The goalies play percentages, that means covering the bottom of the net. That means forcing the players make a difficult move (like a toe drag at full speed). A poke check can open the five hole and it moves the goalie perpendicular to the goal line, the opposite of what he wants to do. A poke check favors the shooter if you miss, or if you don't get all of the puck. Miss and they score, but cover the bottom of the net and they have to make a great play at full speed.
Quote:
|
Man if the goalies stayed on theiir feet square to the shot, I swear half of the shots would just hit them.
|
If the players shot like they do now, yes, but they would alter their style immediately. And they would score more frequently. No part of the goalies body should be above the bar, that wastes 'coverage'.
Save percentages of the best goalies have not significantly changed (Ken Dryden and Roy were about a 0.920 goalies at their peak), but the NHL average has gone from about 0.880 to almost 0.920 in 25 years. You can't say the current methods are not an improvement.