Save (ice hockey) facts for kids
In ice hockey, a save happens when the goaltender (the player who guards the net) stops the puck from going into their team's goal. It's their main job to prevent the other team from scoring! A goalie's skill at stopping shots is often measured by their save percentage. This number shows how many shots they stopped compared to all the shots that came their way.
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What is a Save in Ice Hockey?
A save is recorded every time a goalie successfully blocks a shot that was aimed at the net. If the puck goes wide or hits the post without the goalie touching it, it's not counted as a save. The goalie must actually make contact with the puck to prevent it from scoring.
Why are Saves Important?
Saves are super important because they stop the other team from scoring goals. A good goalie who makes many saves can keep their team in the game, even if their teammates aren't scoring much. Goalies are the last line of defense, and their saves can be game-changing moments.
How Do Goalies Make Saves?
Goalies use different parts of their special equipment to make saves:
- Glove: They catch the puck with a big glove on one hand.
- Blocker: They use a flat pad on the other hand to deflect shots away.
- Pads: Their large leg pads block shots along the ice.
- Stick: They can also use their stick to poke the puck away or block low shots.
- Body: Sometimes, they just have to get in the way of the puck with their body!
Measuring a Goalie's Skill: Save Percentage
A goalie's save percentage tells us how good they are at stopping shots. It's calculated by dividing the number of saves they made by the total number of shots they faced. For example, if a goalie faced 30 shots and stopped 29 of them, their save percentage would be 0.967 (29 divided by 30). A higher save percentage means the goalie is stopping more pucks.
Images for kids
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Tyler Weiman makes a stick save in a Colorado Avalanche intrasquad game.
