Thatcher Demko ProRead 9
With Thatcher Demko
Managing Moving Screens Against Evolving Power Plays
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Thatcher Demko has been exceptional his first eight Pro Reads, explaining how he sees the game and chooses depth, save selections and post integrations based on a variety of factors, including a couple of great sequences involving Reverse in his last two breakdowns.
His Pro Reads series this week continues with a tough screen situation.
THE SEQUENCE
Demko is dealing with a net-front screen while killing a penalty against the Minnesota Wild, with Mats Zuccarello skating downhill with his head up atop the left faceoff circle.
As we see in the freeze frame above, Demko has established a short-side sight line on the puck carrier, a common tactic we’ve seen in Pro Reads, and one that Matt Murray of the Toronto Maple Leafs did an exceptional job explaining in great detail in his Pro Reads debut.
What you can’t see in that photo above is the screen is moving to Demko’s right. By the time Zuccarello gets to the top of the face-off circle one second later, this is what Demko sees:
At what point are you thinking about switching sides as this screen moves in front?
THE SAVE
To get a better feel for how he manages this moving screen, watch the entire sequence:
What did you think of that side-to-side sightline transfer?
Does anything else stand out about the way he handled this?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear how Demko read this screen and his keys to finding a sightline:
Watch Thatcher Demko break down the full video for you
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- Demko breaks down his save on a moving net-front screen during a penalty kill against Mats Zuccarello and the Minnesota Wild.
- Demko establishes a short-side sightline on the puck carrier but must transfer that sightline in real time as the screen moves across his crease — a switch he describes as 'tough.'
- Modern power plays deliberately attack goalie sightline preferences by flexing a player into the far-side lane, making goalie-to-penalty-killer communication critical for protecting the short side.
More Thatcher Demko on InGoal
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Pro Drills with Canucks Demko, Martin and Silovs
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InGoal Radio Episode 136 with Thatcher Demko
ProTips: Thatcher Demko and the Vancouver Canucks Warm-Up Routine
Demko predicted his pro path at age 13
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