The Art Of The Fake Shot With Mika Zibanejad
Scoring more goals with the fake shot to slide five-hole
Too many players shoot high against the goalie. Yet, when you listen to top goal scorers… they almost all talk about shooting low.
For more general background on that topic, check out the “further reading” section at the end of this piece. There is plenty of great content to help you solve the goalie and score more goals.
Goalie Footwork
A goalie’s ability to skate and move is of utmost importance. The best goalies are constantly using their chests to save the puck. Nashville Predators star goaltender Juuse Saros is an undersized 5’11”, yet is consistently an NHL All-Star and in the conversation for best goalies in the world… and it’s all in his skating.
(Source)
This is why it is often said that “goalies are (or should be) the best skaters on the team.”
Exploiting Footwork
With top goalies being fantastic skaters, they’re constantly in a great position to stop the puck. If shooters want to score more, they must find ways to move the goalie, whether to go around them or open up holes.
One of the great details is when a shooter fakes a shot, moves, and then finds an opening as the goalie scrambles to be ready for the actual shot.
The first step is understanding how what you do affects the goalie and which leg is the push leg vs the leading leg.
Video Examples
Jesper Bratt gets our goalie from above to drop and move by threatening a shot and then moving the puck. He opens the goalie’s five-hole so he can slip the puck into the net through that space.
The best and most consistent in the NHL right now is New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad. From 2017:
Here it is again in 2019. The fake gets the goalie to drop, then get back to his feet… opening the five-hole:
Then again in 2023… This doesn’t have to be a big windup fake slapshot. A simple pump fake wrister will do the job. This freezes the goalie in place and leaves the ice open.
Next time you’re at the rink, set yourself a personal goal of only scoring five-hole. Naturally, you’ll have to find ways to open up the goalie’s five-hole between their feet.
This isn’t the last you’ll hear us talk about scoring on the ice… more to come in the coming months!
Further Reading
The statistics behind getting the goalie moving before shooting
Increasing your shooting percentage off the carry via shooting routes, down or across