Linus Ullmark Pro Reads
With Linus Ullmark
Partial Breakaway, Baiting and Half-Butterfly Tips
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Linus Ullmark is having an incredible season for the Boston Bruins, A Vezina Trophy favourite with the NHL’s best save percentage (.938), goals-against average (1.86) and record (30-4-1), becoming the second fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 30 wins. And, oh yeah, on Saturday, he also became the eighth goalie ever to score by shooing a puck into the net.
So, you can imagine how excited InGoal Magazine was to sit down with Ullmark for half an hour this weekend to record Pro Reads video breakdowns. This is the first of many to come, including some exclusive insights into the changes he made leading to this award-worthy season.
THE SEQUENCE
We start with a partial breakaway against skilled Seattle Kraken forward Jordan Eberle.
As Eberle gains the blue line in this first freeze frame — or more likely long before this point as he skated through the neutral zone — what are the key details you look for as a goalie?
Is there enough information that you’re thinking shot or deke at this point?
To be honest, we wish they’d kept that camera angle throughout, even if Ullmark looks a little blurry, but look at the second freeze frame below and ask yourself the same questions:
As the camera switches to a wide overhead angle a few strides later, does your opinion change about shot or deke? Why? What do you make of Ullmark’s positioning at this point?
THE SAVE
Speed is a key factor in rush chances, so watch the entire sequence and ask the same questions:
Was there a specific point in that short clip where you became confident it was going to be a shot? Why? And what do you make of Ullmark’s half butterfly save selection?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear how Ullmark read that rush and what went into his save selection:
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- Ullmark breaks down his save on a partial breakaway against Jordan Eberle, walking through how he processed the rush in real time.
- Ullmark begins his read well before the play hits the blue line, identifying the forward by name, stick position, handedness, and skating speed as primary cues.
- Ullmark explains the specific factors — shooter identity, stick position, and entry speed — that led him to commit to a half butterfly rather than a full butterfly save.
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