‘Staying in Your Lines’ Key for Flames Goalies with Devin Cooley

THE SEQUENCE

Cooley is facing the Anaheim Ducks power play and the puck has just been passed up to Jackson LaCombe in the middle, with a teammate skating downhill to his left:

Looking at the freeze frame above, what do you think is the most likely next pass for LaCombe, a highly skilled defenseman? Is he a threat himself at this point? What is the most dangerous threat on the ice for Cooley to consider right now?

If it’s the player to his left, are you sliding or skating across if you are Cooley?

Lastly, what do you make of Cooley’s positioning and stance?

It’s okay to disagree with how he is managing this because Cooley has already shown a willingness to be critical of his own decisions in these video breakdowns.

THE SAVE

Now watch the sequence below in real time, as well as the replays, and keep the same questions in mind. See if it materializes as you predicted, both in terms of the attack and how Cooley manages it, and take note of the things you like about how he plays this chance and see if you can identify any keys to him making the final save.

Even if you predicted the first pass, were you surprised to see Cooley slide on it? Can you see why he may have chosen that move? Most important, were you able to identify the keys to him still being able to get across on that second pass?

THE PRO READ

Now let’s hear from Cooley on how he saw the chance and how he played it: