Rim and Shot
Drill Information
- Shooter 1 rims the puck hard around the boards.
- Goalie leaves the crease, sets their angle, and stops the rim behind the net.
- Shooter 2 skates to the opposite corner to present as an outlet.
- Goalie retrieves the puck and makes a pass to Shooter 2.
- After the pass, the goalie moves across the crease, re-establishes positioning on the new puck side, and returns to the front of the net.
- Shooter 2 passes to Shooter 1, who has skated into a scoring area.
- Shooter 1 receives and shoots in stride.
Coaching Focus Points
- Read the rim early - shoulder check before leaving the crease.
- Beat the puck to the stop point; arrive set, not sliding.
- Hands out in front when handling the puck to stay balanced and control the blade.
- After the pass, explode laterally to the new puck side and arrive on angle.
- Set feet before the shot - no drifting.
- Track the puck through the pass sequence to maintain visual connection.
Shooter Focus Points
- Shooter 1: Time the entry - do not arrive too early.
- Shooter 1: Shoot in stride to maintain deception.
- Shooter 1: Aim for purposeful locations (low far pad, high short side, etc.).
- Shooter 1: Stay inside the dots to create a realistic scoring threat.
- Shooter 2: Arrive with speed to be a viable outlet for the goalie.
- Shooter 2: Open up to the puck - hips facing the goalie for a clean catch-and-release pass.
- Shooter 2: Scan before receiving to locate Shooter 1.
- Shooter 2: Deliver a firm, flat pass into Shooter 1's shooting lane.
Drill Progressions
Progression 1 - Add Shot Options
Shooter 2 may shoot or pass. Goalie must read body language and react accordingly.
Progression 2 - Add a Coach or Player Forechecker
Light pressure on the goalie during the rim retrieval. Forces quicker decision-making and stronger puck protection.
Progression 3 - Shooter 2 Randomly Chooses Corner
Shooter 2 can choose the same corner as the rim or the opposite corner. Shooter 1 reads Shooter 2 and sets up for a shot on the appropriate side. Goalie must read the passing option and adjust accordingly.
Progression 4 - Add a Screen or Net-Front Player
Place a stationary or moving screen in front. Goalie works on finding sightlines and tracking through traffic.
Progression 5 - Combine All Four Previous Progressions
Combine Shooter 2's shoot option, coach pressure, random corner, and screen. Goalie works on puck handling, decision-making, scanning, and puck tracking.
Skills Focus
Fundamental Skills:
- Skating
- Positioning
- Stance
- Save Selection
This drill and the website on which it is hosted were developed as part of USA Hockey's Goaltending Gold certification program. For more drills and goaltending content, visit GoalieGen.com. All drills created and organized in CoachThem.
