In the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, one of the major reasons the Vegas Golden Knights were able to beat the Florida Panthers was because they won the majority of battles in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

A goalie can only stop what a goalie can see and taking away sight from two-time NHL All-Star Bobrovsky led Vegas to a five-game series win and the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Goaltending guru Matthew Bourgeois spoke about this and how to keep your goalie’s sightlines without compromising balance, mechanics and their path as they’re moving from one spot to another during TCS Live 2023.

“The two most important aspects for a goalie are angle and squareness, so that they give themselves a chance to set their feet.”

Bourgeois is the Goalie Coach at Canisius College and a contributor to The Coaches Site. The 20-year coaching veteran is a certified High Performance 1 coach and Goaltending Level 3 coach with Hockey Canada; he also works with the Ontario Hockey Federation, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and Northern Ontario Minor Hockey Association as a Goaltending Coach and mentor.

When it comes to helping your team’s last line of defence be at their best to help your team be at its best, Bourgeois knows his stuff. This 17-minute presentation is filled with drills you can use to ensure your defence and goalie win the majority of battles in front of the net.