James Reimer on Being prepared as Panthers Make Something Out of Nothing
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Low-danger 3 on 3 quickly turns into much more vs. Panthers high-skill forwards
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James Reimer is back for another Pro Reads wearing Carolina Hurricanes colors, this time breaking down video of a rush chance against his former team, the Florida Panthers.
THE SEQUENCE
This starts as an even-man rush at the blue line, though with Florida forward Aleksander Barkov carrying the puck, nothing can be taken for granted. In that regard, it’s a lot like Reimer’s first Pro Reads with Carolina a backhand chance for Brayden Point that came down to knowing who is on the ice at all times whenever you are playing the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“They can make something out of nothing,” Reimer says below of this video breakdown.
With that in mind, take a look at this freeze frame below as Barkov crosses the blue line with two teammates and four defenders? Does anything about the defenders jump out to you?
Now look again as Barkov gets close to the top of the circle. If you identified the defender was changing above, you won’t be surprised it’s now a 3-on-3, with some dangerous spacing.
Can you identify the primary threat below: Is it Barkov himself? Is it Carter Verhaeghe driving the middle lane? Or is it Jonathan Huberdeau across the ice?
THE SAVE
Now let’s see how the threat evolves and how Reimer ultimately manages it:
We’re guessing not many of you would have anticipated this rush ending like this:
Watch James Reimer break down the full video for you
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- Reimer breaks down his save on a Panthers rush featuring Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, and Jonathan Huberdeau, which evolved from an even-man situation into a dangerous 3-on-3 due to a defensive change at the blue line.
- Reimer identifies the fine line between anticipation and reacting too early: reading cues is essential, but committing to an expected outcome before the play develops can leave a goalie vulnerable against elite playmakers.
- Prior knowledge of Barkov and Huberdeau from three seasons as a teammate in Florida gave Reimer a mental edge — knowing their creativity helped him stay patient and react to what actually happened rather than what he predicted.
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