from Jamie McLellan of TSN,

With the evolution of goaltending at an all-time high over the last 20 years, most goaltenders play relatively the same way - especially in their save selection in certain areas of the crease. Where it differs is how you arrive to make the save.

Some goalies play deeper in their net, while others play more aggressive. Some netminders have better lateral movement and flexibility and some play a more upright style, while others play with more patience. The bottom line is that everyone plays a little bit different from one other.

When I started to look at how guys play in the league today, there wasn't much difference in what I would term the 'middle' group. It's their modified styles that are the most noticeable difference.

Let's start with the majority group - 'the hybrid goaltender.' These are the goaltenders that have a lot of different skills in their tool box, play with structure, a near-predictability in their save selection and are basically a cross between a standup goalie and a butterfly goalie.

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