Jonathan Bernier Pro Read 2: Net drive with pass options
With Jonathan Bernier
Bernier shares his thought process on the use of a reverse-VH in this situation, and how the evolution away from the VH, or one-pad down, allows him to stay in top of the puck better as the play moves in tight.
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This is the second of several Pro Reads featuring Jonathan Bernier as the Detroit Red Wings goalie walks us through a net drive out of the corner with a couple of pass options.
In this exclusive video review session with InGoal Magazine, Bernier shares his thought process on the use of a reverse-VH in this situation, and how the evolution away from the VH, or one-pad down, allows him to stay on top of the puck better as the play moves in tight.
The Situation
The play starts with Canadiens forward Max Domi getting the puck in the corner to Bernier’s left, with Nick Suzuki in the slot and Ilya Kovalchuk just starting to drive hard to the net from the top of the face-off circle on the same side as Domi. As Domi begins to bring the puck to the net himself, Bernier has to decide which option is the most dangerous in this sequence:
With the benefit of a frozen look from a bird’s eye view and time to really think it through, which player did you identify as the most dangerous? How would you play it? What elements determine when and if you use a specific type of post integration, and which one?
The Save
Now let’s see how Bernier handled Domi’s net drive:
Any thoughts? What did you notice about the way Bernier’s defense was positioned, and how they handled the play? Does it change how you would have played the situation, or what player you considered the most dangerous as Domi came off the boards unchallenged? Does it change as Domi brings the puck from his forehand to backhand and below the goal line?
Now let’s get Bernier’s breakdown on the sequence – and the save.
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- Bernier breaks down his save on a Domi net drive out of the corner, with Nick Suzuki in the slot and Ilya Kovalchuk crashing hard from the top of the face-off circle as simultaneous pass threats.
- Bernier identifies Domi holding the puck rather than releasing it quickly as the decisive factor that triggered his choice to use the reverse-VH instead of the traditional VH (one-pad down).
- The reverse-VH allows the goalie to stay on top of the puck better than the VH as the play tightens below the goal line — a key reason the technique has evolved as the preferred post integration in these situations.
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