Golden Knights Ryan Reaves, Alex Tuch dish on art of tipping shots

It’s one of the hardest things to do in hockey.

Stare at a puck 1 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter as it barrels forward at speeds that can surpass 100 mph. Get a stick in the way of that puck. And get that puck to change direction enough that it moves away from an opposing goaltender and into the net.

Tipping shots is an art form and is both difficult and dangerous. But Golden Knights right wings Alex Tuch and Ryan Reaves — who both view it as a necessary part of their jobs — have methods to the madness of skating in front of their crease, waiting for a teammate to shoot and trying to redirect the puck.

“(You) just pray it doesn’t hit you in the face,” Reaves said. “That’s where I score the majority of my goals is in front. You can’t be afraid to go there. You just have to trust your D-men.”

The key, Tuch said, is don’t treat the stick like a bat. Don’t use it to swat at the puck. Just put the stick where the puck is going and let it do the work.

“Keep the stick in front of you so you’re not turning your entire body,” Tuch said. “All you’re doing is moving the stick to the side the puck is going on and trying to redirect it in the opposite direction. You know if the goalie is sliding to your right, you want to tip it back to the left to find an opening.”

Reaves said sending the puck in the opposite direction is usually enough to score a goal, so he doesn’t worry about picking a corner or anything like that. If the shot is high, he tries to tip it low, and vice versa. As long as he gets his stick on it and keeps it on net it’s a tough save for a goaltender.

Even if the goalie does react quick, usually there’s a rebound. Tuch said that’s key because the tip is just one part of the play. It’s about getting in front of the goaltender to block his eyes, trying to tip a shot past him and then turning around to see if there’s a rebound. All so a shot farther away from the net can turn into a goal.

”It’s the ability to keep the puck alive and bury some rebounds,” Tuch said. “You try to be as fearless as possible when you’ve got a one-timer coming at you.”

Going streaking

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust’s game-winning goal in overtime Friday put an end to a remarkable streak for the New York Islanders.

Before that overtime loss, the Islanders had won 10 straight games since starting 1-3. That helped them rocket up to second in the Metropolitan Division standings. The overtime loss still gives them an 11-game point streak.

Coach Barry Trotz already has a case to repeat as the Jack Adams Award (best coach) winner.

Bunched-up Pacific

The Pacific Division may not be the best in the NHL, but it might be the most competitive.

The Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks have all looked improved so far this season. They’ve turned a division that had no wild card teams last year into one that looks like it might get two.

Only five points separate the first-place Oilers (24) from sixth-place Anaheim (19).

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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.