Dobes vs. Andersen goalie matchup in Eastern Conference Final
Beware lengthy limbs: Trying to transform second probabilities, and even cross-ice passes beneath the hash marks, alongside the ice give Dobes an opportunity to make use of his athleticism and lengthy limbs to make a momentum-changing save. There had been a number of in opposition to the Lightning on second likelihood performs in tight and in opposition to the Sabers off cross-ice probabilities off the push, together with a completely prolonged theft in opposition to Tage Thompson in Game 7. It’s essential to get these probabilities above the pad even when Dobes seem like out of the play, together with 9 objectives off damaged performs and bounces in the common season that also required elevation, and given how effectively he makes use of his Gumby-like flexibility to construct vertical protection together with his fingers reaching over these pads even whereas stretched out, the highest half of the web is safer nonetheless.
Traffic-proof? Maybe not. Dobes excelled in opposition to screens throughout the season, combining his dimension with a tall, slim stance to see over visitors slightly than wanting forwards and backwards round it from a decrease stance. The Lightning scored three screened objectives, nevertheless, and the Sabers added six in the second spherical, that means visitors has performed a task in 9 postseason objectives to date (25 %), above the 15.1 % common. Dobes can get caught in transition from that top stance into his lower-save stance, making fast photographs and one-timers, which had been an element on 32 objectives, an efficient tactic even from the perimeter. But the important thing on three of Buffalo’s display objectives was moving into capturing areas beneath the highest of the circles that obtained him into that lower-save stance and compelled him to select a facet wanting round visitors slightly than over it earlier than capturing to the opposite facet of that visitors.
Against the grain: Shots in opposition to the move of play accounted for 20 % of regular-season objectives, together with so much on clear appears to be like, and an inclination to succeed in and push at low photographs in a manner that pulls his torso away from the puck performed on position on low-blocker photographs. There had been 5 against-the-grain objectives in the primary spherical and 5 extra in the second spherical, however they included passes that crossed the center of the ice twice and had been extra about good performs that compelled him to maneuver forwards and backwards and fewer about clear photographs.
East-west down low: Dobes have quieted the east-west positional aggression that used to depart him stranded exterior his posts laterally at occasions however Tampa Bay created a couple of such probabilities in the primary spherical with huge internet drive and photographs off the tip boards, and eight of 10 objectives off passes throughout the center of the ice got here beneath the hash marks. Plays and photographs from behind the web and beneath the face-off circles had been an element on 20 % of regular-season objectives, near the 18.4 % common, however 5 of 15 in the primary spherical and 5 of 21 in the second spherical, a 27.8 % whole, and the Lightning twice caught him with fast passes the opposite manner as he shifted down into his publish play protection. Even off nice lateral passes, it is essential to complete with photographs to the sides of the web, in any other case his unimaginable size and competitors offers Dobes an opportunity to make a momentum-changing save.
