Filip Gustavsson ProRead 1
With Filip Gustavsson
Keys to Managing Back and Forth Plays from Behind the Net
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Filip Gustavsson has been one of the NHL’s best goalies since being acquired by the Minnesota Wild in 2022, and it was easy to understand why when InGoal got a chance to sit down with the 27-year-old Swede to review video.
In addition to a technical acumen that recently retired star Marc-Andre Fleury lauded and tried to learn from, especially when it came to post play, Gustavsson clearly thinks the game at a high level. Those things came together in this first Pro Reads session earlier this week in the Wild locker room while visiting Vancouver.
THE SEQUENCE
Gustavsson is facing a play from behind the net against the Calgary Flames:
Looking at the freeze frame above with Flames forward Conor Zary carrying the puck behind the net and moving to Gustavsson’s left, who stands out as the most dangerous passing options? Perhaps more important, what do you notice about the way Gustavsson is handling this play in terms of his post and head position?
Watch the save and replay below keeping those same two questions in mind:
THE SAVE
Watch the save below keeping those same three questions in mind:
What stood out about the way Gustavsson handled Zary carrying the puck behind the net? Watch the replay from behind the net again and pause it to see if you can identify the sequencing in terms of when he moves his head versus his body.
What about how he moves — or doesn’t — once the puck is passed out front?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear from Gustavsson on how he saw and managed the play behind the net and the eventual pass out to the front of the net:
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- Gustavsson breaks down his save on a behind-the-net play against Calgary's Conor Zary, staying connected to the post while tracking the puck carrier moving to his left.
- Gustavsson prioritizes moving his head and eyes before his body when reading a puck carrier behind the net — keeping his body anchored to the post longer while his head leads the tracking.
- Marc-André Fleury praised Gustavsson's post play technique and sought to learn from it, highlighting the real-world value of Gustavsson's approach to post reads and body positioning.
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