The Reverse-VH can also be used for low walk-outs. The issue is when to drop into RVH and if the goaltender will receive support. The greatest bewilderment for the author is when the puck is in the quiet areas and goaltenders from novice to the professional ranks automatically drop to RVH as a default position. This seems pointless with no immediate threat that warrants RVH.

When the puck is in the quiet areas (whether below or above the goal-line) the goalie is best served by using traditional post-integration techniques. Use your peripheral vision, put your “head-on-a-swivel”, and “look off the puck” for developing weak-side threats. Watch any professional or junior-level game and you will see this phenomenon on a disturbing basis. In most cases nothing develops, the puck is not funnelled towards the net, and the goalie eventually recovers to his / her skates. Energy is also wasted. An effort will be made in a follow-up article to determine if this opinion has merit.

More disturbing is when the puck is on the half-wall and goalies right up to the NHL are still in RVH. This seems ridiculous has has a poor influence on impressionable younger goaltenders.

If we take these three common scenarios as a basis for the effective use of RVH the next question is the correct timing of the drop into RVH as the play gets closer to the net.

If the defense is properly positioned to prevent a slot pass, or movement to the far side of the net, a distance of few feet from the net (see diagram below) will be sufficient to correctly get into position without dropping too early. Goalies drop too frequently into RVH regardless of whether the puck is in zone 1, 2, or 3. The star at the junction of the goal-line and trapezoid represents a reasonable distance from the post at which the goaltender should execute the technique if that is their decision. This has been tested locally amongst a few colleagues, including Ottawa Senators development goaltending coach Kory Cooper with the Belleville Senators, and seems to be a reasonable start point to an evolving discussion.

A drop too early, a goalie of short stature, or improper execution can lead to bad-angle goals like the one Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara scored on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen during the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

With Chara being so low on his natural wing would an overlap standard integration not have been a smarter option? The author believes Andersen also committed to RVH. too early.

This is seen on another goal on Cormier in the same 8-0 loss to the Greyhounds: