Tangled in the Twine

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson has been brutally inconsistent so far this season

           When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jonas Gustavsson in 2009, he was regarded as one of the best goaltenders not playing in the NHL. The Monster was supposed to bring Toronto back to the playoffs for the first time since the lockout, but clearly that hasn't happened yet. During his last few outings, there have been flashes of brilliance, but also some signs that he shouldn't be earning an NHL paycheck.

            Gustavsson relies on a very methodical style of goaltending and there isn't a lot of movement in the crease. When he challenges a shooter, he doesn't glide outside his crease like Martin Brodeur. Instead, he pivots using the inside edges of his skates. The Monster is a prototypical student of Francois Allaire, who happens to be Toronto's goalie coach. Allaire has turned average 'tenders’ into Stanley Cup champions by teaching them to block the puck (in fact, if it wasn't for Allaire, J.S. Giguere wouldn't have a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup ring on his resume). Part of Allaire's niche is that all of his goalies appear to be under control at all times. All of his students make saves look boring because they're in the right position at all times and the shooter doesn't have anything to shoot at. For Gustavsson, it's a different story. It seems like his weight is too far forward, causing him to be unbalanced in the crease, which makes it a lot harder to perform routine saves.

            While it's definitely okay to study the technical aspect of the netminding position, it's nearly impossible to be successful only blocking the puck. Time and time again early in this NHL season, Gustavsson has been far too technical and it has made him look rather foolish. Case in point, last night against the Senators, he allowed a routine wrist shot from the point to beat him to the glove side. Instead of moving his glove hand a few inches, he tried to slide into the shot and stop it with his chest. Clearly, Gustavsson was trying to make a save in a fashion more difficult than it needed to be.   

            I know I'm not an NHL goalie coach, but I was taught the position by a man who has been regarded as one of the best goalie coaches in the Ontario Hockey League for years. Piero Greco, who now instructs the Kitchener Rangers goaltenders, taught not only the technical aspects of the game, but how to actually react to incoming pucks too. One of the key fundamentals that 'Grecs’ taught was glove position. He always harped that the glove had to be in front of the goalie's body, so much so that the goalie should be able to see their glove out of the corner of their eye. This way, the netminder can watch the puck fall into their glove.

            If all of this specific goaltending talk is confusing you, let's 'dummy it down'. When my Dad taught me to catch a baseball, he told me to watch the ball into my glove. Whenever I wouldn't watch it, I'd usually drop the ball. Moving back to hockey, the same thing applies. If a goaltender doesn't watch the puck, it's very hard to stop it. On this particular play, watch Gustavsson's eyes, they are looking directly forward, not at the puck. He's essentially acting like a soccer goalie, as he's guessing where the puck is going.

            Jonas Gustavsson has to branch out his goaltending style. He should take a page out of other netminder's style guides and add them to his arsenal. Ben Scrivens is third on the Leafs depth chart and had an excellent training camp. If Gustavsson continues to give up untimely goals, he may soon be permanently riding the buses in the AHL.