Linus Ullmark Pro Reads
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Backwards flow on static shot? Recover Up or Down?
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Linus Ullmark has been the best goalie in the NHL this season and part of that rise has been his belated embrace of “recoil,” a philosophy of purposefully retreating, even on in-zone play, that he and Boston Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa recently explained to InGoal Magazine.
You can read more on “recoil” from Ullmark, Essensa and Jeremy Swayman here:
Given that article, it only seemed fitting that this week’s Pro Reads featured Ullmark and at least one example of how he uses that little bit of backwards flow in a game situation.
THE SEQUENCE
After walking us through breakaway chances in his first two Pro Reads, this time Ullmark is facing what starts as a rush chance against the New York Islanders but becomes more of a settled in-zone play when the puck is moved back up to a shooter atop the faceoff circle:
Looking at that photo, who are you treating as the primary threat at this point?
What do you make of Ullmark’s positioning with heels atop the crease?
THE SAVE
Because this starts as a rush chance, let’s go right to the video to get a feel for flow and speed:
There are several parts to this breakdown, including how Ullmark reads the initial rush, his depth and flow decisions on the shooter in the moment pictured above, and of course the recovery to his feet on the second chance opportunity that results on the other side?
Of course, we’ve already set this up as being about that little bit of backwards flow Ullmark generates on the initial shooter as he loads up, so what did you think of it?
THE PRO READ
In fairness, it may not be the perfect example because of the rush nature of this chance initially, but let’s hear how Ullmark approached it in terms of that “recoil” and the rest of his decision-making process, which certainly shouldn’t get lost in our focus on the flow part of this.
Watch Linus Ullmark break down the full video for you
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- Ullmark breaks down his save on a rush chance against the New York Islanders that transitions into a settled in-zone play with the puck atop the faceoff circle.
- Ullmark deliberately generates a small amount of backwards flow — 'recoil' — as the shooter loads up, a technique he developed with Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa during his breakout season.
- Ullmark explains his depth and positioning decisions with heels atop the crease on the in-zone shooter, separate from the recoil concept itself.
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