Odd-Man Rush Chances and Stacked Pads with Craig Anderson
With Craig Anderson
He may have the best reads in the game but when things don't go as expected it's good to be able to stack em as well.
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For the third time in four Pro Reads appearances so far, Craig Anderson is breaking down a rush chance. Maybe that’s just a function of playing behind the struggling Ottawa Senators, or maybe it’s a coincidence in terms of the video footage we found for him to break down in person earlier this season. Whatever the reason, it’s always worth listening to a goalie whose former teammate Chris Driedger says has “the best reads in the NHL.”
The Scenario
Anderson is looking at a 3-on2 as left-shot Montreal Canadiens forward Max Domi crosses the blue line into the Ottawa zone with the puck on his forehand but stays on the outside, closer to the boards. As we look at a snap shot of the attack with Domi near the top of the face-off circle, what do you notice about his passing options? What do you think of Anderson’s depth and positioning relative to Domi? Would you be focused on the shooter, or thinking pass?
The Save
Let’s take a look at the complete play and Anderson’s old-school save execution:
Anderson ends up in a bit of desperation mode and throws out a two-pad stack at the end, perhaps catching a bit of a break as pinching defenseman Jeff Petry hits the post on the backdoor. So, was this a miss-read by Anderson to end up sprawled out like that? Did you see any elements of how the forwards went to the net that put Anderson in that position?
The Pro-Read
Let’s listen to Anderson break it down himself to find out what he saw, and how it happened:
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- Anderson breaks down his two-pad stack save on a 3-on-2 rush with Max Domi and the Montreal Canadiens.
- Anderson deliberately challenged Domi as he entered the zone to dictate the play and force the pass he wanted, rather than waiting reactively in his crease.
- His aggressive challenge created a scramble situation that ended in a two-pad stack, a tradeoff Anderson honestly assessed in his own breakdown.
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