I'm a goaltender. I see things a little differently than most.
Doesn't make it wrong…just different.
People think goaltenders are flaky, quirky, superstitious sorts who can't be relied upon, because their lives are controlled by whatever mood they're in. Can't say I agree with the 'flaky' or mood' allegations, but superstitious? Occasionally, sure.
Quirky? Yeah, quirky would be a word that I would use to sometimes describe my actions. But, sometimes I go out of my way to appear quirky when I'm clearly more conservative and 'normal' than I'd care to actually admit.
Having said all that, one of the pictures of Liam that Janne took recently (and Janne takes many of the pictures you see here, because she has the good fortune of being with The Tinks more than I do, because I have to work) immediately struck me as a 'hockey picture'. More precisely, a 'goalie picture'. Even more precisely, the 'paddle down' technique.
Hate to bore you with the details, but over the last few years in professional hockey, we've seen the introduction of the aforesaid move. Only used effectively if the opposing shooter is in very close to the goaltender, the paddle down technique sees the goaltender laying his stick on its side along the ice to remove the maximum amount of area for scoring 'low'. Since the shooter is in 'tight' to the goalie, their option of lifting it over the goaltender has been eliminated anyway, making the 'paddle down' safe in this instance. If the move is tried while the shooter still has some real estate between them and the goaltender, the paddle down move can make the goalie look really stupid, because the shooter still has the option of either skating wide of the goalie and shooting, or lifting it over the goaltender.
Before we get to that, the other thing about the picture was the look in Liam's eyes. One of the more famous shots of one of the great heroes of hockey, particularly in the city of Montreal, the late Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, shows an intensity in his eyes which seems to border on crazed. This is the picture, albeit a small reproduction:
The Rocket was a goal scorer, not a goaltender, but most people believe goaltenders are crazed simply for standing in front of 100 mph slapshots in an effort to block them with whatever part of their body will keep the puck from going into the net, regardless of what look the goalie may or may not have in their eyes. Not much point of being a goaltender in hockey if you're afraid of a six ounce piece of rubber, by the way. Although, that's also why goalie equipment is so expensive. They know that goalies will pay whatever price is put on it to keep that projectile from hurting too much when it hits. What are the other options, after all?
Now, here are two pictures of the 'paddle down' technique - the first is a demonstration, showing the shooter too far away from the goaltender for the move to be effective, and the second is the move being put into use by one of the greatest and most successful goaltenders to ever play the game,
Patrick Roy:
…and here's Liam:
Now, scroll back up to see the look in The Rocket's eyes again.
Just a couple of days later, Janne tried to grab a quick shot of Morgan doing virtually the same thing, except she couldn't get the camera out fast enough, and by that time, Morgan had switched to the 'stacked pad, double leg slide' position demonstrated here by the great Czech goaltender, Dominic Hasek:
Morgan's picture's a little fuzzy:
...because Janne, between making formula and heating up cereal and/or vegetables, changing diapers, consoling crying babies, doing laundry, washing dishes and God only knows what else, didn't quite have the camera focused. Please forgive her immediately.
Knowing how much of a passion I have for hockey, and particularly for stopping pucks, many of my friends have said of Liam, "So, you've got the next Patrick Roy / Dominic Hasek / Johnny Bower / Curtis Joseph / insert-name-of-excellent-goaltender there, eh?"
...and I have to honestly reply that - if Liam doesn't even like hockey, it'll sting a little, sure - but that's okay.
If he wants to be in the ballet, that's okay, too.
My father supported me in everything I did, including some career options he really didn't want me to pursue. I owe the same to Liam.
...but he sure looks like a goalie.
