Devon Levi ProRead 7
Managing Screens When Short-Side Rule Doesn’t Work
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A few eyebrows may have been raised when we published our annual overview of the Vezina Trophy voting last week and one of the season-ending metrics from Clear Sight Analytics showed that Buffalo Sabres rookie Devon Levi finished top-20 in adjusted save percentage at +0.9%, just ahead of names like Jeremy Swayman, Sergei Bobrovksy and Stuart Skinner.
It was a good reminder that raw statistics, even save percentage, doesn’t account for the difference in defensive environments and the variation in shot quality goalies face, not only from team to team but often even within their own team. InGoal didn’t need any reminders Levi is legit, or excuses to get him back into the Pro Reads rotation, but we’ll use this opportunity anyways.
Levi, who currently has a .938 save percentage four games into his AHL playoffs debut with the Rochester Americans, has quickly become a favourite here at Pro Reads.
THE SEQUENCE
In this breakdown Levi is facing a moving screen against the Carolina Hurricanes:
Looking at the freeze frame above, what stands out in terms of the shooter, the forward providing the screen, and Levi’s positioning relative to both?
Would you normally expect the Sabres goalie to be looking for a short-side sight line?
THE SAVE
Of course, we already teased you in the headline and told you it’s a moving, or flash, screen (at least at this point of the sequence), so the freeze frame doesn’t do justice to the read required.
Watch the entire sequence and ask the same questions.
Also, see if you can identify when you know which side the shooter is targeting? Why?
What did you make of Levi’s depth and decisions behind the screen, even as it settles on the short side? At what point did you know which side the shooter was targeting? Again, why?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Levi on how he saw on this screen sequence:
Watch Devon Levi break down the full video for you
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- Devon Levi breaks down his save on a moving (flash) screen against the Carolina Hurricanes, walking through his real-time read of the shooter and the screening forward.
- Levi's first step before processing the screen was ruling out backdoor threats — he scanned all other options on the ice before committing to the screen situation.
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