Hockey goaltender is one of the most pressure-packed positions in all of sports. A good goaltender is his team's last line of defense. When a goalie is on top of his game, he can keep his team in the game when the opponent is outplaying his team. There are several different types of goaltenders and each can be effective.
Butterfly
The butterfly style is used by more National Hockey League goalies than any other way of playing goal. In the butterfly style, the goalie will drop to his knees and spread his legs out to the sides to attempt to stop all low or ice-level shots. A butterfly goalie must have strong hips and legs because he is going down to his knees and then standing up on a regular basis. This must be done quickly and decisively. Butterfly goalies are often vulnerable to high shots to either corner.
Stand-up Typle
A stand-up goalie will use his skating, athleticism and knowledge of opposing shooters to stop the other team from scoring. The stand-up goalie will often skate out of the crease to challenge the shooter. By moving toward the shooter, the goalie gives the offensive player less room to aim for. A stand-up goalie will also leave his crease to chase down loose pucks in order to help his team start an offensive attack. The stand-up goalie is often vulnerable against a slick passing opponent who will attempt side-to-side passes. These will get the goalie moving and it may leave the offensive team with a wide-open net.
Scrambling Type
A scrambling type of goalie is often the most athletic type of player for the position. Instead of concentrating on form like the butterfly goalie or cutting off the angle like the stand-up goalie, the scrambler will throw his body in front of a shot, dive from one angle to the next and try to stop the puck in any manner possible. This type of goalie is quite unconventional and needs to concentrate on sharpening his reflexes in order to be effective at his job.
Innovative Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito was a rookie with the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1969-70 season. He emerged from minor-league obscurity to become a full-time starter in the NHL that season and he recorded a record 15 shutouts. Esposito used the butterfly style and became the first goalie to play goal in that style. Many hockey purists criticized Esposito's style and thought the would be vulnerable to high shots and that he would eventually be run out of the league. However, Esposito played 15 seasons in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. Goalies have emulated Esposito's butterfly style for decades.
