Alex Nedeljkovic ProRead 6
With Alex Nedeljkovic
Nedeljkovic: Early Reads Key Success Against Rush
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After getting to watch Alex Nedeljkovic pitch a 43-save shutout in person against the Vancouver Canucks last week and talk briefly with the Detroit Red Wings’ new No. 1 after the game, the timing felt right to go back to him for another edition of Pro Reads.
As much as we want to grab some fresh footage in a Red Wings uniform, we still have clips from the hour-long video review we did with him before being traded by the Carolina Hurricanes last summer and given how good he was in that film session, we don’t want to waste any.
THE SCENARIO
Nedeljkovic is facing a shorthanded rush chance against the Florida Panthers in this clip, which includes a great aerial replay:
What are some of the keys you would be looking for on this type of attack, with numbers back for Carolina but perhaps not in the best position after a giveaway at the other end?
Nedeljkovic hasn’t appeared yet in this photo, but where would you be positioned at this point?
Of course, speed is a factor off the rush, so let’s check in on things a second or two later:
By now we’ve already given away what happens on this play because the pass is already halfway across the ice, but what do you make of Nedeljkovic’s positioning? How would you expect him to come across on this pass? What factors would determine that?
THE SAVE
Now watch the entire sequence to better gauge the speed and see how he handed it.
Seeing it play out in real time, do any of your answers change from above? What factors do you think Nedeljkovic weighed when choosing to come across the ice the way he did? Was there anything about the way his team defended this that would have contributed to his read?
THE PRO READ
It’s time for Nedeljkovic to share those answers himself, and see if they match yours:
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- Nedeljkovic breaks down his save on a shorthanded rush against the Florida Panthers, where Carolina had numbers back but not in ideal position after a giveaway.
- Reading the situation early — before the pass is made — is the central technique Nedeljkovic emphasizes when facing rush chances with defenders out of position.
- How a team defends the rush directly shapes the goalie's read; Nedeljkovic explains how his teammates' positioning influenced his decision to cross the ice the way he did.
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