Pro-Reads: Toronto’s Andersen odd-man chance with options
Toronto Maple Leaf Freddie Andersen had already heard about Pro-Reads when we met with him in Vancouver. He was excited to sit down with us and share some of his experience with our members. Enjoy the first of several saves with the Leafs #1.
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Our Pro-Reads series continues this week with Toronto Maple Leaf Frederik Andersen. Only a week into this series when we bumped into Andersen while visiting Vancouver, we found out that the Leaf workhorse was already aware of our first Pro-Read with Carey Price and he was excited to add his insights to some of his saves for our members. Today we present the first of several saves he broke down for you.
The Situation
Andersen faces pressure from Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner driving down low. Skinner has already beaten one Leaf defender while two additional Sabres are driving the net in the right half of the zone. With his second defender applying pressure to the puck carrier as well, Andersen faces three threats with little support.
As you look at this snapshot from the scenario what do you notice? What would you do?
Once you get to the video you’ll see that Andersen processed quite a bit almost instantaneously from this scenario…the shooter and his options, the motion of the puck, the two threats, his d-man’s actions and how ultimately he’d have to respond.
Before looking at the full scenario though, please take a moment to consider what you see here and make a few mental notes.
Of course, Anseren has to process this all in real time at NHL game speed – he doesn’t have the luxury of freezing the action. But this is still an excellent exercise to engage in for goaltenders of all ages.
The Save
OK, you’ve had a chance to study the freeze-frame of the situation and to consider what you might notice in the blink of an eye. Now let’s see the full save play our before hearing what Andersen had to tell us.
The Pro-Read
That was an impressive save no matter how you look at it. Not only does he get across quickly but you can see it was far more than just a desperation save. Andersen led with his eyes and his body followed. He built coverage and made a very deliberate glove save.
So, how much did his initial read play into this incredible save?
Watch Andersen as he breaks it down for you. You’ll get insights into his read, his preparation for the most-likely save and all that went into making it a successful save from a technical perspective.
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- Andersen breaks down his save on a Jeff Skinner odd-man rush where Buffalo had three active threats and limited Leafs defensive support.
- Andersen processed the shooter, two additional Sabre threats, and his defenseman's positioning almost simultaneously before committing to his movement.
- Andersen led with his eyes and let his body follow, turning what could have been a desperation lunge into a deliberate, built-coverage glove save.
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