Chris Driedger Pro-Reads 4
Facing a breakaway straight on with speed
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Chris Driedger is going to be a hot commodity in free agency this summer after following up last season’s late-bloomer breakthrough with another great year for the Florida Panthers.
Driedger is already a hot commodity here at Pro Reads with his great insights into both how he reads off what opponents (and his defense) are doing, as well as into his own preferences. So, ahead of finding out where he’ll play next season let’s take another look at how Driedger likes to play with his fourth installment in the Pro Reads video breakdown sessions.
THE SCENARIO
Driedger’s latest Pro Reads features what looks to be a 2-on-1 in the neutral zone against the Dallas Stars, but quickly develops into a breakaway for hard-shooting Stars forward Denis Gurianov, giving us a great chance to get some tips for when a forward is in alone.
As Gurianov hits the top of the faceoff circles (with a lot of speed as you’ll see in the save video below) with the puck on his forehand, what do you make of Driedger’s “heels-out” depth? Given the speed of the forward, would you take more ice and try to retreat faster?
By the time Gurianov hits the hash marks, Driedger is “toes-in” relative to the edge of his crease? Any thoughts on that depth change relative to the first frame? Is there anything else about how and where Gurianov is holding the puck that hints at what is coming?
THE SAVE
Let’s look at the entire sequence:
Watch Chris Driedger break down the full video for you
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- Driedger breaks down his save on a Denis Gurianov breakaway for the Dallas Stars, a play that began as a 2-on-1 in the neutral zone.
- Driedger uses a 'heels-out' stance at the top of the faceoff circles and transitions to 'toes-in' relative to his crease edge as Gurianov reaches the hash marks.
- Driedger identifies where the hash marks are as the key timing reference point for crease depth on breakaways, an approach echoed by other NHL goalies.
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