Today we post the first of what we hope will be several articles by former Leafs goalie coach Steve McKichan. Steve brings years of experience coaching goalies at all levels to inGoal Magazine.
For more about Steve and his coaching please visit his site futurepro.com and have a listen to our interview with Steve.
We are all well versed in the standard vanilla goalie stats like GAA, save percentage and the almighty win/loss record. For me, there are some hidden stats that are critical and truly reveal greatness, or lack thereof.
Short Handed Save %
A goaltender with a save percentage over .900 while shorthanded is money in the bank. Power play goals are such a strong predictor of winning in the NHL that how the tender does in this situation is vital. If a team earns two power play goals in any NHL game they overwhelming end up with a win. So the true worth of a goaltender is revealed while shorthanded.
Bounce Back Win percentage
Every goalie gets pulled or has a poor outing. That is not the issue for me. The true issue is the winning percentage a goalie has the NEXT game after they lay an egg. The best goaltenders with the highest degree of mental toughness will win an inordinately high percentage of their bounce back games. Over his career you could bet your house on Ed Belfour’s bounce back win percentage.
Puck Handling Efficiency (PHE%)
Every time a goaltender touches a puck in a puck handling environement one of two things happen:
A) his team maintains puck possession
or
B) they don’t
As an NHL Goaltending Coach, I tracked this area in a meticulous way. At the the conclusion of every game I knew the PHE % for both goalies. Over the years I worked with Eddie his PHE% averaged 94%!
editors note: Steve told me that as of 05-06 Turco was 84%, Brodeur 82%, luongo 78%
Why is this so important?
NEWS FLASH The other team can’t score if your team has the puck…
Don’t get preoccupied with the obvious everyday goalie stats. If you want to get a better sense of your worth try to chart these three stats.
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Some time ago I read something similar about shots that miss the net from legitimate scoring chances. It’s a good mental habit for the goalie to count these as ‘intimidation saves’. Think of it as your strong position in net forcing hesitation and/or error into the forward’s shot.
I am always humoured by coaches who call those shots as lucky breaks. When I played challenging the shooter and cutting down angles was considered the way play. Only the best goalies ever handled the puck. Now at least with the younger goalies it seems coaches cringe when a goalie handles the puck.