The ways to play goalie in ice hockey are numerous. To become consistent at stopping the puck and keeping the goals against totals from mounting, you have to find the style that is most comfortable for you and combine that with excellent instincts and reactions.
Butterfly Technique
In the butterfly technique, the goalie will stand with his feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and his knees close together. This creates an inverted "V" and appears to give the shooter an opening between the goalie's legs to fire the puck through. However, when the goalie employs this style, he drops to his knees the instant the puck has been fired. If he's quick enough, he keeps the puck from going through and into the net. The big advantage to this position is the position of the legs when the goalie drops down. They are extending out and covering the majority of the lower part of the goal. The big advantage of this position is that you can go down on the ice and get up with relative ease. Shots to the upper corners may be problem areas of butterfly goalies. A majority of the goaltenders in the National Hockey League use this style.
Standup Technique
A standup goalie depends on his skating ability and talent for sliding from one side of the goal to the other to make saves. A standup goaltender will use his size to cut off the angle when a shooter comes in alone. This can make the goal appear smaller to the shooter and make it more difficult to score. A standup goalie must be a good skater who can skate out of the crease and make plays on the puck to help the defense. A standup goalie must be athletic to move quickly and fire out his pads to make saves. Shots to the outside corners may cause problems.
Hybrid Technique
A goalie who uses a hybrid technique will take a little from the butterfly goalie's technique and some from the standup technique. It is largely an instinctive move by the goalie. However, he may favor one style over the other. The hybrid goalie may use the butterfly style most of the time but also have confidence in his skating ability to go out and get a loose puck, and send it to a defensive player to turn the play around and help his team attack.
Flopper Style
The flopper style is for the goaltender committed to stopping the puck at all costs and has top-rated athletic quickness. There is no set technique when you are a flopper. You may set your body or you may flop around the ice to get a glove, a skate or a pad in front of the shot. This can be very frustrating to shooters who think they are looking at a wide-open net before the goalie takes the opening away at the last instant. Former Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek is one of the best examples of this style as is Boston Bruins star goalie Tim Thomas.
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