Brandon Bussi Pro Reads 3
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Brandon Bussi is a Stanley Cup Champion, so what better time to go back to him for another Pro Reads video breakdown.
Bussi took over the Carolina crease for Frederik Andersen in Game 3 of the Cup Final because of a knee injury, then won his first three playoff starts to hoist the Stanley Cup on Sunday night. Of course, the 27-year-old Bussi was already one of the NHL’s best stories this season, going from the Florida Panthers to the Hurricanes as a pre-season waiver claim, then setting multiple NHL records before signing a three-year contract extension. He is an even better person, a passionate student of the game and the perfect Pro Reads guest, so InGoal Magazine was thrilled to sit down with him during this season for this video breakdown session.
THE SEQUENCE
Much like his second Pro Reads entry against the Dallas Stars, Bussi is again facing a down low attack from below the goal line, but this time against the St. Louis Blues:
Looking at the freeze frame above, the puck is behind the net and headed towards Brayden Schenn (No. 10), but what do you notice about Bussi at this point?
Who is the most dangerous person on the ice at this point?
Less than a second later, Schenn has the puck in our second freeze frame and Bussi is dropping into a Reverse with an active stick. Who is the most dangerous player at this point? What factors should Bussi already have in mind from his scan in the first image?
If you are Bussi and this puck does get passed you into the slot, are you pushing out or prioritizing angle with a shift into the middle like he did against Dallas? What factors on this play would go into making that angle-versus-depth decision off the post?
THE SAVE
Now watch the save (and replays) and keep those same questions in mind:
Seeing how it all played out, is there anything you might have done differently?
What did you make of the active stick? Was it still a good idea? We’ve heard Bussi talk before about the amount of chances he takes away by preventing passes.
What about his push after the pass goes past his stick? Would you be pushing out to the shot threat like he did, or staying flat like he did against Dallas with that push?
More importantly, why did you answer that way (either way)?
THE PRO READ
Now let’s hear how Bussi saw and managed this pop pass into the slot, and the differences between it and the Dallas sharp angle chances in his last video.
Still ahead in this article:
Bussi's specific count of shoulder checks before Schenn touched the puck — and the exact words he used to describe what he was thinking during each one — is in his breakdown below.
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