If you take a close look at Steve Mason’s last three games for the Blue Jackets, you will find that they act as a perfect microcosm of his season and his career. His play in each of them also reveals much of the same images I saw last year during his abysmal sophomore season. As such, Mason has shown me that his game still lacks a crucial element needed to succeed in the NHL – consistency.

On Thursday night in Edmonton, Mason allowed six goals on 27 shots and was pulled after the second period. On Monday night in Calgary, Mason allowed two goals on his first four shots and was pulled just 4:25 into the game. Last Saturday, however, he was terrific early and stopped 32 of 33 shots en route to a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers. 

I’ll quickly break down these three games in order to reveal how they act as a running trend of Mason’s issues with consistency.

In the first period against the Rangers, Mason made three big early saves to keep the game scoreless. He stopped Erik Christensen twice just 11 seconds apart, then made a timely glove save on Marc Staal (3:27) at the end of a Rangers power play. He would go on to stop all 12 shots tossed his way in the first and his confidence was extremely high throughout the game. The only goal he allowed was halfway through the game when Staal snuck in from the point and exacted revenge buy beating him glove side on the power play.

Aside from that penalty killing breakdown, Mason was timely, poised and virtually perfect. His high level of confidence allowed him to execute in a flawless manner, thus making it one of his best games of the season.

In the first period against Calgary, Mason made a great stop at the 2:00 mark on Olli Jokinen in tight by coming off his left post and sealing his arms to his sides. But 20 seconds later, Jarome Iginla beat Mason with a quick wrist shot along the ice from a sharp angle off the same left post. His confidence was rattled, and that led to Brendan Morrison’s goal ending Mason’s night just two shots and 2:05 later. A cross-ice pass landed on Morrison’s stick, Mason over-slid to his right, lost his angle and gave Morrison plenty of room to hit the net on a shot against the grain.

The lack of confidence Mason had in Calgary bled through three days later in Edmonton. Just 3:58 into the game, Linus Omark dumped a harmless puck in on goal, but Mason was unprepared for the shot and coughed up a terrible rebound right back to Omark. The speedy rookie made no mistake with the loose puck and fired it past Mason for a 1-0 lead. The negativity in Mason’s reaction was proof he had very little confidence in his ability to make efficient saves for his team.

With Nikolai Khabibulin keeping the Oilers in the game by making 21 of his 37 saves in the first period, Mason had plenty of time to ponder his weak execution on Omark’s goal. That led to Jordan Eberle’s backhand goal, one in which Mason was once again caught losing his angle after sliding to cover his right post. Dustin Penner’s power-play goal with just 31 seconds left in the first period was a stoppable shot as well.  

“I know it’s a situation where we need to win hockey games, but I talked to him after the first period and told him I was throwing him back in there,” Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel said to NHL.com correspondent Robin Brownlee. ”It’s part of him maturing as a goaltender. He’s just got to find a way. He’s in his own head right now and he’s probably his own worst enemy, but we’re going to stick with him here.”

Although I love Arniel’s intentions, a goalie with no confidence lends a hand to no efficiency in their movement and execution. And that almost always leads to even more bad goals against. The domino effect takes over and the confidence is further damaged. This came true in the second period, as Mason was beat three more times and finally pulled after giving up six goals on 27 shots.

—–[ TGG ]—–

As you can see, these three games reveal just how fragile Mason’s confidence is right now. When he makes early saves, he plays exceptionally well. But once he’s beat in the first few minutes of a game (or a period), he’s unable to shake it off and begins to second-guess his positioning and his ability to read plays. This dynamic is revealed in his win-loss record for the season:

L-W-L-W-L-W-W-L-W-L-W-W-W-L-L-OTL-L-P-L

In Mason’s wins, he’s consistent from period-to-period. Only twice in his eight wins has he allowed three goals, and only once has he allowed two even strength goals. In those eight wins, Mason has allowed exactly seven power play goals and seven even strength goals. Simply put, when he’s playing well, he’s literally on fire. But when he struggles early, he’s as cold as ice. This is all the proof you need to know he’s wildly inconsistent.

That inconsistency is not just a matter of confidence, but focus as well. It has become quite clear that Mason does not yet understand how to mentally prepare for the start of a game, of each period and for big moments in games. Please take a moment to read a previous report I wrote on Mason called Set Up for A Downfall. It was written exactly a year ago and discusses how Mason struggles to prepare for games and therefore displays a number of issues with his lack of focus. It includes the graphic below:

Editor’s Note: Statistics above are from the 2009-10 season

In order to be a consistent goalie in the NHL, one must pay close attention to the mental details of preparing for a game. They must be clearly focused on execution and their opponent. They have to collect their thoughts and then do the little things like stretching, hydrating and eating, all without being rushed or distracted. They have to bring a positive attitude to the rink and they have to be ready to work hard with a goal of not only being successful and doing whatever it takes to help the team win, but wanting to improve their own game.

Quality consistency also stems from confidence. A goalie must believe they have the ability to stop every shot thrown their way and they cannot succumb to pressure if the opposition’s top line is on the ice or if they are facing a big penalty kill. Once a goalie feels confident in their skills, consistency will follow suit. Their rebound control will be efficient, their movements will be precise and their ability to read plays will be fully aligned. One area begets the next, and every area of their game surges for as long as they are able to maintain that confidence.

When it comes to mending and molding Mason, I feel it is unfair to speculate about his attitude. Most young goalies, especially those that experience tremendous success as a rookie, have to adjust aspects of their attitude. Mason’s rookie season was wildly successful due in large part to Ken Hitchcock’s defensive system and also due to the fact that teams had no scouting report on him. This is why many goalies struggle during their sophomore season – the scouts have a book on their strengths and weaknesses and the shooters learn tendencies. 

So instead of dissecting the personal factors of his supposed bad attitude, weak work ethic and an inability to bounce back or look past bad goals or bad outings, I want to present five things that would help Mason to overcome this obstacle of lacking steady confidence. These different elements will also go a long way in improving his mental toughness. Together they could act as a real keystone for his long-term success.

1. FOCUS ON THE FIRST SAVE - As I explained in last year’s chart seen above, Mason struggles to be mentally prepared at the start of games. When he makes the first few saves however, he’s much more likely to settle into a rhythm and play with confidence. When he allows a goal in the first few minutes of a game, his confidence is rattled, his focus suffers and he usually struggles.

Because of this clearly-defined trend, the coaching staff and goalie coach Dave Rook should stress the importance of showing up a little earlier to the rink and doing everything he can to be mentally prepared when the puck drops. It could be a simple fix or it could be a complete overhaul of his pre-game routine and rituals. Change isn’t easy and sometimes it has to be forced. But obviously his current routine isn’t working out so well.

Look at his performance in Calgary and then three days later in Edmonton. What did Mason do during those days off? Did he work extremely hard in practice? Did he go out and party with the boys at night? Did he eat right, hydrate, view game video and prepare for what Edmonton’s rookies would bring to the ice? I can only speculate, but clearly the way he struggled lends a hand to believing he didn’t do much to bounce back. This is where the coaching staff might need to get a little more involved in his day-to-day actions and keep him focused on improving.

2. ALWAYS KEEP THINGS POSITIVE – At just 22 years of age, Mason is still a very young and inexperienced goaltender. As you can see from his performances over the last 16 months, Mason’s ego and confidence is very fragile. As a result, the coaching staff must relay positive messages to him in the locker room and on the ice. He already has a great mentor in Garon, but despite giving up bad goals or being the cause of a loss, they have to mold and shape his confidence over time.

This is not to say that they need to baby him or avoid being negative at all, but there are subtle ways to boost his confidence. They can point out key or solid saves, pull him aside and let him know he made good decisions or generally voice praise in front of his teammates. These go a long way in boosting the morale of a goalie that is struggling to stay confident.

3. SMARTER COACHING DECISIONS – I think Arniel has done a very good job this season in regards to managing Mason and Garon’s minutes and workload. It’s great to see Garon get more opportunities and I feel that the more Mason is able to watch Garon execute and carry himself on a daily basis both on and off the ice, the more Mason will shadow those positive elements of Garon’s game. Over time, Mason will become a steadier competitor and eliminate some of these issues with his confidence.

Where I would like to see smarter coaching decisions is within games. When Mason lacks confidence and gives up two or three weak goals, it is much better to take him out for the rest of the game. Leaving him in a game where the timing is off and the confidence is low will only stretch the wounds and make them worse. Follow step two above and pulling him won’t have a lasting negative impact. Goalies are pulled all the time. But leaving him in when the timing is clearly off is bad management.

4. LESS VIDEO, MORE MENTORING - We all know Mason is an incredibly skilled goaltender. He has a terrific combination of size (6-foot-4) and speed and is capable of making some brilliant saves. Of course I can only speculate on how much video Mason watches with Rook, but at some point they need to realize that his biggest issues aren’t a result of a lack of technique or skill.

Maybe it’s time for Mason to get a sports performance coach or a mental guide to help him decode, decipher and destroy some of his confidence issues. It worked for Jack Campbell last month in Windsor and it works for goalies of all ages and skill levels.

5. FIND WAYS TO GET MOTIVATED - The NHL season is a long, arduous, difficult path. Goaltenders need to set both short and long-term goals and take a set of smaller steps in order to complete the journey in a successful manner. You’ll often hear goalies and coaches mention that they are merely looking at things “one game at a time” or in five-game sets. This is something Mason would really benefit from having in his mental toolbox.

It can be overwhelming to look at the season as a whole and try to reach a level where he’s expected to win on a nightly basis. The expectations set on his shoulders after a brilliant rookie season are clearly overwhelming him. But if he can break down his season into small segments and realize that he’s still evolving into an NHL goaltender, he will realize there’s nothing that needs to be accomplished other than maintaining high levels of confidence, focus and energy. From there, everything else will fall into place.

A 22-year-old goalie does not develop a starter’s mentality overnight. It takes years of experiencing the highs and lows of winning and losing. It takes guidance and support from a goalie coach, a head coach, teammates and other goaltenders. It takes personal reflection, tons of video analysis, plenty of work in the weight room and extreme dedication during the off-season. Until Mason learns how to employ these aspects of being a pro goaltender, he will continue to struggle with consistency and confidence.

—–[ TGG ]—–

In conclusion, a lot of what you will read about Mason comes down to perspective. What kind of goalie is Mason expected to be? What kind of goalie is he currently? Because of his tremendous rookie season, I believe the general atmosphere between fans and analysts expect flashy stats and big-time saves on a nightly basis. But in my opinion, those are slightly misguided and unfair.

That’s not where Mason is right now in his professional career. It was a sudden surge to the NHL and then an amazing opportunity to play in a defense-first system that truly led to his Calder Trophy rookie season. This doesn’t take anything away from his accomplishments, but it does help reveal that he’s yet to be forged in fire. By that I mean he is yet to experience the true elements needed to develop a well-rounded and consistent game. The more he struggles as a 21 and 22-year-old, the more he is likely to succeed when he is 28 and 29.

Mason is a brilliant talent. He has exceptional foot and hand speed. He catches with his right hand. He has a good butterfly technique, great upper body positioning and plenty of energy in the crease. When he’s on, he’s on. When he’s not, he’s clearly struggling to stop the puck. Everything he needs in order to be a full-blown workhorse in the NHL can be solved in between his ears. He has all of the tools needed to be a starter in the NHL on an average defensive team. He just has to take a giant step back and break down the mental aspects of his game.

This is not an easy task for a third-year goalie or a 13-year veteran. It takes intense mental strength and it takes admission of fault. A lot of goalies with a fiery desire to win have trouble looking outside of their own will to win when it comes to realizing they need to make a change. This is why my five elements above rely a lot on getting help from the coaching staff, his goalie coach, a possible sports psychologist and even the fans in Columbus.

Mason is on the verge of becoming an elite talent, not only technically, but mentally. He just needs a little guidance and a little luck. It might be a slow process, but one I feel will happen over the next year. He’s only going to get better as time goes on.