Mike Condon Pro-Read: Powerplay Responsibilities vs. Columbus
With Mike Condon
Former Ottawa goaltender's decision about how to handle a play influenced by penalty kill assignments
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Yes, we realize Mike Condon didn’t play an NHL game this season as he continued battle back from the injuries and rehabilitation process documented during a fascinating InGoal Radio Podcast interview last summer. But his insights have been among the best we’ve received in Pro Reads to date, starting with his break down of a Winter Classic save in front of friends and family as part of the storied rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.
So, we’re going back to Condon for another breakdown, his fourth overall. Condon’s body may have let him down the past two seasons, something he discussed at length during the above-mentioned podcast interview, but as we’ve already seen, there’s little doubt about his ability to process the game and the role it played in a pro career few expected to materialize.
The Sequence
In this sequence against the Columbus Blue Jackets power play, Condon not only talks about how he plays a pass down to the side of the net, including potential criticism for that decision, but addresses how it fit Ottawa Senators penalty killing system, what the pre-scout showed about the Columbus power play, and knowing what his responsibilities were for each scenario, and how it needed to match what he expected from his defensemen.
The Save
As we look at the freeze frame above, you’ll notice Condon uses and overlap as he slides down to his right post as the pass arrives at the side of the net from the half wall. Given how this play evolves in the video below, do you think that was the correct post integration?
Watching it at full speed, does anything change about your initial read? Does Konecny seem more like a threat on that short side that needs to be honored as he skates downhill into a good position, especially compared to the freeze frame image where you could already maybe see his stick blade turned over for the pass rather than in a shooting position? Keep in mind Konecny has quietly scored 83 goals in just 299 career NHL games already.
The Pro-Read
Now that you’ve seen how the pass goes back into the middle, what do you think of Condon’s use of overlap there? Would it have been easier to push out if his skate was on the post?
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- Condon breaks down his save against the Columbus Blue Jackets power play, specifically how he defended a pass from the half wall to the side of the net.
- Condon used an overlap technique while sliding to his right post, a decision he defends within the context of Ottawa's penalty kill system and pre-scouted Columbus tendencies.
- Reading the passer's stick blade position — turned over for a pass rather than set to shoot — was a key factor in Condon's decision-making on the play.
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