Matt Hackett Report Instincts & Poise Key Hackett to Stellar 42-Save Win
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BY: Justin Goldman DEC. 8, 2011 MATT HACKETT REPORT INSTINCTS & POISE KEY HACKETT TO STELLAR 42-SAVE WIN When an AHL prospect gets thrown into the fire for their NHL debut, it’s almost better when a head coach does it without warning. Why? Because the goaltender doesn’t have any time to think about it...they just go out there, play with a clear mind, and act on sheer instincts. This is exactly what happened with former Plymouth Whalers goaltender Matt Hackett on December 6. When Josh Harding took an elbow to the head just 1:11 into a game against San Jose, Hackett, who was recalled to fill in for the slightly injured Niklas Backstrom, was thrust into the game without a moment’s notice. With his hands visibly shaking due to the instant injection of adrenaline, he responded in spectacular fashion, stopping all 34 shots he faced, and helping the Wild capture a high-powered Sharks team with the 2-1 win. I was fortunate to catch the game, so you can read my thoughts on Hackett’s performance, plus some scouting notes from that game, by clicking right here. Since January, I have considered Hackett as one of the best “top-flight” prospects around. Currently sitting 10th overall in my Top-150 Prospects Rankings, the former third-round draft pick (77th overall in 2009) took the Houston Aeros all the way to the AHL Finals last season as a rookie. He was just barely edged out by fellow AHL rookie Robin Lehner in the Game 6 loss, but the experience was still sheerly positive for Hackett’s long-term value. As a second-year AHL starter, he has continued to play very well, posting a 9-3-3 record with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. That the second, as Hackett showed a terrific display of space management when he was before the call-up to the Wild, which was helped along by the loan of Dennis moved into a shot with a tight butterfly to make a good body save. On the same Endras to HIFK in the SM-liiga (Finland). sequence, it was his solid instincts that were on display, as he dropped, then pushed his feet out from underneath him to make a save attempt on the rebound, ---[ SCOUTING NOTES ON HACKETT’S PERFORMANCE ]--- but the puck squibbed wide. It was a good example of his second-effort skills. On the first goal he allowed, a shot from the left side caused a rebound off the To begin the game, my focus was on whether or not Hackett (yes, nephew of toe of the right pad, which resulted in the puck landing right on Dustin Penner’s former NHL goalie Jeff Hackett) would be poised and comfortable after knowing stick, and he scored on the empty net rebound at 3:59 of the third period. he was getting the start for a solid 5-6 hours. Well, in terms of settling the nerves, Now under siege, Hackett faced 10 shots in the first seven minutes of the third it certainly helped that the Wild scored just :24 seconds into the game. period, but continued to move well during the Kings’ most prominent push. In Hackett’s first real sequence, he played the puck behind the net, but turned Another really impressive sequence for Hackett came with just under 11 it over on a backhand pass, but then was tripped up by Justin Williams 1:22 into minutes left in the game. A loose puck in the zone trickled out to Drew Doughty, the game as soon as he returned to his crease. The Kings killed off the penalty, who had a lot of time and space to fire a shot on goal. Hackett was already fully so Hackett didn’t face his first shot until 5:03 into the game, a simple and easy recovered from his butterfly when Doughty elected to one-time the shot, so he save on a slapshot from the top of the circle from Simone Gagne. No rebound. was aware and balanced enough to slightly slide into the shot, making himself The first thing I noticed about Hackett’s performance was how active he was bigger and displaying good space management. He made a good glove save on coming out of the crease, in order to play the puck every chance he got. He had Doughty’s shot, but the puck was not caught cleanly. The rebound stayed in front two turnovers on the backhand, while his plays on the forehand were clean. of him, bounced to his right, then was put right back on goal by Trent Hunter. But The Kings started to come on halfway through the first period, and out-shot Hackett was already squared up, so he was able to make a very nice right-pad the Wild 6-0 over the course of five minutes, but Hackett moved very well, found reaction, thus getting a piece of the puck and kicking it to the boards. pucks through traffic, and squared up to shots without tension or hesitation. He When the game ended, Hackett made 42 saves for the 4-2 win, and has now appeared fearless in the face of a frenzied Kings push. He was unflappable. stopped 76 of 78 shots in two NHL appearances. Click above for video highlights. The finest save he made in the first period came with 2:02 left. He dropped to make an initial save, but the puck deflected off a player in front and over to his ---[ CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ]--- left. He dropped, then rotated, located the puck with his eyes, and pushed across his crease in the butterfly. The puck traveled all the way towards the low boards, What I liked most about Hackett tonight was his natural instincts. I was so he had to make a second-effort stretch to get a glove on a severe-angle shot impressed by his body flow - his ability to move in the crease in a natural, fluid (below the faceoff dot) from Anze Kopitar. manner as the puck moved around the ice, especially in tight. He displayed The first period ended with Hackett extending his “perfect” NHL goaltending to terrific body control as well - he very rarely over-slid or lunged. He had very good 78:49 minutes of play by stopping all 13 shots he faced. biomechanics, and it is easy to see that he has goaltending genes in his blood. Similar to the first, the Wild came out early in the second and buzzed around Hackett also impressed me with his active hands and attentive mindset. This Quick, swarmed the net on a scramble play, and scored at 1:25 to make it 2-0. is a necessary component for “smaller” goalies, but Hackett has a 6’2” frame, so A few minutes later, the Wild took a five-minute major boarding penalty on he moves extremely well for his size. I credit his quick feet and solid skating skills Kopitar, so Hackett was under mental and physical pressure for almost four as being the main reason why he moves so well. And when you put it all together, minutes. But he didn’t have to make a single save, as the effort in front was I just saw a very well-rounded, reflex-based goalie that has a high goalie IQ for outstanding, and legit proof as to why the Wild are the best team in the Western a 21-year-old. He displayed the ability to balance positional saves with reaction Conference. Just after the major penalty expired, Jack Johnson let go a real good saves, and make correct decisions on when to use each mode appropriately. wrist shot, but Hackett reacted around a body and made a great glove save. With Hackett displaying a very well-rounded technical game, it was easy to The second period continued to be an impressive display of Hackett’s natural decipher some of his mannerisms and tendencies. One tendency I really liked skills, but the Wild continued to out-work the Kings in all three zones. They were was how he used his glove to “feel” his left post, which gave him a better sense also very disciplined, until Cody Almond took a retaliation penalty with just :18 of his positioning in the crease, and his depth on different approaching plays. seconds left in the second period. Hackett had stopped 60 total shots through Overall, Hackett is a very instinctual goalie that moves effortlessly and with 98:49 (13 in the first period, 13 more in the second). good anticipation skills. His demeanor is very positive, he truly enjoys stopping The best stretch of goaltending for Hackett came in the first five minutes of the pucks, and he has a real focused energy. He’s a gifted skater that clearly has the third period. It started with the Kings finishing up their power play from the end of fundamentals and footwork to be a quality NHL goaltender in 2-3 more years..