This is BY FAR my favorite conditioning drill to do. It can take as few minutes to do at the end of every practice – the effects of overall improvement can be felt as quickly as the next day. This drill is the ultimate way to step outside your comfort zone and to slow the game down. Truthfully, it has been a secret of mine for decades now.
This works on physical and mental toughness as you bear through the reps. The point of the drill is to create fatigue while trying to maintain focus on good mechanics and fundamentals. The point is to train your brain to focus on the right technique under pressure even when tired.
Your 7/8/9/10 reps are the most important as your fatigue levels rise. Make SURE to focus on the right mechanics even when you’re tired on your last reps. If you can make the save gassed, you can make the save fresh. This will improve significantly day to day if you’re consistent.
A. Have a shooter between the hash marks with 10 pucks, goalie starts on the post. It’s a game, the goalie must stop 8/10 to win, player must score 3 to win.
Goalie pushes to the face off dot near side, butterflies, recovers and pushes to the middle for a shot once set. Repeat 10X a set with little to no rest in between shots.
B. Performed with a cross crease t-push from the post.
Advanced: If you’re feeling really ambitious and you aren’t gassed on your last reps anymore, add 2 butterfly recoveries and 2 cross crease pushes.
Pro Tip: As this gets easier, bring the shooters closer to make it harder to react to the shot.
NOTE: You’re basically trying to get comfortable with stopping pucks in the highest scoring % area on the ice while way more tired than you’ll likely be in a game.