How to Be Smarter Goalie

If you're a hockey goalie, giving up goals is inevitable. How you react to being scored on, though, affects you, your team and your opponents. Here are some ways to react that will restore your confidence before the next shot comes your way.
On Your Feet!

These days, goalies will do anything to get in front of a shot. After giving up a goal, chances are you'll be sprawled on the rink. Get up immediately. A goalie who springs back to his position is one who's putting the goal in the past and focusing on the next shot. That's a confident goalie who can make the next crucial save.

Don't Slam Your Stick on the Rink

There are certain goalies who fly into a rage after every goal. They slam their sticks down when a puck slips by. If you do this, you're telling your opponents that you're out of your zone mentally. That giving up a goal has taken your confidence. That you might sit deeper in the crease when the next shot comes rather than challenging the angle assertively. That's bad news for you, because you're giving all the opposing shooters confidence.

Help Your Teammates Out

Some goalies go silent after giving up a goal. They stop talking and giving teammates valuable information about opponents and the pattern of play. They might be thinking "I didn't do my job, so who am I to tell anyone how to do theirs?" Remember, your teammates rely on you. You're a quarterback, a catcher and a psychologist rolled into one. Keep talking. Stay involved. You're helping your teammates.

Don't Yell at Teammates

Not every goal you give up will be your fault. A deflection of a teammate's skate or a poorly executed plan can put the puck behind you. Don't get hostile, though. Everyone makes mistakes. If a teammate's error leads to to goal, wait until the break between periods - then figure out what you both could do better the next time you're in a similar situation. That tells your teammates they have your confidence, and that you're willing to help them and give them the benefit of the doubt. This is a hard tip to implement, but one of the most worthwhile.

Don't Celebrate Your Saves

Some goalies love showboating after a big save. They'll act like a wide receiver catching the Super Bowl-winning pass. Instead, act like that huge save you just made was totally routine, well inside your comfort zone. You'll project confidence. In turn, your opponents will wonder what it takes to score on you, or to even get you rattled if you made a big save look easy. They'll start aiming for more difficult, lower-percentage shots. Showboating can have the opposite effect - smart players will simplify their play, knowing that scoring a goal on you will plunge you into a mental funk. They may also read your ecstasy as a lack of confidence, a sign that you didn't expect to make the save.