RAZORBOY'S GUIDEPOSTS FOR SUCCESS IN THE SHOOTOUT

With the Stars, and Marty, s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g in the Shootout so far this young season I thought I’d lay out the formula to get them back on track.

Listen to me as I speak, this problem is equally shared by the shooters and the goalie. Stars “snipers” have struck for one goal on their 10 attempts. Ten percent is a good return on your money but not when your “money” is expected to earn another point in the standings. Turco has been the goalie in all three of the Shootouts and he has been a 50/50 proposition – which isn’t good. Five goals against on ten shots...gulp.

In my world, a non-fantasy world, the goalie should better the shooter three of every four times in a one on one confrontation – two of three at the very least. For you math-challenged individuals that’s 75% save by the goalie, 25-33% shooting accuracy for the players. (To review, the Stars are currently 50% saves, 10% goals. Odorous.)

Anyway, enough of the stat attack. Here, according to me – the Razorboy – is how the goalie should defend his lair, and how the shooter should go about penetrating the netminder’s defenses:

GOALTENDER

• As soon as the shooter picks the puck up at center telescope out to the bottom hash mark and pause. As he comes over the blueline with his head up this will plant a visual seed in his head that he has little to shoot at and will now be thinking he has to make a move to open a hole. Advantage goalie.
  
  
• When the player approaches the top of the circle begin backing up at the same rate of speed as the attacking shooter. (Too fast and it will give him more net to shoot at, too slow and the player will be able to deke around you too easily. This is real important)
  
  
• Peak at his eyes, they can telegraph intent.
  
  
• Tease him with a wide 5-hole or a tucked catching glove, then take it away when the hook you set has been deep-throated.
  
  
• Read the shooters stick position. If it’s in front of him he can’t shoot. If it’s off to the side he is either going to shoot or pull it onto backhand with a sweeping move.
  
  
• If the shooter is fighting the puck at all his eyes will probably divert to the pill, this is when you strike like a cobra with the fading art of the poke-check.
  
  
• Make the save.
  
  
• Collect yourself
  
  
• Grab your water bottle and enjoy a refreshing celebratory swig of H2-Oh am I sick at this!
  
  
• Take a moment to wink at irate fan banging on glass behind net if on the road. Give a knowing nod to elated fan behind net when at home.
  
  

CHOSEN SHOOTER

• Show confidence while circling about, waiting for the refs whistle to go. Body language is important.
  
  
• Drop by the bench or have a quick chat with your own goalie. This can plant a seed in the goalies mind that you are targeting an area, that you know a secret.
  
  
• Never attack in a straight line. Always make the goalie move laterally, even if it’s just a little bit. A laterally moving goalie can lose his angle, one that only has to backup straight won’t – or shouldn’t.
  
  
• Alter your speed. This can throw the goalie off from executing bullet point two from the above goalie section.
  
  
• Fake something – a shot, a move to your right, a motorcycle kick-start, something.
  
  
• Shoot it where the goaltender is not.
  
  
• Look back at the just schooled goalie to remind him who owns who.
  
  
• Do a tight fly-by the opposing teams bench with a cock-sure grin on your face (add a verbal or physical taunt if your name is Ribeiro or Kovalchuk) then glove punch glide along your own bench.
  
  
  

Pretty good stuff, eh? They should post this on their white board.