Dustin Wolf ProRead 8
Post-Save Recovery Decisions: ‘It’s Automatic’
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Dustin Wolf is coming off an impressive first full season in the NHL, earning a finalist nod for Rookie of the Year, and keeping a Calgary Flames team that was supposed to be rebuilding in the playoff race until the final days of the regular season.
Wolf was kind enough to sit down with InGoal Magazine again as he prepares for his second full NHL season, spending close to an hour breaking down film for his second Pro Reads session. This is the third installment from that extended video review.
THE SEQUENCE
This sequence against the Chicago Blackhawks starts with a pass out of the corner and continues with a breakdown of both his movement patterns and rebound recovery decisions. We’ll start with that play out of the corner:
Wolf was down in Reverse just prior to this, but looking at the freeze frame above can you see why he makes the decision to regain his edges and get back up?
Keeping in mind this is 5-on-5, what are the primary threats? What are your priorities in assessing them and how would they affect movement.
Without intending to give too many of the above answers away, look at this second freeze frame, which comes just after the shot, with a rebound in the middle:
While they appear to be colliding, those attacking players get into a shooting position by the time the rebound arrives. With than in mind, are you sliding here, or recovering to your feet? Explain why you might make either choice.
THE SAVE
Watch the save and replays below now and ask yourself all the same questions.
Okay, we may have been a little tricky with our first freeze frame given the actual threat was out of the freeze frame still, but the key was 5-on-5, meaning there was still a playoff unaccounted for, which Wolf was fully aware of.
As for the movement to that initial shot, what did you like? Was there anything you didn’t like? Remember, Wolf will be the first to point out his own mistakes.
Lastly, what do you think of the decision to get back to his feet on the rebound?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Wolf’s thoughts on why he played it this way:
Watch Dustin Wolf break down the full video for you
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- Dustin Wolf breaks down his save on a corner pass sequence against Chicago, where he transitions out of the Reverse VH and recovers to his feet on the rebound at 5-on-5.
- At 5-on-5, Wolf identifies the unaccounted-for player as the primary reason to regain his edges before the initial shot rather than staying in the Reverse position.
- Wolf explains his decision to recover to his feet on the rebound rather than slide, given that two attacking players reached a shooting position as the puck arrived in the middle.
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