Thatcher Demko walked us through some of his keys to properly using the Reverse, or Reverse-VH, in our last Pro Reads with the Vancouver Canucks No. 1, and those lessons continue with this latest entry, which looks at a play that starts higher in the offensive zone.

THE SEQUENCE

Whereas the last sequence comes right off a cycle below the goal line against the New York Rangers, Demko and the Canucks are shorthanded in Part 2, and the puck has been moved around the back of the net to Artemi Panarin on the half wall between the hash marks:

What factors do you think might contribute to that choice?

Does your answer change when you see the next freeze frame below?

How much are you focused on Mika Zibanejad poised for his deadly one-timer atop the left face-off circle? Are you confident you could get across to him from the Reverse?

THE SAVE

Now watch the entire sequence in real time and ask yourself the same questions:

Of course, his size and ability to move out of it matters, and not every goalie will play it the same way based on those attributes, but can you see reasons why it’s right for him here?

THE PRO READ

Now let’s hear how Demko read this threat and his keys to choosing to stay in Reverse:

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