NHL: Blues goalie Jake Allen can look to past for future success
St. Louis Blues goalie Jake Allen is a confident, budding young player and can look to his contemporaries for examples on how to break out of a slump.
Allen has allowed at least three goals in four straight starts and has even struggled in the face of less action. At times, he seems completely out of position and backs too far into his net. In addition, he doesn’t watch the puck or follow the play but looks out for threatening players on the ice. With all of that weighing down on him, his defense leaves him out to dry.
His hardships came to a climax in the Blues’ 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Wednesday. He was pulled early in the first after surrendering two goals midway through the opening period, but after a short mental break returned to action. However, he’d allow three more goals, and Carter Hutton relieved him of his duties for the night.
As the Blues head to Winnipeg, they decided to recall Pheonix Copley, and leave Allen at home to break out of his “mental funk.” While some are suspect to what’s causing Allen so much trouble, this is a good decision by the Blues and will pay off.
The Hardest Job in the National Hockey League
Being a starting netminder is probably the most mentally demanding job in the National Hockey League. Goalies serve as the last line of defense, tasked with the job of stopping a three-inch puck from going into a 6′ by 4′ net. And with some players able to shoot the puck well over 100 miles per hour, netminders must be sharp and aware at all times.
Not only that, they need a great deal of flexibility, agility, stamina and acrobatics to do their jobs. Putting the pads down and moving quick laterally are just two keys to success when it comes to a goaltender’s game.
Lastly, what a goaltender needs to succeed is a great deal of clarity, consistency and confidence. If they don’t have one of these attributes, their game will suffer, and they won’t be ready to face the hard, fast-paced NHL ice that awaits them night in and night out.
Weight on Their Shoulders
Perhaps the most representative of the mentally draining duties of goaltending was seen with Kari Lehtonen in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Dallas Stars were playing an important Game Seven against the Blues. If they won, they would move on to the Western Conference Finals, and be one step closer to the Stanley Cup.
May 11, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) on the bench during the third period against the Blues in game seven of the of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues won 6-1. Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Their Achilles’ heel lied in their struggling defense, as well as their situation between the pipes. Between Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, they didn’t have a stable No. 1 goalie, but they relied on the latter for that game. It was because he had an unbelievable Game Six start, a 35-save performance that helped Dallas even the series.
However, one strong start can lead to a huge amount of pressure in the next game. And he felt all of that weight fall on his shoulders, and he collapsed under it, allowing two goals in the first period.
He experienced the worst-case scenario and was pulled, only to spend the rest of the game watching from the bench, his head down.
The Paradox Behind Mental Preparation
There seems to be somewhat of a paradox when it comes to a goaltender’s mental preparation before a game. While they need to be ready for anything and in the zone, prepared for action, they also have to be physically relaxed. If they aren’t calm, goalies will make quick, rapid decisions and act before they think.
So in a way, the idea of a mental break is not a terrible idea. It is meant to give the player time to clear his mind and get back on track. Not to mention, he can evaluate his play, think of ways to improve and even practice a bit.
Getting time to reset is a blessing, not a tragedy. Especially given Allen is the future number one goaltender for St. Louis, this should give him confidence and assurance that his team supports him through whatever challenges and adversity he faces.
Chasing Unattainable Perfection
Goaltenders strive to be perfect. Their objective is to stop everything that comes their way and to do whatever it takes to keep the puck out of the net. Not only do they want their team to secure a victory, but they want to have a perfect record.
Jan 17, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
However, this mindset is honestly one of the most cautionary mentalities for a goaltender. No one is perfect, and everyone fails time and time again. And when you’re a goalie facing off against elite NHL scorers, perfection is rarely an option.
The first thing a goaltender needs to understand is that perfection is impossible. Goals go by, and sometimes, they aren’t even the fault of the goalie. With that being said, goaltenders should follow the old Vince Lombardi quote that states, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
Some goalies go over-the-top and get anxious when it comes to staying perfect. The pressure lifts on their shoulders, and panic can cloud their mind, making things less clear. This, of course, leads to poor decisions, and with goalies making plays on the fly, this shouldn’t be happening.
A goaltender that achieves the “chasing perfection” mentality is Henrik Lundqvist. “The King,” has been one of the top netminders in the NHL for years now. However, he doesn’t try to be perfect and allows himself to make mistakes. When he does, he is best at brushing it off, moving on and putting on a stronger performance.
Lundqvist works off his weaknesses and mistakes and uses them as fuel to add more to his game. The same can be said about Braden Holtby, who squirts his water bottle at the boards to physically move on from surrendering a goal.
Goalies Taking Breaks
Being pulled or held out of the lineup may break confidence, but in the end, it does help goalies move on from their struggles. Chris Osgood was also given leave from his team once to get back in his mental groove. Holtby has been pulled twice this season, and always redeems himself with a sharp performance to backstop his team to a win.
The bottom line is that this isn’t the end of the world for Allen. In fact, it’s only the beginning.
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