Spencer Martin is coming off a breakout season with the Vancouver Canucks, going from fifth on the depth chart and in the American Hockey League to start the season, to earning a one-way contract as the presumptive backup to Thatcher Demko for next season.

Martin came in having not played in the NHL in five seasons but finished his first season with the Canucks with a .950 save percentage in six starts with the big club as well as a 2.43 GAA and .914 save percentage in the AHL. He credited a lot of that success to a commitment to staying ahead of the play and finding new ways to improve the efficiency required to do so.

“No lag or things that slow me down, so when the play is developing, I’m being efficient and when the sixth pass or a deflection happens, I’m already with the play or ahead of it, versus slowly falling behind as the play develops,” Martin said. “It’s just awareness of where you can make up time. In the past I’ve been looking off the puck as I’m moving to my post when the puck goes to the corner, where they had me try get to the post fast as you can and then look off the puck, and then assess. So, you’re already locked in, there’s no slow to the post.”

That’s part of the focus of this drill, which Canucks goaltending development and AHL goalie coach Curtis Sanford called “Organizing Reps” because it’s all about repeatedly getting organized on his post in the same fashion, with the same priorities every time.

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