lack of spectator space at the goal ends. The main exception is that the silly rink I describe has clear plexiglass. It would make more sense if they used opaque plastic, as the boards nearly butt up against the walls like in your rink.

[badger_14 601]

Well, I just lost my starting spot.

My team wants me to skate out and have another skater replace me. They need the help on defense. And I haven't exactly been helping them in net either. Of course they say it's only temporary. We have some injured better players, and they say I'll go back in net once they don't need me out and him in net anymore. But we all know how that works. Once the team starts doing better, and they see me out and have solid goaltending they aren't going to want to switch.

That seems like it would be short-sighted of them. Goalies are a hot commodity. If you're having a bad stretch, it doesn't exactly show much loyalty on their part. Sounds like a tough situation and I'm sorry you're stuck in it.

[psulion22 402]

^

Time to quit the team ;)

Bloody emoticon didn't work.

No, I said that with tongue in cheek.

But it sounds HIGHLY frustrating to say the least.

It's a little frustrating, but my play has been more frustrating. It's difficult to get back into the flow of things when playing in real games. I have just not been good, and small mistakes are costing goals.

Not entirely, i've done this multiple times for my teams i used to play for, we lost a player, cant have subs by league rules so we use a different goalie and i play forward. thats why last year at my old league i had 2 wins 1 loss but 5 goals and 3 assists

That seems like it would be short-sighted of them. Goalies are a hot commodity. If you're having a bad stretch, it doesn't exactly show much loyalty on their part. Sounds like a tough situation and I'm sorry you're stuck in it.

Unfortunately, this is only my 4th or 5th game with them. They don't have any real loyalty to me. And what makes it worse is that there are two other guys on the team that are better goalies than me, including the guy who has been their goalie for a few seasons.

I skated out last night. We were only supposed to have 10 guys (on Olympic ice!) and our best player has a pulled groin so he wouldn't be 100%. It was against our rival team, that also has one of my best friends in net, so everyone wanted to win. So we all felt that the best thing to do would be to have me skate out and have one of the other guys play net. It was a pretty good game, and we ended up winning 4-3. I don't know that we would have won if we had not switched. (I had 1G, 1A and pretty much shut them down defensively all night.)

I talked to the captain and the other goalie after the game, and both assured me they had no intention of this being a permanent plan. This is for when they feel they need a boost if we are playing a good team or we will be short skilled players. As I improve in net, it will become less necessary. The good thing is that this was my last game for over a month. I'll have that time to try and get as much ice in as possible and work through things. The other goalie offered to come help when he can so I can have a shooter who knows how to work with a goalie.I'm pretty optimistic that if I can ge the ice time, I'll be solid again by the time we play again in January.

[beedee 224]

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.

[IPv6Freely 2084]

I hear you on the rookie leagues, man. I decided to not join the one here this season because it's just too frustrating.

[magnets 98]

On another note, myself and three other guys (two long term players here, and a Finnish ex national junior player who now coaches here) finished a long project of planning, and had the board of our association unanimously approve us as a new club playing at A and B Grade in our state league. We will be the first new club in this state in 50 years.

Now to see if I actually get to play for them (there is no guarantee) :)

[Hills 710]

Even in higher leagues you can still get no defense. I totally understand your pain... backdoor passes you are completely screwed as seen here:

[bunnyman666 445]

Yesterday was another interesting drop in game:

1) Donny Mc Dangles was up to his old tricks again. I did trip him with the goalie stick (not quite on purpose) but saved the goal.

2) I challenged a few near the hash marks, either making the glove save or getting burnt.

3) Since I switched from my heavily modded Vortek (that went from a 34+2" to a 34-2") to my 33+1" Vaughns, I have let in more in the 5 hole when down in the butterfly.

4) Need to work on positioning and speed, as I was caught in weird places and gave away big, open nets.

5) But the weird saves keep coming.

6) Even weirder goals just squirt in from nowhere, which leads me to number seven:

7) By the time I will feel fully competent in goal, I will probably be too bloody old to play goal.

Edited December 11, 2015 by bunnyman666

[IPv6Freely 2084]

Playing while sick. Generally happy until I started getting tired by the end. Lots of 2-on-1, 3-on-1 and even some 3-on-0 I had to deal with, which meant a lot more goals against than usual. D was non-existent.

[bunnyman666 445]

Opti- that game could have come unhinged much worse than it had; YOU kept it from being a 15 goal game.

Edited December 12, 2015 by bunnyman666

[badger_14 601]

Had a pretty okay game. I was despairing pretty hard about letting in 10 goals (I counted. I shouldn't count. It's bad juju.) until my teammate pointed out that I had stopped a fairly significant number (he said 40), and he has a point - I was really being pelted, the other side's offense was very strong. Most of the goals I let in were third or fourth rebounds. I still think I might've played better when I was sick, though...

Weird thing, someone hit the zamboni doors hard at one point and they came unlatched and swung open. One of the goals I let in was when I was trying to get their attention to point out that THE DOORS WERE OPEN. They kept playing for like 2 or 3 minutes.

Overall it was an intense game, fast and competitive, and in spite of despair, I had a good time. It was also nice to have another goalie.

I need to work on my positioning because I keep getting dinged off the ribs, where there is no padding. That or get a new chest protector. But it's probably a matter of positioning and keeping my elbows down. It sure smarts. You'd think I'd learn.

[magnets 98]

22 shot shutout with a 7-0 win tonight. Now for a three week break until the next game.