Devon Levi ProRead 9
Rush Reads and Building ‘Presence’ in Tight
The #1 goalie vision & cognitive training tool trusted by over 50 NHL & AHL goalies.
“Vizual Edge has added a quality element to my preparation as a goaltender. I use the game day drills every game before heading to the rink. It’s a combination of recognition, reaction and focus that activates my brain and eyes to feel ready for what’s to come.” — Jordan Binnington
As an InGoal Member you can save 20% off monthly and annual plans! Just click here and use the code IGMEMBER to save!
Spending time with Devon Levi in Kelowna, B.C. this summer allowed InGoal us to catch up with the Buffalo Sabres goalie and grab fresh content on and off the ice. It also reminded us how great his insights are, and that they should not be wasted, so we’re going back into our Pro Reads video session together late last summer for more great breakdowns.
THE SEQUENCE
In this video review, Levi is facing a rush chance against the New York Rangers:
At this point in the sequence, can you identify the primary threat? Why? Is the puck carrier a threat? What factors matter the most when assessing this? Does the fact that is noted one-time sniper Mika Zibanejad in the high slot play a role in your read?
THE SAVE
Like all rush chances, speed matters, both in terms of the attack and potential backwards flow for the goaltender. In this case, there’s an added twist we weren’t able to show you in a screencap (but the above questions still matter and are addressed by Levi below).
So. watch it the save video and ask yourself the same questions we posed above. As it unfolds, ask yourself what stands out about the way Levi managed this?
It was hard to see that trailer (defenseman Ryan Lindgren) in the screencap, but even if we could show you a freeze frame of him coming in, this would have been a difficult play to read. Can you think of why? What do you make of how Levi closed on Lindgren?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Levi on how he saw on this sequence unfold and how he managed it:
It was interesting to hear Levi talk about the situation – a tie game late in the third period – and how it might have affected how he played it, perhaps being a little too amped up. Of course, as we heard, that also played a role in his read that Lindgren was shooting.
As for breaking down the rush itself, he had a lot of good points about the freeze frame.
“Scanning for threats,” Levi said. “There is a guy driving … this guy pulling up is for sure a passer because he’s not shooting from there, so three’s two guys in the frame that I can see are threats right now, and one of them is in the middle of four guys, so that guy is probably not getting the puck … right now Zibanejad is the threat.”
What makes the play tough is the fact you can draw a straight line from the passer to Zibanejad and up through to Lindgren joining the rush.
“This is actually a pretty tough play because it’s a perfect line,” Levi said. “Zibanejad has access, it looks like ii is going right to him and I play it as if he was one timing this. I have to respect he could shoot this. Then he backhand tips it to [Lindgren] walking in down the lane so right now I make that read and by the time I see him and get to him, the puck is on his stick, he’s coming in ready to shoot so for me right now this guy is 100-million percent shooting, especially this time of the game. … You can see he’s not in a place to hold it because my guy is coming at him and forcing him to shoot. … He’s in a Grade a and I’m just trying to get presence in my net, just get a piece of it because he’s coming in so fast and so close … I got eyes on it and I’m just trying to get something on it.”
What does Levi mean by “presence?”
“I want to be square, in the middle of my net and I want to get my shoulders down on it,” he explained. “I want to take away angle and I want to have access to a low shot and cut angle on a high shot … In an ideal world I am stopped here but the play was so well executed with the middle guy who passed it to Lindgren that I still have some movement but I still feel relatively set even though I am moving … my feet are set, my head is quiet, my hands are quiet … It’s not a perfectly executed save but it stayed out of the net. … That was a save I remembered after the game. It could have been a turning point.”
We’ve got lots more coming from our time in Montreal and Kelowna with Levi, including drills with his offseason goalie coach, Marco Raimondo, off-ice work with Adam Francilia, more Pro Reads and more tips from the locker room of a CCM shoot earlier in the week like the one we shared a couple weeks ago on how he tapes his XF Pro stick:
Look for more from Levi in the coming weeks but also be sure to check out his first eight Pro Reads in the links below as well as several Pro Drills published over the past year:
Looking for a goalie coach?
Browse coaches in our directory — powerful search tools, contact coaches directly.
- Devon Levi breaks down his save on a Rangers rush chance, managing both a high-slot threat in Mika Zibanejad and a late-arriving trailer in defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
- Levi explains that a puck carrier pulling up is a clear passing cue — 'this guy pulling up is for sure a passer' — making the trailer the primary threat to track.
- Levi reflects that being too emotionally amped in a late tie game influenced how he read Lindgren's intentions, highlighting the role game situation plays in goaltender decision-making.
Comments
Let's talk goaltending!
We welcome your contribution to the comments on this and all articles at InGoal. We ask that you keep it positive and appropriate for all — this is a community of goaltenders and we're here for each other! See our comment policy for more information.
You must be logged in to view and post comments.