Pro Tips with Alex Nedeljkovic
- Keep the inside edge anchored AND above the goal line in the RVH — both conditions are required for an effective short-side seal and clean post-to-post movement.
- Check your skate marks inside the net during warm-up post work: any ice marking inside the net means your inside leg is drifting out of position.
- A disengaged back leg stretched flat on the ice kills leverage, forcing inconsistent pushes off the post instead of driving directly to the far post.
- Nedeljkovic was once guilty of the same inside-edge mistake, proving this is a correctable habit rather than an innate skill.
- Ian Clark of the Vancouver Canucks adds specific inside-edge angles relative to the goal line as another layer of RVH precision worth studying.
Alex Nedeljkovic has talked about the importance of the inside-leg anchor for proper execution in the Reverse (or Reverse-VH or RVH if you prefer) a couple of times doing Pro Reads video breakdowns of saves, including his most recent entry earlier this week.
For Nedeljkovic, having his inside edge anchored, engaged and above the goal line is important not just for driving that short-side seal, but also facilitates better movement to the other post.
“It’s the key to everything,” Nedeljkovic said. “Keeping it 1. Anchored and 2. Above the goal line.”
It’s a thought echoed by top goalies and goaltending coaches right up the NHL. Some take it a step further, with specific angles for that inside edge relative to the goal line, and we’ve got some great videos coming with Ian Clark of the Vancouver Canucks explaining why.
Yet right up to the NHL you will still see goalies leave that inside edge disengaged, their back leg sitting on the ice below the goal line on sharp angle plays and pucks behind the net.
Nedeljkovic used to be one of those goalies.
So how can we get rid of that habit?
Nedeljkovic came up with a great, simple check point while doing crease-movement patterns as part of his regular warm-ups to make sure he was using that inside leg properly:
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