Crosby. Kane. Ovechkin. Datsyuk.
You didn’t think he’d stop there, did you?
Last week, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick gave hockey fans an inside look on who he thinks are the toughest snipers in the league to stop. It was a rare glimpse into the mind of an elite goaltender.
Well, he’s back with a few more. In part two of his Elite Snipers 101 piece for The Players’ Tribune, Quick tackles players like Steven Stamkos, Anze Kopitar, Max Pacioretty and more.
Even with two posts on the topic, Quick admits that this “…still isn’t a complete list of the guys who give goalies nightmares.”
So while we’ll gladly welcome another post from the well-written goalie, we’ll take this for now.
Here are some excerpts from part two of Quick’s list, plus videos hand-picked by Quick himself to showcase each player’s talent:
On Steven Stamkos:
Similar to Ovechkin, Stamkos makes you paranoid about your ability to see the puck no matter where he is on the ice … As a goalie, I have to respect his ability to make a tough pass instead of just selling out on the shot and moving up a half-step in the crease. And that creates a real problem, because his release is world-class.
On Anze Kopitar:
The first thing you notice with Kopitar is how incredibly smooth he is in all facets of the game. I’ve never seen a big guy be that effortless on skates. He makes it look easy, which is maybe why he’s underrated in a sense … Kopi is as close as you’re going to get to Jagr at protecting the puck.
On John Tavares:
Tavares can deke you, or roof a shot, or make a great pass, or if nothing is there, he’ll do the smartest thing and chip it in deep to live another day … He’s one of the most tenacious guys I’ve ever played against.
Watch the clip again. How many full strides does he take from the time he beats the first defenseman to the time he scores? One.
On Max Pacioretty:
When you’re playing Max, you have to be very aware of his quick snapshot. He’s able to release the shot so quickly and with so much power that you have to know where it’s going ahead of time to have a chance to stop it. The thing that separates Max is that his shots are as accurate and consistent as you’re going to see in the NHL. He can pick a little sliver of space better than anyone, so if you’re deep in your net when he releases it, it’s game over.
(P.S. Look at the score and the clock. Max scores big goals.)
On Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin:
Jamie Benn is basically the ultimate hockey player. My teammate Drew Doughty is one of the best defensemen in the world, so I’ll take his word above anyone when it comes to players, and he’s always saying how tough it is to play against Benn.
Add in Seguin to the mix now and it’s a whole new dimension … He scores from some really unorthodox angles. It’s a release that you don’t see a lot as a goalie.
Benn and Seguin have incredibly quick releases, but the most dangerous thing about them is that they’re unpredictable. Almost mischievous. When they’re clicking on all cylinders in your zone you’re just thinking, Ah for f–
… Alright, I’m getting worked up.