Jake Allen Pro-Read: penalty kill 2-on-1
What began as a look at a situational read leads to a discussion about how to play an increasingly common shot.
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This Pro-Read is published the day after Jake Allen took the net in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, delivering an overtime win to help his St. Louis Blues, now trailing 2 games to 1, pull closer to Vancouver in their series.
After a strong performance from Allen it seemed sitting to be releasing this Pro-Read today – the fourth installment from a nearly hour-long session conducted remotely during the NHL pause. To learn more from Allen check out his looks at Reads Through Traffic, Understanding Shooters Tendencies, and Post Integration and Patience vs. Jonathan Toews.
The Scenario
While on the penalty kill vs. Chicago, Allen sees the Hawks Drake Caggiula carry the puck in on a 2-on-1 with support from Ryan Carpenter. As he will later recount for us, Allen recognizes that defending the 2-on-1 is forward Tyler Bozak rather than a defenseman and he knows there is no guarantee things will play out as they might normally. Take a look at the situation facing Allen and consider how you would play this. Of course your primary responsibility is the shooter but would your choice of depth be affected by seeing Bozac there? Do you see anything else as Caggiula carries the puck across the blue line?
The Save
Now take a moment to watch the situation play out. See if Allen plays it as you would have from the initial image above. As he makes the save, consider how challenging the shot was and what Allen does (and doesn’t do) to make the save.
Consider watching it through a few times as his decisions may not be as obvious the first time through and this is an increasingly common shot in the game today.
As you watch the shot consider the distance Caggiula drags the puck from Allen’s right to left and how much this changes the angle, opening up net to his glove side. Did you see how he counters the drag?
Now watch as Allen walks us through exactly what he saw.
Watch Jake Allen break down the full video for you
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- Jake Allen breaks down his penalty kill save on a 2-on-1 rush where Drake Caggiula carries with support from Ryan Carpenter, with Tyler Bozak — a center, not a defenseman — defending for the Blues.
- Recognize that a forward defending a 2-on-1 changes your expectations: Allen knew normal breakdowns might not apply and prepared for a less predictable outcome.
- Track how far the shooter drags the puck laterally — Caggiula's drag from Allen's right to left significantly shifted the angle and opened glove-side net, requiring a deliberate counter-adjustment.
More Jake Allen on InGoal
Jake Allen: Post Integration and Patience vs. Jonathan Toews
Jake Allen Pro Tip
Pro Tips: Jake Allen on trust and the importance of not chasing change
InGoal Radio Episode 72: Jake Allen
InGoal Radio Feature Interview: St. Louis Blues Jake Allen
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