Pro-Reads: James Reimer 2-on-1 from the neutral zone
With James Reimer
This play ends in a save selection you might not have anticipated from the beginning of the play nad Reimer himself tells us was "not the prettiest, but …”
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This is our third Pro Read that features current Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer breaking down a play while he was still stopping pucks for the Florida Panthers.
That’s because InGoal was on the ice and in the locker room with Reimer during the offseason, before he’d played a game for the Hurricanes, and while there are plans to review some updated footage with him soon, we don’t want to waste any of his insights. This time Reimer reviews an early developing 2-on-1 against the Ottawa Senators, sharing with us the details that help him choose his depth, read pass or shot, and why he chose paddle down at the end.
The Sequence
This is a 2-on-1 from the neutral zone, with a skilled player in since-traded Senators forward Matt Duchene carrying the puck over the blue line and a pretty good option in Ryan Dzingel with him on the rush. As you watch the play develop in the video below, are there cues you can pick up from Duchene as he gains the zone that tell you whether this is going to be a pass or a shot? What do you notice about Dzingel as his passing option? Anything that might cause you to change your depth compared to how Reimer played it? What about sliding across? And the save selection? Agree or disagree with how Reimer handles it based on what you see?
The Pro-Read
Now that we’ve seen the save, let’s listen in to Reimer’s read, how early he identifies this as a play Duchene is going to pass out of, and his reasons for a paddle-down save selection.
Did you see the things Reimer did in terms of whether Duchene would pass or shoot? What about once Dzingel catches the puck — and more importantly where it is when he does?
Watch James Reimer break down the full video for you
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- Reimer breaks down his save on a 2-on-1 rush with Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, explaining how he read the play from the neutral zone.
- Reimer identifies early cues from Duchene's body and puck positioning that signal a pass, allowing him to adjust his depth before the puck moves.
- Paddle down was the correct save selection because Dzingel caught the puck behind him, blew snow slowing his cut, and drove tight through the crease — a low, lateral play paddle down is built to cover.
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