Playing Style
Vanbiesbrouck was a Hybrid goaltender who combined the butterfly style and the more traditional Stand-up style. He was strong at playing his angles and challenged shooters well. Small for a goaltender, standing only 5' 8", he relied on his quickness to regain his feet after making saves or to make additional saves in goalmouth scrambles. Vanbiesbrouck was aggressive when it came to playing the puck, which helped him tie the Rangers single season record for assists by a goaltender and set the Rangers career record as well. Although he was considered one of the best positional goaltenders in the league, his greatest attribute may have been his self-confidence. Former teammate Tom Laidlaw once noted that he believed Vanbiesbrouck's confidence carried him farther than his talent.
Read more about this topic: John Vanbiesbrouck
Famous quotes containing the words playing and/or style:
“In time, after a dozen years of centering their lives around the games boys play with one another, the boys’ bodies change and that changes everything else. But the memories are not erased of that safest time in the lives of men, when their prime concern was playing games with guys who just wanted to be their friendly competitors. Life never again gets so simple.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“Where there is no style, there is in effect no point of view. There is, essentially, no anger, no conviction, no self. Style is opinion, hung washing, the calibre of a bullet, teething beads.... One’s style holds one, thankfully, at bay from the enemies of it but not from the stupid crucifixions by those who must willfully misunderstand it.”
—Alexander Theroux (b. 1940)