A long, long time ago, in a very different hockey era, goaltenders like Johnny Bower A.K.A “The China Wall,” Glen Hall and Gump Worsley patented the poke-check, of which Bower was clearly the master.
The move involved the goalie (usually sans-mask) throwing themselves and their goalie sticks at opposing forwards in an effort to dislodge the puck from the forwards stick—a skill that, for whatever reason, has long been absent from today's NHL.
Known as a scrappy, hard working goaltender, Bower used the poke check effectively to foil opposing forwards on breakaway’s and penalty shots alike, establishing himself as the best in the business.
Last winter Louis Pisano (a fellow BR writer) and I sat down with Hockey Hall Of Famer Johnny Bower on our show “Get The Puck Out” (WATCH HERE: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4027353) where we were able to ask Mr. Bower about the poke-check and how this one-time go-to move has lost it’s luster in today’s NHL.
When asked why he depended on the poke-check so much Johnny responded:
“...I knew how far I could reach from my post...and at the speed they (the forwards) ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Ritter
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October 21st, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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