Here’s Coach Sean McLaughlin of Elite Hockey Science Reston breaking down a recent Cole Sillinger snap shot goal. Sillinger is a 21-year-old NHLer who does a good job of hiding his release during this partial breakaway.
Many EHS players are familiar with this deceptive release pattern, called a “Backhand to Forehand Open Face”, from their shooting room training sessions with Coach Sean. It’s also exercise #50 in the EHS Reston homework curriculum.
This popular type of snap shot is used to freeze goalies, and with proper top hand biomechanics (as Sillinger exemplifies) it allows players that know what they’re doing to apply a QUICK, POWERFUL burst into the back of the puck. Controlling the height of the puck is also a teachable skill that Coach Sean helps players understand during weekly shooting room lessons at SkateQuest or online.
