Keeping the Fun Between the Pipes

P.K. Subban's overtime winner leads to a big celebration with teammate Carey Price.

After watching this video, this leads into the discussion about what type of actions are accepted in hockey. Better yet, how should players represent themselves on and off the ice?

Picture back to when Theo Fleury celebrated his game winning goal in game 6 overtime in the 1991 playoffs. Taking things to the extreme, this is a player that leaves it all out on the ice. Similar to Subban's overtime winner, this emotion and excitement left on the ice illustrates what the game of hockey is all about. Different from other sports where game scores can reach double digits for teams, "our game" has teams and fans on the edge of their seats waiting for their team to take the lead, tie the game up, or in this case with Montreal to score the game winner.

Many hockey "experts" will proclaim that hockey should be represented as a game of class, and for players to want more and show less on the ice. At the same time, there are many players in the dressing room that do just this. When this happens the game starts to become "less fun" and more stressful.

At times throughout the year there are many distractions that can cause pressure, along with situations around the game that can create stressors. It is important to find ways around this, and to find ways that can maintain the "fun" and enjoyable aspects of the sport.

When relating to goaltenders, here are a couple keys:

1. When times are tough, remember WHY you love the game.
   
   
2. When training and putting in all the time on and off the ice, remember WHAT you are doing it for.
   
   
3. In practice, rather than thinking to stop every puck, have objectives set aside for improvement and daily goals for what you would like to maintain. Ex) Controlling all low shots to corners for the whole hour to improve on ice rebound control.
   
   
4. Show emotion. There are various times in the game when teams do need that spark from their goaltender to help ignite a flame and instill motivation. At times, that big save and flash of the leather does help. Other instances, in the dressing room those words of disgust or encouragement also go a long way to giving your team a boost.
   
   
5. Keep practices entertaining. When playing small area games against teammates try throwing in a pad stack or a diving poke check. Do something you wouldn't normally do to get outside of your technical mindset. Technique can always be instilled, but your competitive side is more instinctive. Build your instincts by competing!
   
   
6. Keep things simple. Beyond all the tactics and technique that goes into the position, your job goes down to stopping the puck. Heading into a big game don't over complicate things and think about more than you need to. Control what you can control within the game.
   
   
7. Organize your time. People work 8 hours for 5 days a week. The other 128 hours are open for ones own leisure. An athlete has no reason to be at the rink or on the ice day in and day out for hours on end. Allow yourself to have time with family and friends, school, and time to relax.
   

Ultimately, the game of hockey is about fun! Ask anyone involved in the sport and that will be one of the main reasons why they started playing. Next time your on the ice and you make that big save don't be afraid to show some excitement. Competing on the ice, playing the sport you love, is all about the rush and the celebration.

Keeping the Fun Between the Pipes

Making the Best of Your Opportunities

Every athlete finds the various lull's in a season as the year goes on, and finds ways to overcome the fatigue and stress of performing day in and day out.

On the other hand, every athlete puts pressure on themselves in various situations to excel. The term pressure is inextricalby linked with one's self motivation and the desire to do something. When opportunities open up the elite athletes are the ones that make the most of their chances and take advantage of their future performances. On Tuesday night Carey Price had this chance as the Habs took on the Canucks in Vancouver.

The Canadian Press - Carey Price's previous trip to Vancouver ended with a sore hand. This time the Montreal Canadiens' goalie left with a souvenir puck.

Playing in front of at least 50 family members and friends, the Anahim Lake, B.C., native made 12 of his 37 saves in the third period, and the Canadiens snapped a decade-long drought in Vancouver with a 3-2 win over the Canucks on Tuesday night.

It was a decided improvement over Price's last trip to his home province early last season, which ended with him getting pulled after giving up seven goals. He then punched a hole in the wall of the visiting locker-room.

The year before that, with even more supporters in attendance, Price sat out behind Jaroslav Halak before getting a token appearance in the third period of another one-sided loss.

"I put a lot of mental preparation into this one," Price said. "I remember last year and not getting the opportunity to play before that and it really meant a lot to me coming in here. I think everyone in this locker-room realized that and really battled for me."

Canadiens defenceman Paul Mara made sure to grab the puck after the final buzzer and present it to Price after he was mobbed by his teammates.

"I really wanted that puck. That was the only one I've wanted all year," Price said. "I've watched the Canucks my whole life being from B.C., and getting an opportunity to play against them and actually win here is pretty special."

Price made a handful of game-saving stops in the third as Montreal won in Western Canada for the first time in three years, and the fifth time in 30 visits. "It was nice to get it here for Carey," defenceman Hall Gill said.

Coming off a 4-0 loss in the outdoor Heritage Classic at Calgary on Sunday, and with only one win in seven games (1-4-2), the Canadiens switched all four forward lines and stressed defensive play. It paid off as they roared to a 14-1 shot advantage in the first 10 minutes in a building where they had dropped seven straight, dating to November 2000.

"We knew we were going to meet a team that was on edge and they proved it the first 10 minutes," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "They threw everything they had at us. They were first on the puck. They completely controlled the game." For more on this article Click Here.

On the other end of the spectrum, take a look down south to the back-end of the Anaheim Ducks. Curtis McElhinney went into a downward spiral as he replaced Jonas Hiller. With Hiller on the shelf, McElhinney was given the opportunity to carry the load but could not secure the job. He has yielded 23 goals in his past five starts and failed to record a save percentage better than .840 during that span.

After winning just one of those five outings, this morning he was traded to Tampa Bay for goaltender Dan Ellis. Goaltender Ray Emery was also recently acquired and now brought up from the AHL after playing well in his three starts in Syracuse. Desperate for help, the Ducks now have two credible goaltenders who have had success in their past and are now both on the rise again.

Taking advantage of ones opportunities as they open up is something that every athlete must keep in mind. Waking up each morning every goaltender has the chance to open up a new door with how their attitude is shown, how they display their habits, and how their character is respected. Again, take note of this now when competing to be the starting goaltender going through your teams playoff run or for next season looking to crack a new roster or role for your team.

Heading into playoffs keep the bar raised high for each and every game. Build up your excitement towards showing your in net ability and to display what you have learned throughout the year.

Making the Best of Your Opportunities

Gorilla-sized goalies populate NHL

How big are goalies these days? Big enough to fill in for the guys charged with the task of protecting them, if need be.

Former NHL puckstopper Kevin Weekes is a large man himself, but even he can’t help but marvel at the current size of crease creatures such as Montreal’s MVP, 6-foot-3, 219-pound Carey Price.

“When I saw Carey for the first time last year – in person, not playing against him, but actually in the rink when I spoke to him in Edmonton – he’s stay-at-home defenseman big,” Weekes said. “I’m 6-foot-1 and I can go anywhere between 215 and 225. I’m muscular, but this guy is muscular and tall. He could just as easily be a shutdown ‘D’ crunching guys along the boards.”

I spoke with Weekes about Price because he’s the subject of a cover story for an upcoming goalie-themed issue of The Hockey News. A few other components of that issue include introducing some new-to-the-scene masked men, such as 6-foot-2 Corey Crawford in Chicago, 6-foot-6 Anders Lindback in Nashville and 6-foot-3 Ondrej Pavelec in Atlanta. It also has a top 30 goalie ranking, where players such as 6-foot-2 Jonas Hiller of Anaheim and Lindback’s Nashville buddy, 6-foot-5 Pekka Rinne, receive high praise.

The shift in goal isn’t just about long and lanky stoppers. Some of the best goalies in the game now are also some of the strongest athletes in hockey, period. Once upon a time, big and bulky seemed counter to quick and nimble, but with goaltending techniques more finely crafted than ever, it’s led to the desire for big, puck-blocking physiques.

“There’s less of a stigma that comes with being a muscular goalie,” Weekes said. “People used to always say, ‘Weeksie, you’re a goalie, why are you lifting weights?’

“Jonas Hiller is a perfect example. Very strong, explosive lower body and that’s what helps him play the style he plays so effectively.”

Goaltending is about the most bottom-line position in sports, so anybody getting the job done consistently is going to find work. But more and more, the big bodies that used to either whack home or clear rebounds in front of the crease can now be found standing directly in it.

To read more about this article from Ryan Dixon - The Hockey News Magazine - Click Here.

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Gorilla-sized goalies populate NHL