NHL goaltenders have gotten better and better as the league has grown, and nowadays, it’s almost impossible to beat them if they can get a clear look at the puck before the shot is taken.

As Stephen Valiquette has broken down for us, the best way to beat NHL goaltenders is by giving them “less than half of a second to see the shot.”

This doesn’t happen very often over the course over an NHL game, but here are the seven criteria that Valiquette gives for these lethal shots, which he calls “green shots.”

Passes across Royal Road (Royal Road runs down the middle of the ice, from the top of the slot to the net)

Screens

One-timers on the same side of Royal Road

Broken plays

Possession across Royal Road

Deflections

Green rebounds

Players who can generate these types of scoring chances frequently are among the best in the game, as these chances lead to goals, and goals lead to points. Though it is a small sample of games, the Passing Stats Project tracked Royal Road passes last season, and out of skaters who had at least 100 minutes tracked, Nikita Kucherov, Jakub Voracek, Alex Galchenyuk, Nathan Mackinnon, and Ondrej Palat were the top five distributors of the puck. All five have reputations as incredibly gifted offensive players, so it’s clear that creating green shots is crucial to scoring goals in the NHL.

What about snipers, however? Forwards like Steven Stamkos, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Ovechkin, are all known for their ability to score from a distance, without getting too close to the goal, and without creating a green shot.

Some of these skaters, like Stamkos, are able to rocket the puck past the goaltender by generating such a high level of speed and accuracy on their shot.

Ovechkin has his trademark one-timer that is the most deadly power play weapon in all of hockey.

NHL snipers have another weapon that helps them catch goaltenders off guard, however; the pull wrist shot. The idea of changing the angle on a goaltender isn’t exactly a new one. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t still wildly effective, as skilled shooters can use the technique to wreak havoc on opposing net minders.

Greg Balloch of In Goal Media gave some key insight on what it’s like to face a pull wrist shot, and why goaltenders can have trouble with the unique form of wrister.

The point of [the pull wrist shot] is to move the goalie off his line from the center of the net. If the goalie fails to adjust and move with the shooter, even for a split second, it opens up net to shoot at. How much net depends on how far the goalie is out. The more aggressive the goaltender is, the more important it becomes to stay on your feet and shuffle across with the shooter. That’s where the quick release comes in. If a shooter is able to change the point of release of their wrist shot, and quickly get a good, hard shot away, it reduces the time the goaltender has to read the play and adjust. The only time it can really be deceptive is if the shooter also uses the defenceman as a screen, which is common. Not only does the shooter change the point of release then, but he also causes the goaltender to lose sight of the puck momentarily.

Nick Mercadante of Blueshirt Banter would also provide a goaltender’s opinion on the pull wrist shot.

@shane1342o @GregBalloch @SeanTierneyTSS a lot of "reach" type saves result from this. Not all goalies have the reaction speed to compensate — Nick Mercadante (@NMercad) October 2, 2015

By looking at some examples of the pull wrist shot, we can exactly how the change in angle opens holes, and how quick releases can reduce reaction time.

First up is Nick Bjugstad’s goal against the Anaheim Ducks. The subtle action behind Bjugstad’s shot is hard to pick up in real time, so let’s use screenshots to help us see just what the young star does. In this first one, Bjugstad has just gotten the puck on his stick, but the biscuit is hidden behind the defenseman, and out of the goaltender’s sight.

As the 23-year-old starts his shot, the puck is still hidden behind the defenseman.

Just before releasing his shot, Bjugstad pulls the puck in, towards his skates. By doing so, he gives himself a clear shot at the net, without a defenseman in the way.

Not only is the path to the net clear, but the goaltender also hasn’t been able to detect where the shot is coming from, or where it’s going to go. He has to rely solely on his reactions in order to try and make this save.

Here’s the full sequence, in slow motion.

We can see an exaggerated version of the pull wrist shot from Mike Hoffman, who’s unique and effective shooting style has led to his emergence as one of the league’s best goal scorers.

Hoffman’s release is especially deadly, as the 25-year-old manages to get lots of power on the shot, despite his stick being located close to his skates. Here are two examples of the quick release on the pull wrister.

Here, it’s very clear that Hoffman pulls the puck into his skates directly before shooting.

In this goal, it’s very easy to see what Mercadante was talking about on Twitter. Marc-Andre Fleury is lunging for the puck with his glove, as Hoffman’s ability to change the angle of the shot has resulted in the net minder being out of position. Unfortunately for Fleury, the puck sails past his glove and into the net.

For our final example, we’ll turn to one of the most lethal goal scorers in the NHL: Vladimir Tarasenko.

The young Russian makes mincemeat of Jonathan Quick on this goal, and the lightning quick release on his shot is a big reason why. We’ll look at screen caps first again and then watch the goal happen.

Here’s where Tarasenko starts with the puck, when he first gets it on his stick. Note how Jonathan Quick is in position.

Just before releasing the puck, however, Tarasenko makes a very slight adjustment, and opens up a tiny hole in the top right corner of the net. Quick doesn’t shuffle his feet to stay aligned with the shot, mainly because he doesn’t quite have the time to.

The shot is upon him in an instant, and with how perfectly the shot is placed, it’s not hard to see why the puck ended up in the net.

Goal scoring is difficult in today’s NHL, as declining power play opportunities and skilled net minders are making it harder and harder for shooters to put the puck in the back of the net.

This doesn’t mean that skaters aren’t finding ways to beat goaltenders, however. The pull wrist shot is a great tool for any sniper to have in their arsenal, and some of the league’s best have shown us that utilizing the sneaky shot can put the puck in the back of the net.