Devon Levi ProRead 3
Breakaway Breakdown: When to Prioritize Short Side Coverage
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As Devon Levi continues to work back from an early season injury with the Buffalo Sabres, it’s long past time to go back to the impressive rookie for another Pro Reads from his lengthy video session following back-to-back ice times with his long-time personal coach Marco Raimondo in Montreal. Levi has been a revelation with his first two Pro Reads insights and breakdowns.
THE SEQUENCE
For the second straight Pro Reads, Levi is facing a breakaway against the Florida Panthers, which was a fitting place to start given he was perfect on 10 one-on-one chances in the NHL last season. There are, however, some differences between this breakaway against Anthony Duclair and the last breakdown against Matthew Tkachuck, so before we analyze this one, it’s a good idea to look back on his last entry, where he explains his somewhat unique philosophy:
Now, let’s take a look at what Levi was facing against Duclair:
What’s the first thing that stands out for you compared to the Tkachuk breakaway?
What do you make of Levi’s positioning in comparison on this breakaway?
As the speedy Duclair gets closer in the second freeze frame above, what are you looking for in terms of his hands, stick blade and body? Are you thinking cross-ice deke at this point?
Any thoughts on Levi’s positioning relevant to that possibility?
THE SAVE
Speed is always a major factor in how a goalie plays a breakaway, so let’s go to the video:
We already touched on Levi’s aggressive depth on breakaways in his last Pro Reads, but was there anything you noticed about his positioning in terms of angle in this replay?
Anything you noticed about how timed his retreat? His path back? Any other keys?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Levi on what he saw on this breakaway and how he managed it:
Still ahead in this article:
Levi's own words on the breakaway are just below — and the detail he focused on internally isn't his depth, it's something closer to where his D-men are standing when he makes his read.
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