A GLOSSARY OF GOALTENDING TERMS

• ANGLE PLAY: The method where, by positioning themselves in a direct line between the shooter and the net, a goaltender covers more of the net than he/she would otherwise be able to. One of the best angle goaltenders was Bernie Parent.
• BLOCKER: Worn on the right hand (for right-handed goaltenders), the blocker is a rectangular piece ov equipment which a) holds the stick, b) protects the wrist area, and c) can be used to direct shots away from the net. The blocker should be positioned at one's side, and at a height which allows the goaltender's stick to remain flat on the ice.
• BUTTERFLY SAVE: On low shots, modern goaltender usually work in the "butterfly" position, keeping their knees together and their stick covering their five-hole. The glove is kept up, ready for a possible deflection, and the goaltender is focused on the incoming shot. Here is the North Stars' Jon Casey demonstrating a butterfly save.
• FIVE HOLE: The space between the goaltender's leg pads is known as the five hole. The five hole is the most vulnerable spot for the goaltender; constant motion and positional play cannot be achieved without some sacrifice in the five hole area.
• HOLES ONE THROUGH FOUR: According to Jacques Plante, there exist five distinct positions a goaltender needs to cover:
  1. the One-Hole, located at the corner of the net on the ice on the goaltender's stick side.
  2. the Two-Hole, located at the corner of the net on the ice on the goaltender's glove side.
  3. the Three-Hole, located on the goaltender's glove side, near the upper crossbar.
  4. the Four-Hole, located on the goaltender's stick side, near the upper crossbar.
  5. the Five-Hole, located between the goaltender's legs. The five-hole is the only "hole" named by number in the present age.
• LEG PADS: Worn on the goaltender's legs to both protect the legs and increase proficiency. The leg pads may not be more than twelve inches in width. The leg pads should come to about three inches above the knee. Pads which are too long will affect your balance and timing; pads which are too short will not protect your knees properly.
• LEG PAD SAVE: A save made with any part of the leg pads. The goaltender should remain relaxed and skate backwards with the incoming shot, thus helping to absorb the blow and reduce the rebound effect. One type of leg pad save is the butterfly save.
• LIE: The angle created between the handle of a goaltender's stick and the paddle. The higher the lie, the closer the stick resembles the capital letter "L".
• PADDLE: The thick part of the goaltender's stick; the paddle should remain flat on the ice as often as possible.
• POKE CHECK: When the goaltender wants to poke the puck away from an opposing puck-carrier, he/she quickly slides his hand up the stick, thrusting forward towards the puck. This is a dangerous move, and occasionally the goaltender will miss and the puck-carrier will be left with an unguarded net. Here is Toronto's Johnny Bower beginning one of his world-famous poke checks.
• SCREEN SHOT: For quality goaltenders, the screen shot is the one which yields the most goals. In the screen shot, another player (usually an opponent, but sometimes the goaltender's own teammate - who, ironically, tend to believe that they are helping out) stands between the shooter and the goaltender, obscuring the goaltender's vision of the shot. On a screen shot, the goaltender must do everything possible to try to see the shot, dropping to the butterfly stance and thrusting their trapper out at the sound of a shot.
• SHUFFLE: A technique for lateral movement when the puck is relatively far from the net. The goaltender slides his/her legs, one at a time, in the desired direction. This techniques momentarily leaves the five-hole open and, in cases where this may be relevant, the goaltender should use the t-push.
• SKATE SAVE: A save made with the goaltender's skate. The goaltender decided in which direction the rebound should travel, and turns his/her skate in that direction. Then, bending the other leg, he/she pushes towards the puck with the off leg, as the bent knee drops to the ice. Here Bill Ranford of the Oilers demonstrates another type of skate save.
• SKATING: A common fallacy is that the goaltender can get by with merely adequate skating, and oftentimes young players are placed in net due to their poor skating. In fact, the goaltender must be one of the best technical skaters on the team, and must be able to keep up with the moves of every skater on opposing teams. In particular, goaltenders must be adept at lateral skating and quick pivoting.
• STACKING THE PADS: When a goaltender is on the angle, often a sudden pass close to the net will leave the net relatively unguarded. Stacking the pads is a desperation move in which the goaltender jumps feet-first towards the potential shooter, attempting to cover as much space as possible. Gary Smith of the Vancouver Canucks demonstrates for us, while an overhead view of is provided by Quebec's Jacques Cloutier.
• STANCE: In a proper stance, the goaltender has the weight on the balls of his/her feet, the trapper and blocker just above knee-height, and the stick flat on the ice. Boston's Andy Moog shows the proper stance.
• STICK: The stick, held by the goaltender in their blocker hand, should remain flat on the ice. Keep notice of the lie on a new stick. A high lie will force a goaltender to play on their heels, offsetting balance, while a low lie places a goaltender lower to the ice, and may affect high saves.
• STICK SAVE: A save made with the goaltender's stick. On stick saves, the goaltender should not keep a tight grip on the stick, instead allowing the shot's momentum to push the stick back into the skates/pads, cushioning the blow.
• T-PUSH: A technique used by goaltenders to move in a lateral direction. To perform a t-push, a goaltender directs his/her outside skate in the desired direction, pushing with both legs, covering the five hole. This method of lateral movement is most effective when the puck is close to the net.
• TELESCOPING: An advanced form of angle play, telescoping is the method where a goaltender where to move such that a) the net is effectively covered, and b) the distance travelled is minimized.
• TRAPPER: Worn on the left hand (for right-handed goaltenders), and similar in shape to a fielder's mitt in baseball, the trapper is usually the goaltender's strong point. The trapper should be kept at knee height, just above the leg pad, and should be open at all times. To stop play with the trapper, the goaltender catches the puck, then brings the trapper in towards his/her chest to prevent an opponent from knocking the puck away. Terry Sawchuk shows an example of a trapper save.
• TWO-PAD SLIDE: See Stacking the Pads.