This game probably fits under the category of "the less said, the better", but I want to chronicle all of them, so I have to say something. And I will say this- yes, it was an ugly loss (5-2 with an empty netter) and yes it was a TEAM loss (something I had drilled into my head in the locker room afterwards, probably deservingly), but I am frustrated with the fact that I keep making the same mistake over and over again. I think my problem might be overthinking things. I know from my own assessment and from other peoples' observations that I tend to go down too early, and I think in trying to correct that I'm forcing myself to stay up longer, which causes me to freeze for a split second. That split second would be better spent in initiating a drop, because before I know it the puck has gone past me- through the dreaded 5-hole.
My stance is naturally low and wide- this works well for a butterfly goalie, but is not a good tactic for someone who is going to stay standing longer. And I think therein lies the problem. Do I change my stance so that my legs are closer together while standing? But that will affect how quickly and how well I get into the butterfly. I think I should watch some game tapes from last season and see how King Henrik does it. After all, I have many of his tendencies. I never started out saying to myself "I want to pattern my play after Henrik Lundqvist", but it seems natural that the goalie I spend the most time watching would have the most influence on my own style.
As the Cool Old Guy pointed out this weekend, I play deep in my crease like he does. I was quick to add that I also have no ability to handle the puck- just like the King. He tends to drop early, as do I, and his stance is low and wide, as is mine. I feel like a total homer, but if you're going to emulate someone you could certainly do worse, right?
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