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School of Block: Antti Niemi is Antimatter

Jul 31st, 2010
by Justin.
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:: ANTTI NIEMI IS ANTIMATTER ::

If you haven’t heard yet, Antti Niemi was rewarded with a $2,750,000 salary for the 2010-11 season. The Chicago Blackhawks now have 48 hours to accept or decline the offer…and the clock is ticking.

Although this idea has been growing in the back of my mind for a year, now more than ever before, I can’t help but see how Niemi has the same exact properties of Antimatter. Yes, Antti reminds me of Antimatter.

Think about it. He’s a scary invisible force that acts as the complete molecular opposite of everything we see and know about goaltending at the NHL level.

He follows the exact same equipment rules, has the same exact mission and plays on the same exact ice as everyone else. But the way he looked, the way he moved and made saves and reacted to many plays last season was the complete and polar opposite of everyone else.

Lurking in the shadows of existence, he thrived in a different manner, on a different level and basically in another dimension. And just like antimatter, he’s a million times more volatile and powerful. And he has one of the particle rings to prove it – a 2010 Stanley Cup ring.

Thus the endless search by NHL teams to not only procure a piece of their own Antti, but learn how to use it and capture it’s essence and holster the power within. Antimatter does exist, but it’s extremely rare and unless you know exactly how to handle, treat and contain it, the results could be total disaster and devastation.

Is it me, or does Niemi posses a lot of those same characteristics?

It’s not a coincidence. It’s simple chemistry and science. In this universe, goalies are nothing more than creatures that abide by the same rules seen in the middle of the Congo, in the deep chasms of space or way down low in the uncharted territories of the atoms and quarks.

As of this moment in time, Niemi is being treated in the same manner. He’s a rare element floating in uncharted territory. No team has ever been down this path before. He’s not only the first Finnish goalie to win a Stanley Cup, he was a rookie and he went straight to salary arbitration. This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

I’ve stated a few times on podcasts and Twitter that the Blackhawks and Niemi are a team within a team. Together they rise, but divided they most likely fall. Lightning would have to strike twice for them to have the same success as last season with a different goaltender(s).

Sorry for the duel cliches, but I just can’t help but think that Chicago needs to accept the offer. They can reportedly afford it by making other small moves between the time they accept and the start of the season. So if it’s doable, and it keeps the goalie universe from imploding or destroying us all, let’s take care of business and accept the salary, please.

Honestly I have no real insight as to whether or not Chicago will accept the ruling. I don’t have sources on the team and I don’t have a degree in economics. But I do know plenty about the world of goaltending chemistry and physics. I ask the questions and answer what only time can prove:

How would Niemi play on another team like Edmonton, Philadelphia or Nashville? How would he interact with his new goalie coach. How much of an impact would it have on his ability to shake off the stress of a possible sophomore jinx? And every answer I come up with ends with me saying, “…not as good as in Chicago.”

This doesn’t mean that I think Niemi is any worse of a goalie. But the question must be asked of what the opposing shooters have learned about him. Sometimes when a goalie is thrust into the spotlight by playing well, they are also thrust under a microscope and the following season is met with much less success. Just ask Steve Mason what he thinks about that.

In conclusion, Chicago and Niemi fit perfectly for each other in a synchromatic and systematic way. Antti is their anti-matter and with him leading the team they can repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

But if they are separated by the result of this elemental exchange known as a salary arbitration hearing, there’s a very high chance that things will never work the same ever again. Niemi stands on hollow ground. It could give way at any moment in time.

It worked last year, almost to perfection. And any goalie scientist will tell you that messing with it could result in very unstable conditions for both sides. Wether on purpose or not, arbitration has already had a major impact on both sides. Let’s just hope it doesn’t have negative results.

Posted in: School of Block.

Mental Training: Take it To the Grave

Jul 27th, 2010
by Shaun Smith.
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Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a weekly column that is posted every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com! 

:: TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE! :: 

Hockey is a game that is played at high speeds with a lot of emotions. One thing that all goaltenders must be conscious of is their thought process and the emotions that they evoke. A goaltender can lose control of their emotions, which often yields a poor performance by a negative thought that stays in their head. A goaltender that can quickly and efficiently get rid of a negative thought will be much more successful than many of their goaltender counterparts.

Many of the clients that I work with can get caught up by their negative thoughts and get stuck in a vicious cycle of negative thought, that produces a negative emotion, that produces a negative thought, and on and on. This thought-feeling cycle will then start to gain momentum to the point where the goaltender looks like those guys that are chasing the ball of cheese down the mountain side.

You don’t have to be that goaltender that loses control of your emotions if you are responsible in controlling your thoughts effectively. There are many different techniques for goaltenders to stop their negative thoughts before they spiral out of control. One technique that I like to use with my goaltenders is what I call “Take It to the Grave.”

Take it to the Grave is a thought stopping technique that, when used effectively, can allow the goaltender to mentally put to rest their negative thoughts and move on with their lives. Taking it to the grave works in two different ways which can be effective for the goaltender.

The first way to use the technique of taking it to the grave is to use the powerful tool of imagery to imagine taking your thought and burying it six feet under the ice where it can have no effect on your current emotional state.

Imagine seeing yourself digging a hole in the corner of the ice where you take your negative thought and bury it so that it is no longer a part of your thought process. Once you have stopped the thought replace the previous negative thought with a positive thought and you are on your way to controlling your thoughts and emotions.

The success of this technique is often the result of a goaltender that is willing to give it a try as well as the goalie that is able to make their imagery realistic.

The second way which you can use taking it to the grave is to allow yourself the opportunity to constructively release your negative thoughts when struggling to compete at the top of the game or when in a slump. In this technique, the goaltender will actually find some kind of material that they can carve into and write their negative thought onto your negative thoughts tombstone.

Once this activity is finished, the athlete takes the thought and buries it deep in the ground with the tombstone. Many times, athletes who are struggling can be found holding onto their negative thoughts. By holding onto their negative thoughts, they end up with a lot of negative emotions that they have no control over. This loss of control is one of the key factors to the helpless feeling of not having control over the athlete’s game. Burying the thought allows the athlete the chance to rid their mind of this helpless feeling.

An athlete’s success in their sport can often come down to the athlete’s ability to control their emotions. When an athlete can disturb a negative thought quickly and effectively the will be able to get back to stopping pucks and create a positive thought-emotion cycle which will allow them to feel good about their game and lead to success.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a weekly column that is posted every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Posted in: Mental Training.
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The Really, Really Long Hockeenight Puckcast

Jul 27th, 2010
by Justin.
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What better way to spend a quiet Monday afternoon than talking some good ol’ fashioned Chicago Blackhawks goaltending with the boys over at Hockeenight.

Their weekly Puckcast features bloggers and analysts from across North America talking Blackhawks hockey. And with Antti Niemi’s arbitration hearing going down on Thursday, there’s a lot to discuss. Like almost two hours worth…so yeaaah…it’s really, really long. This is what happens when you don’t get to talk goalies for a few months!

But if you have the time, just cut it up into segments and give it a listen. We touch on a number of goalies and topics, including of course the Niemi arbitration case, Cristobal Huet, Craig Anderson, Steve Passmore, Ed Belfour, Tuukka Rask, Antero Niittymaki, Evgeni Nabokov, Darren Pang and many more.

A special thanks to the guys over at Hockeenight for having us on their Puckcast and be sure to give them a follow on Twitter at @Hockeenight to get their daily Blackhawks updates.

Posted in: School of Block.

School of Block: Top-10 One-Year Goalies

Jul 26th, 2010
by Justin.
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:: TOP-10 GOALIES FOR ONE-YEAR FANTASY LEAGUES ::

School of Block held a fantasy forums mailbag last week and the quality of questions I answered was just outstanding. The volume was even more impressive, as I gladly spent my entire day answering…well…almost all of them.

The only question left unanswered was a behemoth request from Leafs2010. He asked me to list the Top-10 goalies for a one-year fantasy league using the common statistical categories. I realized automatically that a question of such magnitude and importance deserved more time and focus than the others, so I pondered it for the whole week. Lo and behold, my ranking of the 10 best goalies to own for this season, if you’re playing in a one-year league that uses the common scoring categories.

Although I rarely spend time discussing statistics, there’s no escaping it in a ranking such as this. So I keyed in on one stat in particular, one that I feel speaks volumes for a goalie’s fantasy value. This figure is simply the ratio of games in which a goalie posts a .900 save percentage or higher. Divided by their total number of games played, this percentage is a strong indication of how consistent the goalie performed last season and how effective they may have been in helping their team win games.

Please keep in mind that the mission this week is to provide you with the Top-10 goalies we feel are poised to be the most valuable to own in a one-year, head-to-head fantasy league. We cannot predict injuries, trades, or free agency signings, so this is as of and up to July 26, 2010. We feel it is important to own a goaltender that effectively stops the puck and also fills you with confidence. This list reflects those factors and includes the best goalies most suited to lead you to a fantasy league title.

1. TUUKKA RASK – Not only do I think Rask is the most technically sound European goalie currently in the NHL, I was also quite impressed with his mental toughness down the stretch last year. He was very durable in a rookie season where his minutes were all back loaded in the pressure-filled second half. An astonishing 77% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (34 total games), which was the highest in the NHL for all starting goalies. And don’t forget he posted the league’s best goals-against average (1.97) and save percentage (.931) as well. Combined with great outings in his first 10 playoff games, it was a brilliant start to his NHL career. He’s projected to start 60-65 games this season, making him that much more valuable.

Why is he #1? He’s the best combination of all three fantasy worlds – skill, situation and stats – and he’s still getting better.

2. RYAN MILLER – The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner continues to improve his ability to win behind strong mental toughness and leadership skills. He gained a ton of confidence after his run in the Olympics and clearly revealed just how good he can be when it matters most for his team. Miller is an inspired goalie, a well-oiled machine with the perfect combination of quickness and solid positioning. He rarely struggled in games last season, as he posted 41 wins in 69 outings and a .929 save percentage, which was 2nd overall in the NHL. A whopping 76% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (52 total) and he also notched five shutouts while averaging a workable 28.2 shots per game.

Why is he #2? No other goalie has improved more in the last three years. It’s Miller Time more often every month.

3. HENRIK LUNDQVIST – When you take into account his strenuous wide butterfly style, King Henrik is one of the most durable and steady goaltenders in the NHL. Those who see him most constantly rave about his big-save ability and he displayed tons of flair in a season plagued by frustrating one-goal losses. Owning Lundqvist brings managers so much confidence that they are rarely disappointed in a game that he loses. One reason I rank him higher than others is due to shot volume. He faced the third-most shots in the NHL last year at 2109, which was 28.9 per game, but still posted a .921 save percentage (5th in NHL).

Why is he #3? Imagine his value if half of his one-goal losses from last season are converted into wins this season.

4. MARTIN BRODEUR – Although I think the next two goalies below Brodeur play a more refined and effective style, you just can’t argue against the wizard. Behind strong team defense and potent offense, especially if Ilya Kovalchuk stays put, expect more of the same from Brodeur this season. Yes he’s a year older and a little more prone to aches and pains of a 75+ game schedule, but experience and genuine leadership counts more than skill. Just like Rask led the league in two key categories, Brodeur led the NHL in shutouts (9) and wins (45). But only 65% of his games (49 total) resulted in a .900 save percentage or better, giving him a .913 mark on the season, good enough for 13th overall.

Why is he #4? He’s on a defensive team and the most reliable, experienced and mentally tough goalie in the NHL.

5. ILYA BRYZGALOV – The razor sharp Russian is coming off a true breakout season and established a dominant presence in the Phoenix crease. Behind a strong Dave Tippett defensive system, Bryzgalov cruised to many low-scoring wins on a consistent basis and posted a .900 save percentage or better in 73% of his games (50 total). Even when he was asked to stop more than 30 shots, he was there almost every single night. That compatibility is crucial in determining his fantasy value this season, as many goalies will struggle with their rhythm when facing a low volume of shots (see Cristobal Huet). Not so for Bryzgalov, as he is able to adjust and thrive in pressure-filled situations. He should experience another season of succulent statistical success.

Why is he #5? High value comes with Tippett’s territory, but he also has the elite technical skills to boot. All bases are covered.

6. TOMAS VOKOUN – With Miller stealing the show in the goalie department during the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vokoun (and Halak) was nipping at his heels the entire time. The silent assassin in the Southeast Division posted the NHL’s third-best save percentage (.925) and was fifth overall in shots against (2081). That averaged out to be 33 shots per game, which is a great number to pull in every 2-3 days. So he not only faces a ton of rubber and wins games single-handedly, but he’ll most likely be playing in front of a more competent team as well. I expect him to play even better in October compared to the last two seasons, as once again the elusive “strong start” is a self-proclaimed area of focus for him and his teammates. 

Why is he #6? Has a very efficient shots-to-saves conversion rate and great mental toughness on a leaky defensive team.

7. MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF – Many fans might get frustrated with his nonchalant demeanor, but no matter how hard his pundits try, his fantasy value cannot be disproven. Despite Calgary’s failure to make the post-season, Kiprusoff was a bright spot for most of the season. He posted a .900 save percentage or higher in an impressive 72% of his games (51 out of 72) and in only 10 games did he post something below a .850 save percentage. That’s quite consistent for a team that missed the playoffs. With a .920 save percentage, 35 wins, four shutouts and a 2.31 goals against average, Kipper was very valuable across the fantasy board.

Why is he #7? His complacency could finally be eliminated thanks to Henrik Karlsson. Kipper should be on fire again this year.

8. ROBERTO LUONGO – Although last season was filled with frustrating nights fighting off the puck and traffic in front of his net, Luongo persevered and still found a way to win at least 40 games. He had to hack his way through a lack of rhythm and the pressure of the Olympics, so it wasn’t always pretty to watch. Without the Olympics clouding his mind and Roli Melanson acting as his new full-time goalie coach, Luongo should have no problem shaving .25 off his goals-against average and improving on his .913 save percentage. He battled hard mentally and posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 65% of his games (43 total).

Why is he #8? The giant is under a lot less stress this season and will thrive in a more competitive tandem with Schneider.

9. JAROSLAV HALAK – Many of you will see Halak on this list and once discovering Jimmy Howard is not in the Top-10, instantly wonder why. But when you look at the likelihood of either goalie being more consistent or enduring more off-rhythm stretches, it’s hard to go someone who is so cool and composed under pressure. The Olympics, combined with what he had to go through in Montreal, proves Halak has been to hell and back. Solid steel is strengthened when forged in fire, so managers should feel quite confident in his ability to play at least 60 games and still post similar (or better) stats as last season.

Why is he #9? Posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 29 of 45 games and flat out stole at least eight wins last year.

10. PEKKA RINNE – Although he’s clearly an elite Finnish talent with great size, the question as to how he handles workhorse minutes will linger like stale firework smoke in the Nashville air. But Rinne’s potential is untapped. He was quietly very good in the playoffs against Chicago and similar to Rask in Boston, displayed mental toughness down the stretch to keep the Predators in the playoff hunt. He only posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 58% of his games, or 33 of 58. That’s well below the league average (around 65%), but 32 wins and a .911 save percentage overall can’t be overlooked heading into your draft.     

Why is he #10? He still has untapped potential and a very solid combination of size, durability, skill and mental toughness.

The Next Five…

Here are the next five goalies to own, but I listed them below in alphabetical order. What do YOU think the ranking should be??

CRAIG ANDERSON – It will be extremely hard to match the same break-out run he put on display last season, but he’s still valuable in the workload, saves and save percentage categories. He is not a very polished goalie, but has great size and desire and plays the blocking style extremely well. He displayed awesome durability last season, but is expected to have a smaller workload this season. But with Brett Clark no longer blocking shots, he’ll probably face more shots per game than last year.

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY – Although he backstops one of the most potent offenses in the league, he was very inconsistent last year. Other than logging 37 wins, the stats do not warrant Top-10 status. He only posted a .900 save percentage or better in Relies too much on skill, lacks mental toughness and is prone to inconsistency on an offensive-minded team.

JIMMY HOWARD – The sophomore jinx is more probably with Howard compared to Halak or Rask. As mentally tough as he is, his technique has a lot of refining to undergo and therefore doesn’t have the same untapped. Nevertheless, he still posted a .900 save percentage or better in a stunning 76% of his games, which tied Ryan Miller for second in the NHL.

CAM WARD – Never underestimate an elite talent with great size, plenty of experience and a Stanley Cup ring. It would help if he played in front of a better team, but if he stays healthy and continues to improve, it could easily be a Top-10 season for him. Despite his injury, he posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 65% of his games (30 of 47) and rarely had a weak outing.

CAREY PRICE – Just like Halak is a legitimate young talent ready to play more NHL games than ever before, Price (still an RFA) is also quite capable of being a Top-10 one-year goalie as well. When you peel back the layers of all his frustrating losses, his record of 13-20-5 doesn’t explain how 63% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (26 of 41 games).

Posted in: School of Block.
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Free Goalie Rankings for NHL11

Jul 23rd, 2010
by Justin.
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As the summer months continue to drag on, we’re not having any problems staying busy. Not only are we getting ready for our first full season of providing free and premium goaltending scouting services, we’re also working hard on the layout of our new Monthly Scouting Journal.

As one of the only independent goalie scouting services in the world, we pride ourselves on offering readers and hockey fans around the world with a library of premium and free scouting services.

One of the many free features we will be offering is a set of goalie rankings for EA Sports’ NHL11 on the Playstation 3. If you’re like us and play the series on a consistent basis, you can now take advantage of solid rankings for every NHL and AHL goalie in the game (if you play on PS3).

The process to download our rankings is simple. It is part of the most popular an most downloaded Rosters Update on the web! Just check out the Ultimate Roster Update website and follow the instructions. It’s a simple download and install process and it automatically loads our rankings alongside the latest NHL and AHL roster changes.

In order to get a head start on things and test out the ranking process, we’ve gone ahead and completed a set of initial rankings for NHL10 on the PS3. Just click above to visit the website and download the latest update for free!

If you haven’t heard about some of the new features for NHL11, be sure to read this blog by Gurn Sumal, one of the game’s producers. Sumal is not only a goalie in real life, but a crazy goalie gear afficionado as well.

So aside from a better physics engine and more enhancements to their online platform, NHL11 will be including more sets of goalie gear than ever before – 32 to be exact.

As you can see, the detail is picture-perfect, all the way down to the outer-stitching on blockers and the break divits on the outer rolls of leg pads. You can even see the graphics on sticks and tape on the knobs of sticks. Sweet!

Aside from the obvious brands like Reebok Revokes and Bauer Reflexes, Sumal breaks down all eight sets of Vaughn leg pads, including the all-new SLW (stands for super light-weight) series worn by Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen.

We’ll find a place to drop a link to the Ultimate Rosters Update for NHL11 once the game gets closer to launch (I believe in mid-September as usual). For now, feel free to download the latest Ultimate Roster Update for NHL10 and let us know how you like our test-rankings!

Posted in: Guild Updates, The Armory.
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