That was taken last winter before I got the lid I'm wearing this season.  It was a pretty standard (and cheap) Jofa combo that served me well and is not my backup.  I'm currently rockin' the samurai-themed mask in my profile pic.  I just need to get a new picture of myself in action.

to lure you in, so that I can shut it down.

Though, I have been having some stick-discipline issues of late (just to keep the innuendo going...) and am getting beat more often.  New paddle length too, so that may be part of it, though I suspect it's actually lack of skill that is the real culprit...

The beer league here where I live allows the high heat, but not many of the guys have a decent slap shot anyway, so it doesn't matter much.

Those are pre-"New NHL" regs. 12" width.  Stock 34" length though.  I'd like to go back to an 11" pad (like I had when I played roller) and get a +2 on the thighrise to account for my wider butterfly.

Not to bad on my skates.  If I get a couple of sessions of pick-up or stick-n-puck in a row, I might get a few dings due to running into the post, but that's about it.  I keep 'em straight, I don't have the edge control to angle the blades.  I've only been playing ice for about 1-1/2 years.

I got no problems with slapshots during the course of a game or pick-up.  I get pretty steamed if some ankle-bender who can't control his shot winds up on me from the bottom of the circles during warm-ups or stick-n-puck.  Not cuz it might hurt but because 9 times out of 10 the shot ends up headed straight for my head or 30 feet wide of the goal.  Neither scenario really does much for my game.  Plus during stick-n-puck there are little kids on the ice and if I don't get some control of the shooters in my end, they'll nail some 6-year-old who's digging a puck out of the net assuming that a 30-year-old has enough smarts not to rip one at my back.  You'd be surprised...

My wife had hers removed last month and was back at work after a week.  I thought Hockey players were tough

(only joking to cover the pain)

appendix that is.

Wife too...

i don't know what else to say.

my off the cuff analysis of both.  Keep in mind that I haven't seen either live, and it can be difficult at times to judge performance on TV because you typically only see replays of spectacular saves and of course, goals against.  

Theo has a strong reactionary game and a better glove hand than Boots.  He looses depth control often, IMO.  Depth control is his position relative to the goalline and the shooter.  The farther out, the less net; the closer in, the more net to shoot at.  You can go too far, and leave yourself open to dekes and backdoor passes, so you have to strike a happy medium.  He also seems to get discouraged at times and give up on plays.  I've also questioned his tracking/concentration at times as he seems to have no idea where the puck is.  We've recently brought up the issues of his puckhandling, but Boots isn't much different in that regard.  At some point after his struggles started in Montreal, he started challenging shooters less and trying to play a more positional game, which I don't think plays to his talents well.  He's a tad undersized for a blocking-style goalie (think Giggy). Historically, he seemed to excel when he was forcing shooters to make the first move.  I think he reverts to this during shootouts and that's why he has so much success.  His size also makes tips,screens, and deflections more effective since when he resorts to 'getting big' when he can't see a shot, he's just not as big.  In fact, there are times when he seems to huddle down into a more compact shape rather than present a full blocking surface.  Maybe all those tats have weakened his core (torso) and he's collapsing a little bit.

Boot's positional play and lateral movement are stronger than Theo's, IMO.  He also tends to be more square to the shooter and have more screens hit him.  He isn't as patient, but that's a sign of his relative inexperience and should improve with time.  He's very disciplined positionally but can scramble if he has to.  He seems to utilize his stick more for saves than Theo, which I like.  He utilizes the paddle-down save well, but doesn't overuse it like many of his contemporaries.  His post-to-post moves are more explosive, and aside from a gaff early in the season, his post coverage is better than Theo's.  He seems to be more even-keeled than Theo and doesn't have peaks and valleys, but is fairly consistant in attitude and demeanor.  He just seems more stable to me.  

Both have struggled with rebound control at times, but I think we only notice it on the nights the D is suspect also.  When the goalie doesn't have a clean look at a shot, any rebound is the defense's responsibility just as much as it's the goalies.  The old addage is that the goalie makes the first stop, and everything after that is the defense's fault.  That's not entirely true, but it has SOME truth to it.

Anyway, there's my uneducated opinion.  I know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, but I don't know everything, and I'm constantly learning new things about this position.

vary of course.  You can buy the stuff you need to get started relatively cheaply, but depending on the level of play, you may want to spend some more coin.

(All of the prices I state below are based on decent, beer-league level equipment bought new.)

Spend the cash on a good mask ($300+) and a good cup ($50-70).  I recommend buying a new cup!  Decent pants can be had for around $90-120. Gloves and blockers run about $110-150 apiece.  A decent C/A (chest and arm protector) will run around $120-150.  Lastly, leg pads will run $250-650 depending on the make and model.  Older styles will be cheaper, but newer NHL regulation gear will cost more. Sticks and skates are comperable to other ice hockey sticks and skates.  Shop around and comparison shop on the major websites.  If you have access to a shop that sells gear, go in and try stuff on to get a feel for what works and what doesn't, especially masks.

For someone starting out, I recommend going the used route.  You can usually get better quality gear for the same or better price as new, lesser quality equipment.  Hit ebay.  A little work and patience can net some quality gear.  Check out this excellent site (http://www.goaliestore.com/board/ind...) for tons of equipment questions, reviews, and a decent used gear section.  Run some searches, read some reviews, know what questions to ask sellers, and get a little background info before you dive right in.  A lot of the bells and whistles on gear are just that.  If you're just starting out, chances are you don't know what thigh-rise you need, or if an offset-toe will help, or if you'd prefer a birdcage to a cateye, or if the break on a Vaughn catcher is more comfortable than the break on a RBK.  There are a ton of threads that give the basics on how to get started, how to size gear, how to find deals, etc. Spend some time clicking around.

is pretty wild:

Cat-eye
Offset toe
sliding toe bridge
Turco grip
dangler
thighrise
+2
lye
cheater
pro-palm
ATK
calf-lift
combo

I could go on for a while...

Consequently, it's refreshing to speak to other goalies that know something about equipment.  I  met a guy that goes to UCO and plays net and I was able to talk to someone about equipment for the first time in about 4 years...

CWD = combo wearing dork for the uninitiated...

I'm currently rocking the NXI Phantom in my profile pic on the front page of MHH.

I likey the tux jersey.  I REALLY wanted to get one when the message board got up the group order a while back, but lack of fundage was the culprit.  Still, you look stylin'.  Are those the fabled Miklin pads and gloves you're wearing?