To Slide or Not to Slide with Devin Cooley

THE SEQUENCE

Cooley is facing an in-zone rush chance against the New Jersey Devils after the Flames turned the puck over inside the blue line while trying to exit their zone:

Looking at the freeze frame above, what factors have you already considered as a goalie? What, if anything, matters about the handedness of the attacking players?

What do you make of Cooley’s depth, slightly above the crease, at this point?

Can you make a case to be more aggressive? Less aggressive? Why?

What about his positioning as the puck is being passed to the player on his right?

Is there anything about that player that tells you he’s shooting or passing?

THE SAVE

The pace of the rush chances matters, so watch the sequence below in real time, as well as all the replays, keeping the same questions in mind. Make note of the things you like about how Cooley played this chance and what keys you see to his save.

Did you identify that second pass was coming based on the freeze frame? If not, when were you able to see it coming? What factors, if any, gave it away early?

Did Cooley’s initial depth and slight retreat make sense at full speed?

What did you notice about the way he moved, or how he set up on the player who received the first pass to his right, that allowed him to make this save?

THE PRO READ

Now let’s hear from Cooley on how he saw it, and why he played it this way: