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titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Aniki posted:

Do you guys have any advice on learning to track the puck off of your pads? I generally do a good job of stopping the first shot, but I struggle finding the puck after I made the initial save. I know that part of the problem is that I try to rely on feel too much, so I'll have times where I made the initial save and thought that I had control of the puck only to have someone pluck the puck off of my pads and into the net. I know that I need to get better at not losing track of the puck after it hits my body/pads, but are there any tips or even drills that I could do to help improve my awareness of the puck after making the initial save?

Be sure to just practice keeping your eye on the puck during warm-ups or practice. Another thing you could do is suggest that the drills you do allow for the player to make rebound shots so that you dont get in a "the first save was good enough" mindset. It should become instinct to either cover or divert the puck from the crease after some practice.

Regarding communication with my defense (besides what has already been said) I really hammer the importance of stopping cross slot passes with the more casual group I tend for. I'll take a shallow angle shot any day over a cross slot one-timer 1' from the crease. A lack of trust in your defensemen can lead to you cheating away from that shallow angle shooter and make you look like an idiot because you had to pay too much attention to what’s going on behind or to the side of you.

I lucked out and made a friend with someone I met on goaliestore.com that got me in with a younger NHL/AHL/MN Gopher hockey alumni group. This has done a lot of great things for my game, these guys don’t try to shoot for open spots they pick open spots to shoot. Any bad habits you've had get fixed fast or they're going to find a new goalie. Recognizing why you've been scored on is something you must do every time. I have the mentality that there’s no save a physically fit goalie can’t make.

Here’s a list of things I think about before every game

1. Square to the puck. Shoulders and toes square to the puck. This is the number one thing Warren Strelow emphasized at his camps, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to make the first save if you’re squared up and on your angles.

2. Angles. Don’t get pushed back into the net or you’re going to let the shooter see to much twine.

3. Patience. Don’t make the first move you should react to the shot not the shooter trying to make a fool out of you

4. Observe the environment. You need to know where your defensemen are covering and where the next shot may be coming from after a quick pass.


There’s a lot more to be said on the topic sorry for rambling. I’m just a longtime goalie that loves the sport and enjoys helping others :D

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titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

trilljester posted:

As a forward who plays a lot like Holmström, I humbly request you drat goalies stop whacking me with your stick when I'm outside the crease. Thank you.

I'm a fan of the hard poke to the skates to cause a trip. This way my stick stays on the ice and you may end up blocking a shot for me.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

sba posted:

I'm buying my R8's at goaliemonkey when I get my bonus this month, there's other stores but no one really carries goalie poo poo. It's all special order for the most part.

I tried on a pair R8's and I really like them. I ended up buying Simmons 993's because I really couldn't afford the R8's at the time. While the 993's are great pads I noticed that the R8's thigh rises are a noticeable amount thinner and don't interfere with each other as much. Hopefully later on this year I'll be able to afford a pair. You should PM me after you've used them for a while and let me know what you think of them.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
Here's the only decent pic of me playing with my gear.



Helmet: Hackva custom shortened chin after talking with Gabe
Catch: TPS Pro Summit
Waffle: TPS Pro Summit
Chest: Simmons 993
Breezers: Louisville TPS R8 Response
Pads: 993 34+2's
Skates: Nike XIX's


I'm not a huge fan of the skates and I think I'll move over to the One75's or 95's depending on fit. The pads are great but the 994's fixed one of the problems I had with the 993's and that's the thickness of the thigh rise on the inside edge. I'm taking the summer off to put on some muscle and condition but I think I'll buy some UL5's before the next season. I know lots of people have issues with Simmons ripping off other companies products but at half the price I can live with that.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

What is the 993/4 a ghost of? It looks kind of like an RBK style pad maybe?

I have no problems with Battram/Simmons ghosting other manufacturers. The market for these guys is basically someone who won't drop $1500 on a big name pro pad, but doesn't want to drop $800 on the equivalent "Sr." level pad either, so they'd either go with a used pro pad or one of these off-brand manufacturers, neither resulting in the original big-brand manufacturer receiving any cash in hand.

Now as far as ethics of ghosting are concerned, I would easily put my ethics on the backburner for a cheap pro quality pad, so w/e :3:

993/994 is really their most original design, the leg channels are similar but that's about it. The pad itself is much more flexable so when it comes to pad stiffness I'd say 993/4 -> RBK -> TPS Response. I felt more mobile when trying on the Response vs. RBK because the top of the pad isn't holding your leg at all. That being said MAF is the most mobile goalie I've ever seen when pad sliding and he uses RBK pads, it's all about what you're comfortable with.

I ended up ordering the Simmons Ultra Light 5's today. Ordering pads over the phone without seeing how they size up always scares me since its such a huge investment. I'm 6'1" tall with normal length legs and my ATK was the low limit of 36" 993's. They tried to push the 36+2"ers but I thought the 34+2" would fit me better since my last pads were 34" and I was right. It turns out the 36+2" UL5 knee is only 1" higher than my 993s so they should be perfect and now I'm at the NHL limit for pad height! An extra 4" on the ice is always welcome and I'll enjoy the extra flexibility.

If any Minnesota goalies want to try on some 993's before blindly ordering them from the site hit me up and I'll let you see how they fit.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

:siren: DIY MASK UPDATE :siren:

Primed and ready to rock. Final mask will be completely white with these two on one side and the other:

Its not a pro paintjob by any stretch, but I'll be happy with this DIY job if it comes out well!

Do you have a writeup on how you're doing this? Are you clear coating it?

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
What better time to buy new equipment than when you're taken the summer season off for physical training?!

I present the new Nike/Bauer One95's



I went from Bauer 3000's to XIX's two years ago because my 3000's were falling apart after 6 years of heavy use. The XIX's got me by but I had a few issues with the way they were made; 1) the steel must be crazy soft because the blade seemed to wear down way too fast from sharpening. 2) The fit wasn't great for my feet. Mine weren't baked in and my right ankle set all the way past the gel. 3) Nike in an attempt to save money decided that making less cowlings for their skates and putting "close enough" sized boots in them was a good idea, it wasn't.

Now for the One95

The one (an maybe only) thing i liked a lot about the X series was the intro of the flex heel. They moved a slightly stiffer version of this to the new skate and it still provides all the freedom you'll need to make those breakaway full extension toe saves. Its noticeably lighter, I actually held a One75 in a smaller size and noticed the 95 was still less weight. I highly doubt I'll notice the 10% weight saving vs the X series but I could feel it in my hands. The fit is perfect and after having them baked in it doesnt feel like there will be any break in pain. Another new feature is the seemingly longer blade and rounded front. I haven't played in them yet but I'll post my thoughts after.



vs.





My initial impressions of these skates are nothing but positive with my only complaint being the price. If I wasn't playing 4x a week I would have gone with the One75's but I figured with heavy use and these probably being the last skates I'll ever buy I splurged. To all the Minnesota or Western Wisconsin goalies I'd HIGHLY recommend The Goal Crease. The guys that work there aren't in the least bit pushy and know the product better than any other shop I've been to. They actually have an in shop sheet of ice and lots of pads you can demo before buying. Robb Stauber was in the shop to so meeting him was pretty awesome. I'm pumped to get these out on the ice.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Tim Thomas posted:

I'm pretty pissed off, I saw the One95s and immediately thought, "Well, nobody loving carries Graf poo poo anymore, I'm out of steel on my Grafs, and I'm turning those into inline blades anyway," I'd try the One95s. Helping this is that around the time I started looking for skates, my girlfriend was hired by a Nike company. She gets any product at least 50% off.

Unfortunately, Nike apparently doesn't apply that discount to any NikeBauer hockey gear.

Needless to say, I'm pissed off.

Let us know how they break in, I've always liked the Supreme holder (have one on my Grafs) and the steel was generally pretty good.


That sucks about the Grafs, most of the shops around here seem to have them can you ask for them to order a pair?

Break in was pretty much non existent wearing these skates, the first time on the ice was less painful than wearing my now old and broken in XIXs. The weight difference was noticed but not a huge deal, they were much more comfortable, the vent holes seemed to make my feet sweat a bit less, the extended blade wasn't an issue at all and if anything made me more solid on my feet, and the steel is sooooo much nicer than the XIXs. The first time I left my skate guards on the XIX's i had rust on them before I got home. These skates had wet guards on them a good 24hrs and there isn't one speck of rust on them.

You should really look at the One75s if the cost of the 95's is an issue. They're still awesome skates and only lack vent holes and some weight savings. This is what I expected the evolution of the Bauer skate to be, not that clear purple plastic garbage.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
My issue with most forwards is that I can't get a critique out of them. There are times when I ask "what did I do wrong on that shot? what am I doing wrong?" only to hear "nothing you're playing fine" "you couldn't do anything about it". I've always been in the mindset that there's always something you could have done to stop the puck. It's more irritating to hear that I cant do anything about it because I know that's not true.

Note to forwards! If a goalie asks what happened or what they did wrong give them an honest answer. "You bit too early on his move on that breakaway" "it looks like you're cheating the right hand side a bit too much" "you're playing really shallow in the net today". If they're a decent goalie and they're not asking don't tell them because odds are they're thinking it in their head.

titanium fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Jul 8, 2008

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Tim Thomas posted:

Roller hockey stuff

Gahhhh! The thought of not being able to shuffle makes me :psyduck:

Do your pads wear down super fast? I'm guessing ground wears them out a hell of a lot faster than ice.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
Post to post I always try to lead with my stick and back it up with my leg. Its not terribly hard for them to push your pad into the net but if a paddle down stick is pressed against the pipe they're not getting that puck in unless it busts. When you're pad only you may have a little opening under your skate if it touches the post or if its behind the post.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
ITS CHRISTMAS!


I ordered the Simmons UL5's while on brake this summer but after using my 993s again I realized there's nothing that bothers me with the type of pad. Last Thursday I changed my UltraLight 5 order to 994's and of course the day before the pads arrive I play some of the best hockey of my life with the 993's.



Sorry about the picture quality I just picked up the camera and too quick shots.




Here they are all bagged up ready to taste freedom.





At 6'1" I'm using the 34+2" size, it looks like the knee stack sits a tiny bit higher with the 994 than in the 993 so it works out prefect for me.





Here they are sitting next to the 993's, after slightly over a year of use the 993's havent shrunk any and only appear shorter because they're broken in.




Front to back. The big difference here is the new NHL legal thigh boards and material in the leg channel. Thigh boards annoy the hell out of me and I've never had an issue taking one to the knee with the 993's so I'll probably remove these ones as well.




Open wide






Top to top. No width shrinkage





Here they are side by side, you can see the difference in width on the top quite clear. When first using the 993s the thigh rises were annoying to me but I'm guessing that was growing pains after moving from a thigh riseless pad.




close up of top.






The leg channels on both of the pads.






Close up of the knee area. The knee stacks are softer than the 993s (something they changed in the 993s later)






Fully v




Overall the little changes are appreciated but not necessary in my opinion. I got itchy with my stimulus check and figured what the hell. So far my only complaint is that the leather straps aren't white which makes them much easier to mark once you found the prefect adjustment. The 993's are great pads and honestly I didn't need to upgrade at all but if you're looking to upgrade old pads I'd highly recommend either the 993/994. If yo I'll write up a post skate report once I get a chance to get them on the ice.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

T-Bone posted:

Oh and hey I had the exact same save PMA was talking about earlier tonight and I led with my stick and saved it :shobon:

Nice pads Titantium. Some goalie in my league just got Smiths, which I'm sort of intrigued about. Anyone ever tried them?

One of the goalies I skate with has a pair of Smiths that he's used for a while and they've held up great. If they're the style of pad you want I say go for it.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
I have some underarmor and some "Gear" brand undershirts/pants/boxer breifs. Just get the cheap stuff, the underarmor is a bit softer which you wont notice unless you're holding it in your hands comparing. Any of these solutions is a HUGE improvement over cotton sweatpants and tshirts (which I foolishly wore throughout highscool). I wouldnt go no shirt under my chestpad just because the material would stick to me due to sweat but you have a coolmax type material on the chestpad you should be fine.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Polish posted:

Yeah I usually just wear a cotton t-shirt and some sport shorts. Looks like a trip to Target tonight.

You have bare skin showing through your pads?

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
What level are you guys playing at? It's really common for the teams in my league to pickup ringers in the playoffs. It's annoying but it makes things more interesting.

You guys should be ready to take any shot from anyone at any time, MAN UP! :madmax:

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
Hackva just released pictures of the new "Halo" helmet design!





Yes please!

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Joey Walnuts posted:

Played against Jocelyn Lemieux tonight. Holy crap. I didn't know who he was until after the game. I felt much better knowing that an ex NHL'er lit me up all night.

I know the feeling, I was playing with a NHL/AHL/Euro pro league alumni group last fall/winter and those guys force you to be honest. Totally different mindset since they'll catch you cheating anywhere and make you look like an idiot. It makes you a better goalie though so I love it.


994 on ice review:


I've been on the ice twice with the 994's now and I love them. The softer knee stack makes a huge difference in comparison to my early purchased 993's. I really wish I would have taken them up for the replacement ones before. The thinner thighrise is great, I have zero bumping between the pads when moving or going butterfly. Before I was iffy on my purchase but now I have zero regrets, the 993's are excellent pads but these are perfect for me.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

I've got a decision to make.

I play with a group of C/B players right now on Tuesdays 11pm (Let's call it a B-level group), and I want to pick up another group on another day. Here is what is available:

Thursday 11pm: Beginner/D league group shinny
PRO: Organized by the same guys who run my Tuesday games.
CON: For players who can barely skate pass or shoot. Talent much lower aside from one or two guys.

Friday Noon: Adult Shinny, usually a mix of C/B/A players.
PRO: Level of talent is about the same or better than my Tuesday night game.
CON: It's a public shinny so there's a 25% chance it's me and two other guys and that's it.

I can't make both. My body will currently physically not let me play back to back games. I'm trying to decide what would be better for my development. I'm leaning towards the Friday shinny since I'd like to face as high level as I can, but I don't know.

I think playing the lower level shooters would help me by giving me more time to set up angles and think about what I'm doing, but playing the higher level shooters teaches me to think faster on my feet.

What would you guys recommend, short of going to both. That'll be an option when I get my conditioning back in order but for now I need a day in between to rest :v:

I've always had the mindset that when you play against the best you become better as long as you don't accept failure. It sounds cheesy as gently caress but I'd rather play against people with fast passing and excellent shots than some slow group that doesn't know their position. You'll get lazy playing against sloppy lovely players.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

fenix424 posted:

What do you think a realistic time-frame is for someone who has never skated before to average beer-league goalie would be? I guess i need to know how long its going to take me to not be worthless on skates :smith:

Honestly it shouldn't take you too long to be good enough to play on a D team. D league goalies can be pretty harsh to watch but most teams just appreciate that you're there. Keep in mind its common courtesy to not pay league fees when you're a goalie so thats an added perk. I save about $450 per season Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter so factor that into the cost of goalie gear you end up ahead pretty quick :D

Get out to some open skates figure out if the other goalies are dicks, if they're not ask them questions. If you go with some friends that play forward ask them where you're open or what you're doing wrong and you should be able to pick up fast.

Vaughn has some good writeups on the basics of goaltending for beginners too so check those articles out.
http://www.vaughnhockey.com/goaltending_resources/goaltending_resources.htm

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Zinc. posted:

This. I play, and in return get, so much better playing with guys who are fast and know what to do with the puck. The only way you're going to get any better is playing at a level that constantly challenges you. I'm a LW, but I'd have to think its the same for goalies.

But it also helps out when your pads dwarf Giggy's like Titanium's do ;)

How dare you! I'm 2" short on my legpads and after watching the one save wonder (Giggy) last night I know my chest pad is well under NHL spec. Just cause I'm 6'2" doesn't mean I'm cheating.


(Chest may look larger due to goalie jersey)

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

SmutAnEggs posted:

I'm trying to find a cat-eye cage for my Badger Elite goalie mask made in 1995. Here's what it looks like:


I have looked at the Itech and Hackva cages but those are to small. The opening on this mask/cage is huge:smith:

Wow thats an old mask. I remember saving allowance/Birthday/Christmas money to get one of those back in the day. I'd say upgrade otherwise it looks like the guys at NXi might have some but it doesnt look good.

http://www.goalielife.com/showthread.php?t=234

If you're looking for an affordable trustworthy mask I'd say buy a Hackva. I've used one for the past 2 years and its taken a few full throttle slap shots from some NHL alumni and stood the test. Its now a backup helmet to my Itech 961 only because I have a narrow face and the 961 fits a bit better.




Regarding sharpening I've had my skates for about 6 months now playing 2-4 times a week and only sharpened them three times. The quality of the steel makes a huge difference when it comes to how well they stand up. My old Bauer XIX's would be poo poo after 3-4 skates but my One95's that have good stainless steel stand up quite well. When I notice them getting a bit slippery I run an sharks tooth style edge tool up and down them a couple times and it feels like a perfect sharpening.

Its pretty similar to this one.

titanium fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Oct 16, 2008

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Vigilance posted:

I am actually surprised this doesn't happen more often in the NHL with how hard the puck is shot. I think it happened once or twice last year that I can recall. Actually, it happened to Tim Thomas if I'm not mistaken.


Oh, goalie question I had. I'm a defenseman. I've played my whole life yada yada, but one thing I've always wondered is just how you goalies like us playing the cross ice passes. What I tend to do is I try to lift my opponents stick, or if I am defending near post and don't have that option I will go down to block the pass or try to put the shaft of my stick on the ice, to at least make him have to make a hell of a pass to get the pass through. Which do you prefer? Lift the guys stick or actually try to use my stick to block the cross ice pass?

I ask because I saw Ohlund try to use his stick to block the pass last night which in my opinion is a bad play the way he did it because he tried to use the blade of his stick to block the pass and the puck ended up banking off his stick and in. I always try to use the shaft, *not* the blade because there are less chances of deflections that way and if I use the shaft the puck will stop and I will be able to kick it with my feet or whatever instead of having no idea sometimes where it will go when I use the blade of my stick.


I usually do very well playing this way, but then again I imagine it is significantly harder to lift an NHL player's stick and the best I've ever played against are former minor pros in beer leagues so maybe Ohlund's way is the only way they can do it at the highest levels.


e: If I'm not being clear I basically mean, lift the stick of the opposing player who is the passing option and let the goalie take the shot at the bad angle, or try to use the shaft of my stick laying it out on the ice to block the pass, or go down myself to try and block the pass with my body, or use the blade like Ohlund and hope it deflects away harmlessly instead of into the net.


Depends on the situation, I saw that Ohlund goal and if he had laid down to stop the puck he may have been in the way if the goalie was trying to push across. I personally like to have confidence that my D will prevent a cross slot pass in a 2 on 1 situation. Whatever you can do to prevent that puck from a fast hard one-timer is appreciated as long as you're not bumping into the goalie.

Ohlunds goal was a fluke and if his stick would have been angled the other way it would have popped to the high slot or into his feet.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Polish posted:

Right now I don't have any free rink time. During the spring/summer I will have plenty of time but no one ever wants to help me with that kind of stuff. Everyone just wants to do shoot-outs or just play a pick up game. And then of course blame me when we lose :jerkbag:

What the hell kind of team are you playing for that blame you for losing?




Martytoof posted:

We should all just pool money and get Dave Wells or someone to come do a SAS Goalie Clinic. He does clinics in Toronto all the time.

I might toss in for this over a weekend or something. I've never been to Toronto.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

slow hands posted:

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll definitely make sure to grab a goalie jock.
:)

Regarding the mask though, I was curious if any of you guys have any experience with the combo mask along the lines of Chris Osgood.

Reading up the on the subject on the goaliestore.com forums makes it seem like there are enough people using them that it isn't an issue as long as you make sure to use a solid helmet with quality padding and a new cage. They look kind of dopey and significantly less badassed than the style used nowadays but if the protection is just as good, I don't mind looking kind of silly if it saves me a little cash.

If they're not worth it though, I'll definitely grab a normal mask (staying away from the widowmaker) using the advice you guys have given me.

I'd go with the Sportmask Mage if you're looking to go a combo style route.

http://www.sportmask.com/goalie-masks/combo-mage1.html

I've tried on a friends and its much more comfortable and lighter weight than the SK2000 style helmets.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Crumleg posted:



I loved these sticks but they busted ALL the time for me.



Polish posted:

Hey Marty are you a full-right goalie? I think I am the only one..



:hf: <--- those are left hands.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

sba posted:

Anyone else give up a GWG softie with 15 seconds left last night or just me?? :(

Second game of the season the opposing teams goalie raced out to play the puck against one of our players while the score was 2-2 with 2 mins left in the 3rd. He tried to toss the puck to the opposite corner and it ended up in his net.

Things could look a lot worse, make up for it another game.

Koopa Kid posted:

you can do whatever you want as a goalie.

Including.....MURDER

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
New bucket has arrived :D



Goes in for paint soon.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

I think I'm the only guy who hates the look of Itech masks. The chin is just so.. weird. That being said, I tried one on and it felt bulletproof so good on you :cool:
Its amazing how stout the helmet is, I took a slapshot from about 15 feet out from an ex AHL'er straight to the dome and only felt the push of the force instead of a shutter throughout the mask. The chin I like because it tucks in a bit where my Hackva is a bit wider, it makes it easier for me to look over my shoulder when stuffs going on behind the net.



Space Cadet posted:

Ok, so I have been reading this thread, following the links from the first post and just generally doing some research with the local guys as well. I have decided to take up hockey again this year after quite a few years off and have picked out all my equipment EXCEPT for a helmet. As for the level of play I intend to pretty much just do shinny/beer league stuff due to my erratic schedule. So far my gear seems to be ok starter gear, but importantly is comfortable, seems well padded and was not budget busting. I hope to play at least once, possibly twice a week.

What I need is some guidance on the masks, I read the earlier remarks regarding itechs being of poor quality and my city stocks those in abundance with a smattering of Hackva, Sportmask, TPS and Ollie masks for diversity. If there are good itech models, which are they? how tight should my mask feel against my face/head? Is it forbidden to buy a mask that feels too snug and whittle down the foam inside? So far the only masks that are close to fitting me comfortably are the Sr. size itech (tight nearly everywhere) and the Large Sportmask (was really snug, only tight on the cheekbones). I am heading to a store tomorrow to see if they have the larger sized Hackva for my charlie brown type head. Some pointers would really help.

Like Aniki said the Envy 7 is an okay Itech mask but I'd recommend the Hackva because it is a wider helmet with pro protection and a lifetime shell warranty at an awesome price. Gabe who owns the company provides the best customer service I've ever experienced too.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Aniki posted:

I went to play open hockey this afternoon and when I opened up my trunk, my mask wasn't there. I apparently left it in the locker room or parking lot on Wednesday night and while I called the rink (Polar Ice Gilbert), they haven't heard anything about it yet. So yeah, my Eddy Custom Kevlar is gone and my backup mask is an Itech 1200, which I barely feel comfortable using for inline.

I guess at this point, I'm looking at either a Hackva, another Eddy Custom Kevlar or an Itech NV7. Does anyone know Hackva's sizing compares to Eddy?

Edit: Sportmask is an option to, but I'm not as familiar with their products. I want to keep the price in the same $300-400 range as my Custom Kevlar was.

I'd put the Hackva or Eddy infront of the NV7 there. I've seen some Itec 961's floating around for near $500 if you feel like extending your budget a bit.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
So in the past months I've been really frustrated with my catch hand because it's been acting more like a blocker and spit everything out instead of trapping. I figured it was me not getting centered perfectly and kept trying to adjust with minimal gains. Last week I noticed something about my glove after looking at another one, the thumb had been flattened in my bag causing it create a flat surface on the front which caused pucks to deflect out instead of angle into the web.



Some bending but it back in its original state and every puck found its way into the webbing the next time I used it.




It's something to look at if you're noticing the same problem.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

I've been working on my glove hand a LOT lately, and have the same problem, though it doesn't appear to be the same issue. My problem seems like I *ALWAYS* place my glove out far enough that the puck hits my wrist block and bounces out.

Are you following the puck into your hand? Tennis ball + Wall practice?

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Aniki posted:

My new Hackva 2608 mask arrived today and it's shocking how light this thing is. It weighs about 2.5 lbs compared to my old Eddy Custom Kevlar which weighed 2.9 lbs. The cage also feels lighter for some reason, I haven't heard any complaints about it's strength, so I'm not concerned about it, but overall this mask is very light.

Now all I need to do is pick up a new dangler, which I'll do on Thursday or Friday and I'm back in action. I'll make sure to post some pictures when I get a chance.

Good pickup, my complaints with the Hackva lay mostly with the cage. It'll end up rusting a bit around the welds and if you take an extremely hard shot between the eyes it might end up chipping some of the paint around the forehead. It's the best mask you can get for your dollar and you cant beat a lifetime shell warranty. The only reason I picked up the 961 is because it fits my narrow face better.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Aniki posted:

I'm really looking forward to testing out the mask, it had the best combination of price, protection and weight that I could find. I actually got it for $291 including shipping, which is pretty drat impressive when you consider that my Eddy Custom Kevlar cost around $350-400 when I bought it and it only had kevlar in the high impact zones. The cage is the one thing that I'll need to wait and see about. I'll definitely need to be better about wiping it down to delay the onset of rust, but as long as it doesn't dent too easily then I'll be happy. The chipping of the paint around the top of the cage is something that I can live with, but I'll pay attention and see how bad it gets.

Right now I'm just looking forward to being able to log a bunch of ice time over the next few weeks, so that I can get my game back on track. I played great the night I lost my previous mask, so hopefully I haven't lapsed too much since Thanksgiving.

Do you need a certified cage? If not I know he offers a stainless steel version of the cateye. I've had mine for a little over a year now and like I said there's some rust by the welds and on some of the hardware but its really not enough for me to care that much.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
Got the mask back finally!


Before.






After.





titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
I purchased some of the artists pieces previously and he painted my house too.



But I had him pull from this stencil from the other piece I bought.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Martytoof posted:

Completely unrelated to goalie discussion, but this is so loving badass I couldn't help but state so for the record.

Thanks, his name is John Grider and you can see more of his stuff here. http://flickr.com/photos/brokencrow/

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!

Chemmy posted:

How do you open your back door?

It opens just like any other door with paint on it.

titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
lovely night, took a shot directly to the heart (har har Bon Jovi) when getting tall in butterfly and my chest pad straps were loose. Then my composite goalie stick got busted from a Reed Larson slapshot

.


Have any of you used that Ferral goalie undershirt? If so, how machine washable is it?

Next stick I'm probably going to get is a One95 unless anyone suggests otherwise. I heard they fixed a lot of issues they had with the original XXX stick.

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titanium
Mar 11, 2004

NONE SHALL PASS!
Picked up a Warrior Swagger stick to replace my busted composite yesterday. I'd say if you're ever going to get a wood stick pick one of these up, I absolutely love it.

I also tried Rockstars version of 5hr energy before the game. I was a little afraid it would make my heart rate shoot through the roof or make me too jittery but I just ended up really focused. I'll probably be drinking these before most games that start before 8pm, I was still hyper about 2hrs after the game.

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