Condon Pro Read 6: Why Hand Position and Who is on the Ice is so Important
With Mike Condon
Good reads and holding edges helps Condon stop in tight 2 on 0
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Mike Condon returns for his sixth Pro Reads segment from his time with the Ottawa Senators, breaking down another rush chance that turned into pretty much a 2-on-0 in tight and resulted in a couple of tough point-blank saves against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Sequence
What starts as a 2-on-2 at the blue line (with a third Senators defender looking to be in good position at that point), deteriorates quickly into a partial breakaway down the right side for with another Lightning forward getting behind the Ottawa defense on the back side.
By the time the puck is at the face-off circle, Condon is staring down this:
What do you make of Condon’s positioning and depth on this play? If it was you, are you past the blue ice or playing a little deeper given the backside net drive?
Or are there elements you see from the puck holder that have you thinking shot?
If figuring out how to play what was pretty much a 2-on-0 at that point wasn’t hard enough, take a look at what Condon was looking at after making the first (two) save(s):
Looking at that play, what has changed about Weal’s position and passing options? How would this affect how you would play this? What do you think of Anderson’s decision?
We won’t even ask you how to play that mess, but let’s see how Condon handled it.
The Save
Now that you’ve seen it at full speed, any other factors that might have led you to play it any differently than Condon did? Is there anything about the players on the ice that might lead you to play it differently than if it was the top line with Steven Stamkos or Nikita Kucherov?
The Pro-Read
Condon is so good at explaining all the details he is considering in real time, so while it’s always worthwhile to track and compare your read to the Pro Read, that goes double here. And in case you are wondering if we were trying to lead you with that last question about the Lightning personnel, we were. Would you believe the fact it was the fourth line factored in?
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- Condon breaks down his point-blank saves on a 2-on-0 rush chance for the Tampa Bay Lightning, a sequence that began as a 2-on-2 before Ottawa's defense broke down.
- Knowing the opponent's fourth line was on the ice — not a top unit with Stamkos or Kucherov — directly influenced how Condon played his positioning and depth on the rush.
- Hand position is a key factor Condon identifies when tracking the puck carrier and reading whether a shot or pass is coming in a multi-threat situation.
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