Stickhandling, Correctly

The building blocks of Denis Malgin's electrifying solo rush

Last night, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Denis Malgin scores a heck of a goal.

TOR62 picks up the puck in his zone, splits the Detroit Red Wings’ Ds and then buries the puck low blocker-side en route to a 5-1 Leafs win.

The goal is both a product of raw athletic gift and sound process.

I can’t help you with the former but can walk you through the latter.

Let’s go frame-by-frame.

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Frame 1: The Pickup

What’s the number-one mistake made by players of all ages when practicing their stickhandling?

Moving their hands faster than their feet on their first touch.

Instead of dribbling the puck left and right, Malgin keeps his hands relatively quiet and takes two crossovers before settling the puck on his forehand.

Not only does his proactive lower-body mechanics allow him to build speed, but they also set him up to attack the defender at a 45-degree angle.

Soon, the D will be forced to cross his feet in order to contain Malgin in his new direction of travel.

Frames 2 & 3: The Setup

As expected, the D crosses his feet.

With his speed up and his lower-body organized, Malgin now calls upon his quick hands.