Jaroslav Halak Pro Reads
With Jaroslav Halak
When Paddle Down Also = Better Coverage Up
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Jaroslav Halak is on a roll for the New York Rangers, with seven straight wins to close within seven wins of 300 in his NHL career, an impressive milestone that listeners of the InGoal Radio Podcast will know means a lot to the 5-foot-11 goalie from Slovakia.
With a couple of days in Vancouver between games this week, Halak was kind enough to sit down for an extended video session, and it was no surprise that a goalie who prides himself on making good reads had a lot of great insights to offer in the Pro Reads format.
THE SEQUENCE
We start with a shorthanded rush chance against the Florida Panthers from earlier this season that is bordering between a 3-on-3 and a 3-on-2 as it comes through the neutral zone:
What are the key factors you are trying to sort out as a goalie at this point?
Does it matter than the Rangers are on a power play? Why?
“Everything starts in the neutral zone,” Halak explains in the Pro Reads video below. “I am trying to read how many guys are coming and who do I have defending.”
Things have changed dramatically in this second freeze frame just a few seconds later. With that pass coming into the middle left to right, what are the most important factors when assessing the most dangerous threat? What do you make of Halak’s positioning here?
And again, is there anything about his Rangers teammate that plays a role?
THE SAVE
Now watch the entire sequence to get a better feel for the pace of the attack:
Beyond the reads and what factors allowed Halak to anticipate that last pass to his left, was there anything that stood out about his save selection?
THE PRO READ
Let’s hear how Halak read the threats and some unique insights into his save selection:
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- Halak breaks down his save on a shorthanded rush against the Florida Panthers, a sequence that borders between a 3-on-3 and a 3-on-2 through the neutral zone.
- Halak identifies the number of attackers and available defenders starting in the neutral zone, using that information to anticipate the final pass and set his positioning.
- Recognizing that the Rangers were on the power play — meaning forwards were back playing defense — was a key factor in how Halak assessed the most dangerous threat as the rush developed.
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