Elite goalies aren’t just great at making saves—they’re great at getting into position to make the save. Efficient crease movements ensure goalies arrive square, in control, and ready for any shot.
✅ Essential Goalie Skating Techniques:
✔️ T-Pushes – Used for quick, explosive movement in longer distances, usually to follow a pass.
✔️ Shuffles – Short lateral pushes for controlled adjustments, usually to follow a player who is skating with the puck or passes a short distance.
✔️ Butterfly Slides – Moving laterally in the butterfly to seal the ice.
✔️ C-Cuts – Used for depth control and resetting after a save.
📌 Why It Matters: Proper edgework and movement allow goalies to stay balanced, in control, and ready to react at all times.
SHUFFLES
Shuffles are a fundamental skating movement used by goalies to maintain angle and squareness while moving laterally across the crease. Unlike T-pushes or butterfly slides, shuffles are short, controlled steps that allow goalies to stay balanced, ready, and in position for a shot at any moment.
Goalies use shuffles to:
✅ Maintain Squareness – Stay square to the puck while moving laterally, ensuring proper body alignment for saves.
✅ Control Rebounds – Staying on the shots angle and square to shots will allow for better rebound control.
✅ Stay Ready to React – Keep the feet active and the body balanced, making it easier to react to shots or passing plays.
Why Shuffles Work:
Minimal Weight Shift – Keeps the goalie balanced, preventing over-rotation or getting caught off angle.
Controlled Movements – Allows for precise positioning adjustments without losing net coverage.
Ready for Any Situation – Maintains a set stance, making it easier to react to shots or pass options.
Mastering shuffles is essential for goalies who want to stay in control, maintain proper positioning, and react efficiently.
T-PUSHES
T-pushes are a fundamental skating technique used by goalies to move quickly and efficiently across the crease while maintaining angle and getting square to pucks. Unlike shuffles, which are short and controlled, T-pushes are explosive lateral pushes designed to cover more distance with speed and precision.
Goalies use T-pushes to:
✅ Cover Distance Quickly – Move across/through the crease in one powerful push.
✅ Maintain Angles & Squareness – Arrive at the new position already squared up to the puck.
✅ Stay Balanced & Ready – Land in a controlled stance, prepared for a shot or pass.
✅ Track the Play Efficiently – React to cross-ice passes, rebounds, or changes in puck location.
Why T-Pushes Work:
Explosive Power & Speed – Cover more distance faster than shuffles while staying in control.
Efficient Positioning – Arrive squared up to the puck, ready for the next play or shot.
Maintains Balance & Vision – Keeps the goalie’s body balanced and eyes locked on the puck.
Mastering T-pushes allows goalies to stay on angle, maintain squareness, and react quickly to fast-moving plays, giving them a strategic advantage in the crease.
BUTTERFLY SLIDE
Butterfly slides are an essential movement for goalies, allowing them to move laterally while staying low and sealing the ice. By sliding in the butterfly position, goalies can maintain maximum net coverage and stay square to the puck, making it an effective technique for reacting to cross-ice passes from high danger areas where there is an immediate shot threat, rebounds, and other quick lateral plays.
Goalies use butterfly slides to:
✅ Maintain Ice Coverage – Keep pads flat along the ice to eliminate low shooting lanes.
✅ Stay Square to the Puck – Move laterally while remaining square, maximizing body coverage.
✅ React to Quick Passes – Track cross-ice passes and one-timers without lifting off the ice.
✅ Control Rebounds – Direct pucks safely to the corners while staying ready for second chances.
When to Use Butterfly Slides:
Cross-ice Passes in High Danger Areas & One-Timers – To quickly get across the crease while maintaining ice coverage.
Net-Front Scrambles – To move laterally and seal the post during jam plays or rebounds.
Odd-Man Rushes – To cover backdoor threats and lateral passes on 2-on-1s or 3-on-2s.
Deflections & Tips – To track redirections while staying low and square to the puck.
Why Butterfly Slides Work:
Maximize Net Coverage – Staying low with pads sealed to the ice takes away low shooting lanes.
Stay Square & Balanced – Maintain squareness to the puck while moving laterally, reducing the need for desperate saves.
Quick Recovery – Use strong edges to push back to the middle or reposition quickly after a slide.
Control Rebounds – Direct pucks to the corners or away from high-danger areas while staying in control.
Mastering butterfly slides is crucial for modern goaltenders to maintain positioning, control rebounds, and react quickly to high-speed lateral plays.
C-CUTS
C-Cuts are a fundamental skating technique used by goalies to adjust positioning smoothly and maintain balance without lifting their skates off the ice. Named for the C-shaped motion made by the skate blade, this movement is ideal for small adjustments in depth, angle, and positioning while staying square to the puck.
Goalies use C-Cuts to:
✅ Control Depth – Adjust how far out or deep they play in the crease depending on the scoring threat.
✅ Maintain Angles & Squareness – Stay on the correct angle while keeping the chest square to the puck.
✅ Make Small Adjustments – Shift positioning subtly without over-committing or losing balance.
When to Use C-Cuts:
Depth Adjustments – Moving slightly in or out of the crease to challenge a shooter or prepare for a pass.
Maintaining Angle – Making small movements to stay on angle as the puck moves across the zone.
Tracking Puck Movement – Adjusting positioning smoothly when the puck is cycled along the perimeter.
Repositioning After a Save – Resetting in the crease quickly while staying balanced.
Why C-Cuts Work:
Efficient & Balanced Movement – Keeps the goalie balanced and ready without unnecessary weight shifts.
Smooth Adjustments – Allows precise depth and angle adjustments while staying square to the puck.
Maintains Athletic Stance – Keeps the goalie ready to react, making transitions quicker and more controlled.
Versatility & Control – Works well in all situations, from low-danger perimeter plays to high-danger scoring threats.
Mastering C-Cuts is essential for goalies who want to maintain depth control, stay square, and make precise adjustments without losing balance or positioning.
This clip shows a recent shootout between the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. This camera view does a great job to show the use and importance of c-cuts. Both goalies use c-cuts to gain initial depth, and to retreat back as the shooter comes in to ensure the shooter cannot simply skate the puck around them and score. Both goalies make great saves by matching speed back with their c-cuts and staying patient on their feet!