How does an NHL goaltender bounce back after a bad goal?

Bad goals happen to every NHL goaltender. Evan Dominik Hasek allowed a few stinkers from time to time.

But there’s no position dominated more by mental stability than goaltending. A poor mindset can throw anyone’s game off, even at the highest level. Unfortunately for some goaltenders, ugly goals can be a bit too common – Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner comes to mind.

On the latest episode of Daily Faceoff Live, former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton chatted with Tyler Yaremchuk about how a goaltender can handle overcoming a difficult goal against:

Tyler Yaremchuk: “How do NHL goalies stay focused and not lose their confidence after allowing a bad goal?”

Carter Hutton: “It’s something that doesn’t happen in that moment. It’s something you’ve been building towards since you were probably 15 years old. It’s not like they just fell off the apple truck and became NHL goalies, right? There’s a slow growth to this process.

“So for me, that process has already been implemented earlier in your career. What really helped me along the way was when I was in college is the sports psychology of the game. I was like, ‘I’m from a blue-collar, small-town, Thunder Bay, Canadian boy. I don’t need a sports psychologist. I’m mentally tough. That’s for those weak guys who need that.’ But then as you mature, you start to realize it’s just like going to the gym. Then you get some parameters in place for when things do go south, you have a little bit to fall back on, whether it’s breathing, whether it’s self-talk to kind of get you through that moment.

“So that’s where I would start. And I think a lot of these guys use these things, these reset buttons when it’s an offensive goal, a goal for or a goal against just to kind of wo and a half hours is impossible. So you have to be able to go in and out of focus. I think that’s how goalies manage the good and the bad of what comes with being a goalie.”

You can watch the full segment below: