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School of Block: Rediscovered

Feb 8th, 2010
by Justin.
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:: Rediscovered ::

While looking over this week’s NHL schedule, I couldn’t help but wonder about the different goalie stories and surprises that will pop up before the Olympic break. The fate of a fantasy manager is much more sinister than it is serene, so taking a risk or two could go a long way in getting your pound of flesh before the two week NHL hiatus. 

One thing I know for sure is that the Olympics, and the consequential condensed schedule, has been a lot more influential on a goalie’s rhythm than I ever expected. Injuries have become an issue for some, which has led to some new prospects being uncovered. As you have come to learn, when one window closes, another opens, meaning there’s good moves to make if the price is right and you know where to look.

And in a week where many managers won’t pay as close attention to their teams as usual due to the Olympic buzz, a smooth goalie move could be a perfect way to finish up strong. So keep an eye on the names below, because one of them could mean the difference between winning, losing or landing a playoff spot in your fantasy league.

STEVE MASON

What a difference a week can make. Mason, who has repeatedly failed to turn around an atrocious sophomore slump, may have been cured with the firing of Ken Hitchcock. In fact, there’s a very good chance that the coaching change could have a similar impact to the firing of goalie coach Eli Wilson on Ottawa’s Brian Elliott.

I credit Mason’s success in his last four games (3-1-0, 7 GA, 1 SO) to the fact he’s simply enjoying the game again. Under Hitchcock, Mason had succumbed to the pressure of having to play with the label of a failure. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn he took the media’s negativity too personally, and after hearing so many times that the cause of the team’s problems was inconsistent goaltending, finally stopped believing in himself. With Hitchcock being fired, Mason and the rest of his teammates had finally hit rock-bottom.

What I noticed about Mason’s struggles under Hitchcock is that he simply stopped competing after a while. Hitchcock is a very demanding coach, so some players are bound to lose their motivation more quickly than others. Mason was under the microscope more than any other Blue Jackets player, mainly because a defensive-minded coach lives and dies by their goaltender. But under Claude Noel, there’s no more pressure for Mason to duplicate last year’s success and the whole team experiences a rebirth. Now Mason’s singular task is to focus on the basics and go from there.

In the last two games, Mason has done just that. He’s playing higher in his crease with much more consistency through 60 minutes. He also controlled rebounds extremely well and executed butterfly movements with confidence. He had explosive pushes and sliced through the air with ease, as opposed to moving through sludge like before. His high energy level and confidence is slowly coming back, with proof found in Tom Reed’s Columbus Dispatch article.

Moving forward, Mason’s fantasy value is on the upswing. Not only is he readily available in a number of leagues, but as it stands, his value can only go up from here. Remember, the source of Mason’s struggles this year were mainly mental, not technical. Playing deep in his crease is a result of weak confidence, not weak ability. Now that there has been a coaching change, there’s a new mental approach, one in which Mason has learned a valuable lesson and now has more experience. Mason is maturing before our very eyes and by getting back to the basics before he gets two weeks off to rest and re-focus, don’t be surprised if all of this leads to a spike in fantasy value come March 1.

KARI LEHTONEN

I look at Kari Lehtonen’s fantasy value heading into this week in a fairly positive way. First of all, there’s a good chance he plays at least two games this week and comes out with loads of energy and enthusiasm. Lehtonen was re-called to Atlanta yesterday after he went 1-1-2 with a 2.67 GAA and .899 save percentage with the Chicago Wolves, which isn’t bad considering he hasn’t played since April 11, 2009.

So it’s not much of a stretch to expect Lehtonen will come out and play better than expected.

The plot will really start to thicken after the weekend is over. Ondrej Pavelec has struggled over the last few weeks, almost to the point where he is starting to lose a little bit of long-term appeal. And since the Thrashers don’t play until Wednesday (in Denver) and then again on Friday and Saturday, odds are strong that Lehtonen sees more minutes than both Pavelec and Johan Hedberg before the Olympics begin.

True to my form over the last three years, I say grab Lehtonen while you can. His value is low, he’s still an elite talent when he is healthy and with four AHL games under his belt, signs are good that he can be considered “healthy” for the first time all season. One or two NHL games with positive results before the Olympic break will be a major factor in the type of confidence Lehtonen has coming out of the break, so it’s another one of those classic big risk, big reward situations that could turn things in your favor down the stretch.

MARTY TURCO

Marty Turco is turning it on at the moment of biggest desperation for the Dallas Stars. Like I’ve explained before, Turco’s issues are mainly mental and have to do with his level of focus. And with a little bit more rest than usual over the last two weeks, it looks like Turco is staying focused for a full 60 minutes.

Together with trade rumors, more minutes for Alex Auld and weakening support from fans, Turco is playing with a real sense of urgency. Reading some of the quotes (scroll down) from his 4-0 shutout win over the Coyotes a few days ago, it looks like he is finally starting to gain the confidence of his teammates and coaching staff. So regardless of any trade rumors, you still should consider his value on the rise. The Turco Turnaround is still in sight!

WILD GOALIES

Now that I know Anton Khudobin is capable of being an NHL backup (I scouted his 38 save, 2-1 win over the Flyers on Saturday), it looks like the big key is when Niklas Backstrom returns for Minnesota and how he performs. He has been on the shelf over the last few weeks with back problems and then a bout with the flu, but practiced on Saturday and is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday’s game.

Wade Dubielewicz was then sent back down to Houston yesterday, which is even more proof the Wild liked what they saw in Khudobin’s first career NHL start. But it’s somewhat of an illusion, as Khudobin only remains with the Wild until Josh Harding is re-evaluated (on Tuesday), which will then determine whether or not another goalie is still needed.

Khudobin’s NHL debut was impressive but not surprising, as he has excelled at many different levels in the last four seasons. The list includes the WHL, many international competitions for Team Russia, the ECHL and AHL. When you put it all together, Khudobin is pretty experienced for a 24-year-old and he proved it against the Flyers. Even to the untrained eye, Khudobin’s similar style to Evgeni Nabokov is very noticeable. The narrowed stance and the deceiving appearance in net (he’s only 5-foot-11 but plays bigger) are just the start of their similarities.

When it comes to fantasy value, Khudobin remained at #40 in my Top-100 Prospects despite not winning an AHL game in two months. He will probably move up a few spots for next month. Backstrom should return to the lineup and play strong while Harding could miss another game and continue to be the subject of trade rumors. If either of the original two goalies have health issues, Khudobin will continue to be a storyline heading into the Olympic break.

Posted in: School of Block.
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Mask of the Week: Bob Howell

Feb 4th, 2010
by Justin.
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After posting our Mask of the Week winner last Wednesday, only a few days passed before we discovered another Colorado-based mask airbrush artist! Bob Howell from Sun God Graphics saw Mike Learn’s unique medieval Good vs. Evil mask design and sent in some photos of a sweet mask he painted with the same exact theme.

Seriously, what are the chances?! Eight months ago, we hadn’t heard of one single mask artist in Colorado and now we can proudly feature a third artist to go alongside SilenceHer Masks and Learn Airbrush.

Howell’s personal mask is a gnarly piece of work, complete with everything you have come to love in a quality mask design: beautiful women, fierce flames and a giant skull!

We loved the sharpness this solid black mask features, especially with the bright red stroke around the entire design, which really makes it pop out at you. As you can see, an angelic mistress poses on the left side, while a sexy, satanic lady in black beckons and tempts you on the right. The front features a skull with one tooth and #61 on the chin drop both done in gold leaf.

Howell is not only a mask artist in a small mountain town, he’s a goaltender as well. In fact, he also happens to be one of The Hockey Guild’s biggest supporters! His team, the Grand Junction Pioneers, were proud participants in our Quest for the Crown 2 charity hockey festival last May and they even hiked two teams all the way to Denver to play in one of our signature After-Hours games just a few weeks ago!

To learn more about Howell and Sun God Custom Graphics, check out their website and let them know The Goalie Guild sent you. Here’s a few other pieces of work recently completed by Bob.

That mask is a firefighting theme and here’s one for the Jimi Hendrix fan in all of us!

Posted in: Mask of the Week, The Armory.
Tagged: · · ·

Top-100 Prospects Updated

Feb 3rd, 2010
by Justin.
Comments

Our Top-100 Fantasy Keeper League Prospects Rankings has been updated through January, 2010! Check it out here:

There were a number of major changes this month as Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard both graduated from the list, so if you’d like to discuss any of the updates made from last month to this month, or you just want to know more about a prospect’s ranking, please visit the School of Block forums and post your comments there! Or you can always leave a comment on this post by clicking right below the post title.

Posted in: Prospects, School of Block.
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Mental Training: Different Skill Levels

Feb 2nd, 2010
by Guest Blogger.
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How to Handle Different Talent Levels
By Shaun Smith – Absolute Mental Training

Have you ever been out for an ice time where the talent level of the opposing players differs so greatly that you’ve struggled to stop the puck? Or maybe you play for two different teams where the level of play differs from one ice time to the next so much that you find that you are always trying to adapt to the level of play around you? You are not alone in this area. I have worked with many goaltenders that have difficulty adjusting quickly to varying levels of play.

The question was brought up to me in one of The Goalie Guild’s live chats. If you don’t already tune into these chats this is a great opportunity to ask questions or talk about the current situation of goaltending. They are often presented every Colorado Avalanche away game.

Playing against different player levels can be very challenging but many times it is not the fact that you are not talented enough to stop the opposing players but the fact that mentally you are unable to adjust to what is going on around you. Here are some tips that I hope will help you to make those saves against the top players in your league as well as the grinders:

1. Stop Thinking, Start Reacting - Many times when a goaltender is struggling to adjust to the change of pace in a game it is because their head is full of mental noise. They are thinking about too much or may be thinking about how they can’t adjust quickly enough. What I recommend to my goalies is to react to what is going on around you. When you stop thinking about what you have to do to react to the opposing player you will begin to react to the pace of the play that is coming at you and make the appropriate adjustments. When a goaltender is reacting to each and every play they will make the appropriate adjustments to stop the puck whether it is coming at 100 mph or 50 mph.

2. Focus on One to Three Skills When Playing Against Weaker Opponents - When playing against a weaker team we may get bored or distracted more easily. The key for playing against a weaker opponent is to focus on improving your game in one to three areas. This way no matter who is shooting on you, you are focused on stopping the puck. Before each game think of three skills that you would like to work on and focus on ensuring that you complete them with great skill each time.

3. Trust Your Instincts - Too many times goaltenders forget about the amount of time that we have put into playing the position of goaltender. It has taken you years of playing the position to get to the talent level which you currently have so why is it that you second guess your decisions when playing? The answer can be many different reasons but one of the major reasons is a lack of confidence. Believe that you can stop anyone who is shooting on you from the top elite level player to the guy who is just picking up a hockey stick for the first time.

4. Be Aware of Where the Other Players are on the Ice - As a goaltender you must always be aware of where the players on the ice even if they don’t have the puck. Use instances when the puck is in no threat for a shot (ie corners or along the boards) and look quickly at where the opposing players are. This is especially true if the other team has one skilled player who is much more talented than the rest. It is not a good idea to focus solely on this player but it is a good idea to know where he is when the other team is attacking or setting up in your zone.

5. Be Patient with the Star Players - The goalie must always expect the star player to be more patient then the rest of the team. Often star players see the game differently than the rest of the team and it is because of this that we as goaltenders must wait out the star player until he/she has totally committed to a play. The star player will victimize a goalie who goes down too early or falls for a fake.

6. Remain Visually Attached to the Puck - When dealing with shots of different speeds the best thing that you can do is stay attached visually to the puck. This will ensure that you do not lift your glove too early or move your pad out of the way because the shot is slower than you expected. Playing against a weaker opponent? This is a great time to work on your visual attachment and ensure that you are following the puck in and off of your body.

7. Stop Making Excuses - Last but not least don’t let playing against a weaker opponent be a reason for you to let in any goals. Play as though you are the best player on the ice and be a leader for your team. If you continue to work hard you will continue to get better. Too many goaltenders use the level of their competition as an excuse to failure. Focus on what you can control your game and show up to play regardless if it is Ovechkin or some guy who does your taxes shooting on you.

Hockey can be a great sport but at times we can get frustrated if we become overwhelmed with who is shooting on us and the level of hockey that we are competing at. Instead of focusing on uncontrollable factors like the shooters skill level what you should be focused on is your skill level and improving your game each and every time you’re on the ice.

I hope that this article has given you some direction when going forward against those weaker shooters or weaker teams. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me or leave comments.

Posted in: Mental Training.
Tagged: · ·

School of Block: Work in Progress

Feb 1st, 2010
by Justin.
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:: Work In Progress ::

The big moves in goal between Toronto and Anaheim may come as no surprise, but the impact will still send shockwaves through both systems. On the heels of Jonas Hiller’s new four-year deal, the Ducks finally found a way to reunite J-S Giguere with Francois Allaire and Brian Burke. All is well that ends well I guess, as the fan’s favorite scapegoat, Vesa Toskala, was released from Leafs prison and will now probably end up as a free agent this summer.

The big goalie buzz from these moves is focused in Toronto, where Giguere is now the subject of a revival story. I like the move by Toronto to sign him for a couple of different reasons. First of all, it gives them some pretty solid options heading into the summer. Either Giguere regains his old form from years ago and makes the Leafs a truly competitive team, or he splits time with Gustavsson and turns into a perfect backup mentor by parlaying all of his NHL wisdom and experiences into a steadily improving Monster.

One of the most important aspects to keep in mind with this trade is the influence Giguere will have on Gustavsson. Every aspect of the position, from stance and style to preparation, demeanor and attitude will slightly rub off in a positive manner. When a wise sage is brought in to play with an apprentice, the educational element is at the forefront of the relationship. Giguere is there to teach (indirectly and directly) and Gustavsson is there to learn.

I’m not a fan of Giguere’s blocking style at all and I’ve spoken plenty on the fact that he has dehydration issues, which causes him to tire out by the third period and lose his focus and a grip on games. But in a new situation like this, everything can change. I can no longer rule out the possibility that Giguere’s fantasy value will continue to be trash. There’s a chance he could become quite valuable, but only time will tell.

There are elements of Giguere’s game that can greatly benefit Gustavsson. I can see Gustavsson watching Giguere go through drills while standing next to Allaire, who is reinforcing and pointing out certain aspects of Giguere’s game verbally to Gustavsson. Sometimes the best and most effective way for a young, raw-talented goalie to learn how to execute things correctly is to see a veteran doing it right in front of them.

So my favorite aspect of the trade is that Giguere becomes a perfect role model for a goalie that has recently sparked the ire of many fantasy managers. This was revealed in my School of Block forums over the weekend in a somewhat surprising manner, as it seems a lot of people think Gustavsson is already a bust. To this I can only shake my head in bewilderment, as this same dynamic took place just a year ago with Hiller.

Speaking of Hiller, it was really interesting to hear Burke explain to reporters just how much potential Gustavsson has compared to Hiller a few years ago. Allaire mentioned that he thought Gustavsson was more talented at this point in this career, which is all the proof you need that Gustavsson is not even close to being a bust yet. And anything Allaire says I’ll gladly take to the bank any day.

With only one year left on Giguere’s contract, it seems to me that Toronto has bought some time when it comes to deciding whether or not Gustavsson is the future. And for all intensive purposes, it should mean the same for all fantasy managers. To decide right now whether or not he’s a bust is a little premature, as he has only been playing in the NHL for four months. When goalies suddenly rise up in Europe and are shipped overseas and thrown into the fire quickly, it’s only fair and smart to evaluate their progress over a more extended period of time.

There are a ton of things to consider when looking at Gustavsson’s recent play. It is really obvious that his biggest issue is seeing the puck through traffic and playing with bodies in front of him. Because of the spacing of plays coming at him and the speed at which they happen, he’s being forced to move a lot quicker than usual. Therefore he is caught off balanced, hunched over and falling on his stomach a lot. You could almost say he’s moving TOO fast for his own good, as the speed of the NHL game is something he is simply not familiar with. His timing is all janky.

But that’s not the same thing as simply saying he’s caught out of position all the time and doesn’t know where he is on the ice. That would lead me to believe he is slow and doesn’t have the footwork to move effectively, which is clearly not the case. Gustavsson has great lateral movement and is extremely quick. It’s just a matter of placement, angles and depth that is detracting him from ending up in better position. The kid needs time to learn, adjust, re-focus and adjust again. And that won’t happen until he has a few months away from the grueling NHL schedule. Let’s not forget it is also the Olympic season, which impacts even a veteran goalie’s schedule and play.

So even though Gustavsson may look bad on the highlight reels, these positional aspects of his game will improve as time goes on. He will get more confident with more instruction. The coaching staff will keep things positive as they realize every goalie has a different learning curve. When I see his ability to stop pucks and make big saves, I’m slapped in the face with potential. It is CLEARLY there, leading me to realize he’s just a massive work in progress.

Earlier in the season, I noticed Gustavsson had an awestruck and hesitant demeanor. He literally seemed afraid to compete and be more active. Yet the fact he’s even competing and winning some games at the NHL level on a wishy-washy Leafs team is an amazing feat that has been overlooked. Regardless of his stats and losses, he has handled the pressures well and is thriving mentally. Losing games as a rookie is not necessarily a bad thing long-term, as he is developing a tough skin and learning what it means to battle hard for the puck and focus in a one-goal game.

In conclusion, from a fantasy side of things, I think owning him is a give-and-take process. If you’re having second thoughts about him now, other managers will as well. And that means you shouldn’t be afraid to give him up now and if things change, get him back at a later time. If you are hesitant and you understand the learning curve associated with a raw talent like Gustavsson, you might want to hang on to him for the rest of the season in case he comes out looking like a totally different and more effective creature in September.

Whatever you have to do to make ends meet for your fantasy team, and depending on whatever offers you get, just know he is a work in progress. He will continue to improve with every game he plays and it will all play an integral part in honing his great potential and size. Those are the facts. He’s raw-skilled lanky monster. He can make big saves. Any team would want that moving forward, as well as a skilled veteran mentor and teacher. It’s a perfect combination.

If there’s one goalie I will be most interested to see when September rolls around, it will be Gustavsson. What did he learn over the summer? How has he improved at tracking pucks and playing through traffic and screens? What influence will Giguere have on his style, stance, execution and demeanor? Those are the real keys when it comes to determining his future and none of those things can be truly understood or revealed without a little more time.

Posted in: School of Block.
Tagged: · · · ·

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