After watching Marty Turco’s amazing effort in the 1-0 loss to San Jose on Monday night, I have finally witnessed the proof needed to show goalies exactly how he has totally revolutionized the goaltending position…again.

Turco already single-handedly changed the way goalies shoot and pass the puck thanks to the use of an over-hand technique more commonly referred to as the Turco Grip. This creative and ingenious shooting style allowed him to have equal power on both forehand and backhand passes. By shifting his grip in this manner, Turco was using his weight more efficiently, thus getting more power on passes without compromising any accuracy whatsoever.

He followed that up by creating the best thing that could possibly be done to the Reebok Premier II pads by coming out with the Turco Break style of construction. Reebok Premier pads are known to be obnoxiously stiff, yet fit loosely around the leg for ease of dropping into the butterfly. So Turco kept the loose fit but softened up the pad by adding two breaks to the outer roll for an excellent amount of flexibility and softness, while still keeping that ’loose’ feeling intact.

So what’s next for Turco’s constantly-evolving game you ask? Well, a few years of handling the puck with so much confidence has led to his newest stamp of credence on the goalie position; jump-starting the transition game. In fact, it seems to me like Turco has taken a page from the game of outdoor lacrosse and has started using it at the NHL level.

But what exactly is he doing, how is he doing it and what effect does it have? Let’s break it down, goalie brothers.

—[ IMPLEMENTING THE LACROSSE GOALIE BREAKOUT TECHNIQUE ]—

As an outdoor lacrosse goalie in high school, I have been recognizing a technique of the position that Turco has been employing on the ice, especially in the game against San Jose. Another simple and effective move, Turco activates from the crease after making a save or stopping the puck behind the net and actually helps the defensemen with the transition in an incredibly effective and dynamic manner.

This is exactly what a lacrosse goaltender does after making a save. He has a few seconds to possess the ball in the crease, then must step out of it and move the ball up the field, all without getting crushed, mind you. As such, the lacrosse goalie is a mobile defender that acts as another outlet for the defenseman that currently has the ball.

So instead of Turco just crouching in his goalie stance when his d-man has the puck in the corner, he actually peels off behind his net and becomes another off-wing defenseman, willing and waiting to receive a pass. That allows the other defenseman on the far side to get open by moving up the half-boards. That defenseman can then either cut to the middle of the ice to receive a pass, or provide support for the forward or center that curls down to get the same pass from Turco.

When Turco actually has to corral the puck by stopping it behind the net, the defensemen no longer have to chase it behind the net. Instead, they peel off into the corners and act as receivers for an outlet pass. With the combination of the center also skating into the zone looking for a pass, the opposition is automatically forced to cut off a minimum of three passing lanes!!

Now say in the worst circumstance, Turco is rushed to move the puck by a speedy forechecker. Well, thanks to his quick feet and creative, strong backhand, you can see just how fun and easy moving the puck has become for him. He’s like an octopus back there, eight arms going in all different directions, creating a million ways to hit a teammate in full stride with the puck.

That’s another similarity between outdoor lacrosse goalies and NHL goalies…they have to hit a player in stride. That is one aspect of stick handling that separates the good goalies from the great ones. Martin Brodeur, Turco and Chris Osgood pass exactly like quarterbacks looking down the field at a receiver – they don’t pass it where he is, they pass it where he’s going to be.

—[ HOW THE TURCO TRANSITION AFFECTS THE OPPOSITION'S GAME ]—

Since opposing teams know Turco is a mobile puck-mover, they will have to adjust at some point in the game by no longer playing the dump-and-chase style. When that happens, Dallas instantly puts three guys in the neutral zone and denies the ability to enter the zone by skating it in. That ultimately forces teams to go back and forth between dumping it in and trying to push through a muddy neutral zone. More often than not, Dallas forwards force other teams to give Turco plenty of chances to do what he does best – jumpstart the play going the other way.

I can just imagine coaches ripping their hair out over this frustrating conundrum. On one hand, if they try to dump it in, they have to deal with keeping it away from Turco. If they try to skate it in, they’ll probably turn it over a ton of times. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The coach is stuck between a rock and a hard place and it’s all because Turco is so good at handling the puck. He’s laughing hysterically making perfect pass after perfect pass.

Just check out the diagram above (click to download a larger version) and this should make a lot more sense. Any outdoor lacrosse goalie will tell you that this is a pretty ingenious move by Turco. He’s basically making himself an option to receive a pass. That opens up every other player on the ice to more options, making it almost impossible to defend. Simply put, Turco really has turned into a third defenseman on the ice.

But what makes it so unique is that it takes a ton of confidence and skill to attempt the plays he makes at the NHL level, especially for the number of times he does it. It’s not going out on a limb to say he can hit 10-15 assists in a season. Nevertheless, Turco has quickly mastered the art of acting as an extra outlet for his defensemen, which leads to a domino effect of players harmoniously providing options and support for the puck-carrier. Kind of like the weave in basketball, there is constant movement, support and options for each player.

And it all starts with a goalie named Turco – one that continues to change the way the position is being played.