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Remember This... The backhand shot shouldn′t be a dying skill. It′s just as important as a good wrist shot. Most players don′t have a strong backhand shot because they don′t practice it enough. Coaches need to develop drills that will help you practice this very important but under-used shot.

When I′m on a breakaway I always look at where the goalie is. Is he out of the crease or back in the net? Both the shooter and the goalie are trying to do the same thing: make the other make the first move. When you′re the shooter you′re at...

Few topics polarize hockey's pundit populus and fan base like supplemental discipline and for good reason. Plays that spark calls for suspension are dangerous and often result in major injuries. We should talk about them....

Blocker. Proper blocker sizing will allow a goaltender to control the face of the blocker. This will lead to better rebound control and protection. Similar to fitting for a glove from the end of the finger channels to the tips of a goaltender's fingers there should be no more than...

HAND SKILLS With the advancement of the butterfly save in the early to mid-1990s goaltenders started perfecting their on-ice coverage and the use of their hands was a bit forgotten. Catching a puck means possession for your team and rebounds off your blocker are steered to the corner. In warmup...

Chest Protector. The size of a goaltender's chest protector should be determined by the goaltender's height. After gathering a goaltender's height the next step is to match the height with the selected company's size chart to determine the appropriate size....

This shot uses the same technique as a wrist shot only done on the backhand. Start with the puck on the heel of the blade and as you transfer your weight forward from your back foot to the front roll your wrists over and release the puck while pointing at...

WORK ETHIC AND FITNESS You need to be the hardest worker and most fit player on your team. New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter won the fitness award every year. Hall of Famer Ed Belfour used to run triathlons. St. Louis′ Brian Elliott is the hardest-working goalie I′ve ever coached....

A lot of times a forward will deke himself out. He′ll have the goalie beat but he already has his mind made up that he′s going to do something else. He′ll actually fumble it before he can shoot it. Remember make the goalie make the save. Don′t make it easy...

BOUNCE-BACK MENTALITY The best goalies know they′re going to have bad goals and more bad games. In an 82-game season it′s impossible not to. They can shrug it off and not let it get to them. Positive self-talk and a positive attitude are the keys to this. Goalies get scored...