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McKenna’s Mailbag: Answering Your Questions Every Saturday

Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna(MikeMcKenna56)
Oct 23, 2021, 18:35 EDTUpdated: Oct 23, 2021, 18:36 EDT
McKenna’s Mailbag: Answering Your Questions Every Saturday

Welcome to McKenna’s Mailbag. Questions answered every Saturday: be sure to use the hashtag #AskMcKenna on social media. Published questions have been edited for clarity.

My Answer: The Hughes family is pretty special. They are the first American family with three siblings all selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. Only two other families have had three or more siblings all taken in the first round of an NHL Draft: The Sutter family, who had four brothers qualify, including Ron (No. 4 in 1982), Rich (No. 10 in 1982), Brent (No. 17 in 1980) and Duane (No. 17 in 1979) as well as the Staal family’s trio of Jordan (No. 2 in 2006), Marc (No. 12 in 2005) and Eric (No. 2 in 2003). Jared Staal went in the second round (No. 49 in 2008) and played two NHL games for Carolina.

The McGinn brothers – Brock, Jamie, and Tye – have all spent significant time in the NHL. Gordie Howe played alongside his sons Marty and Mark. The Dineen family has produced multiple NHL players. And I’m not sure any family has had a greater impact on the game than the Sutters. But the overall most talented? I think it’s the Stastny brothers: Peter, Anton, and Marian. Just imagine their NHL point totals if they had defected from Czechoslovakia earlier.

My Answer: Panicking is never the answer. But I think there’s plenty of reason to be concerned. Having Stone, Pacioretty, Tuch and Whitecloud out long term is a huge problem. And Martinez’s status remains up in the air. Taking all four games as a whole, the Golden Knights have been terrible defensively. It’s been nearly 30 power-play opportunities since they scored a goal – including a lengthy five on three against the Oilers on Friday night.

I think the Golden Knights are in real trouble if they can’t find a way to pick up some points while their star players are sidelined. Right now the Misfit line of Marchessault, Karlsson and Smith is the only one producing. Chemistry is lacking. And the D are making poor decisions on when to jump into the play. That said, the Golden Knights did play better against a tired Oilers team and were able to carry the pace of play for stretches. But consistency isn’t where it needs to be and no one is finishing. I think the freakout threshold is 20 games. If Vegas isn’t in a playoff spot – or at least within a few points of one – by then, go ahead and hit the panic button.

My Answer: It really depends on the goalie coach and the team’s situation. Usually the first few on-ice sessions are somewhat exploratory: figuring out one another’s personalities and work habits. That feeling out process is easier in training camp when you have some extra time. During the season it is tougher: there simply aren’t enough practices. 

That’s where video work comes in. Goalie coaches all have a stockpile of footage – a demo reel if you will – to review with new goaltenders. Some goalie coaches prefer those video sessions to be conversational while others will lay out their expectations. 

The best goalie coaches are able to take a goalie’s natural skill and mesh it with their preferred systems. That takes communication. Ultimately it’s about building trust. Goalies and goaltending coaches have a special relationship.

My Answer: You’re preaching to the choir on this one. It’s great that we have ex-goalies like the ones you mentioned doing color commentary and the occasional desk work. All three of them are incredible. But I do think TNT and ESPN need a goaltender’s voice for pre/post/intermission analysis on the desk. The Gallagher no-goal is a great example. Someone needs to be there to explain why him being in the crease and making even the slightest contact with Andersen prevented the goaltender from playing his position. When the entire panel has never strapped on the pads – and admit to not knowing the position well – the discourse is inherently skewed. If the goaltender is truly the most important player come Stanley Cup Playoff time, shouldn’t that voice be represented?

My Answer: I shoot right-handed as a goaltender and when skating out. This seems odd to most people because I catch a baseball with my left hand and a hockey puck with my right. But catching something is so much easier than shooting opposite of your natural side. If I toss you a tennis ball, you can probably snag it with either hand. Unfortunately full-right equipment is incredibly difficult to find, so it steers many kids to catching left regardless of preference. I think it stunts their growth as goaltenders and puck handlers. Grant Fuhr was forced to catch left as a kid until he finally got a set of full-right gloves. He told me it was a huge relief when he was able to make the switch.

My Answer: Yes. Koskinen attacks the shot rather than accepting it. Moving out when the shot occurs has several negative effects on a goaltender (See Below).

The first is that Koskinen’s eyes are in motion. That makes tracking the puck more difficult. But the biggest thing is that by pushing forward, most goaltenders lock their arms – even for a split second. They end up blocking more than reacting. Koskinen is behind this shot because his brain is subconsciously saying he’s got the angle covered due to the enhanced depth. But that’s a mental mirage. There’s still space for Mayo to shoot at. Had Koskinen remained set, he would have had a better read on the shot. And also had a split second longer to react. In other words: he needed to be patient. He forced the issue when it wasn’t necessary.

My Answer: Shesterkin hasn’t revolutionized goaltending skating across the board, but he’s definitely continued to improve his own ability in that area. He’s a fantastic goalie skater – one of the best. He’s very good at making micro-adjustments to stay on the proper angle. He plays in between his posts and uses them as bumpers when necessary. His game is very deliberate – in a good way. He’s not rigid but there’s a ton of structure.

I think the biggest difference from when he first came into the league – from my eyes – is that he’s playing slightly deeper. Shesterkin played with his heels on the top of the crease often when he first came to North America. Now I see him playing slightly closer to the goal line – maybe six or eight inches. It’s not drastic but it’s enough to give him more time on shots and lateral plays. He’s learning and improving. Which is scary given how good he already is.

My Answer: So many. Off the ice, we had rookie party in Austin, Texas and it was the best of my career. An amazing dinner, 6th street shenanigans, mechanical bull riding, arcade games, street tacos at 3 a.m…unbelievable. Practice was an absolute joke the next day. It was awesome.

On the ice…well…we didn’t have much to cheer about as a team. But personally, it was probably the weekend I played three games in two-and-a-half days and was named AHL Player of the Week. Here’s an excerpt from the AHL’s press release dated March 25, 2013:

McKenna made four starts last week and stopped 127 of 132 shots, going 3-1-0 and defeating a pair of division leaders to keep the Rivermen in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

McKenna began the week with 25 saves to help Peoria to a 4-1 win over Midwest Division-leading Grand Rapids on Tuesday night. After stopping 33 shots, including a late penalty shot attempt, and allowing just two goals in a 3-1 loss at Milwaukee on Friday, McKenna came back on Saturday with a 33-save effort in a 3-0 win over Chicago, his third shutout in a nine-game span. And making his third start in less than 48 hours, McKenna made 36 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped four of five shootout attempts as the Rivermen edged Toronto, the first-place team from the North Division, 3-2.

What the press release doesn’t say is that I had the flu that weekend and wasn’t able to eat anything. Between periods I had to go lay down in the weight room because I had zero energy. After Sunday’s game I went up to our head coach Dave Allison and told him I needed two days off to recover and that I’d see him Wednesday. “Go ahead, son. You’ve earned it” he replied.

My Answer: Sure, I think Houston would be a viable NHL city. The Aeros drew well for a long time in the IHL/AHL and hockey dates back to the 70s with the WHA version of the team. There’s history there. Would they crush it at the gate? Maybe the first few years. After that I’m not sure how a team would do. But Houston is a big enough city that if the team was promoted properly, I’m sure it would do fine.

As for autographs: thousands. Several seasons I signed a few hundred for trading card companies. So extrapolate that and combine it with general seekers – I’m guessing maybe two or three thousand? If you have one, I apologize. It’s not worth much.

My Answer: Egon Spengler. I’m a big Harold Ramis (RIP) fan. Definitely not Slimer.

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