tuck, here's a little clip showing something along the lines of what you were talking about... though this is really simple, for controlling a puck into a turn or something like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtQ9ojU8vX8 ... i have a slowed down version i'll post in a minute, this ones a bit fast.

ok, not perfect, used the glove a tad, but a jury might not convict me in a game, haha! sorry some is lost with the horrific camerawork but you get the idea ay. basically just take the sting off the puck and bring it down gently and you can put it where you want, within reason.

i actually think many players stop the puck too early instead of letting it do as much work as possible by itself, and then using the momentum of the pass in their initial movements.... especially if a team-mate has passed you the puck. hopefully, they put that pass past you for a reason, cos they wanted you to go with it... and often they have a better view of whats around you than you do, as you're looking at the puck to get the pass.

nothing worse than throwing a decent pass for a team-mate to run onto only to have him reach out/back and knock it down as soon as he can reach it, and then see him get destroyed by an opposition player because he's made the puck static and put himself off balance.

controlling the puck like we're talking about is a nice medium between getting control asap and keeping the pucks momentum, i think. i'm all for it.

of course, if there is an opposition player close enough to hit you as soon as it lands, as you guys discuss above, then almost certainly he's also close enough to hit the puck before it lands too... and just because you have the skill to move the puck in the "air" to try to evade the tackle doesn't mean he can't follow that movement just as he was previously following the movement of the pass, and smash you in midair or at the new landing point of the puck... in short, i think it's helpful in keeping momentum and your swimming line or protecting the puck with your body asap, but pretty useless as a means to beat a guy in itself. (especially if you have a wispy little toothpick stick, as the easiest way to control the puck in the "air" is to use the flat of your stick, and the more flat the easier it is to do... doesn't stop some but is a general rule most of us have to follow. don't even get me started on those toothpick sticks... rant for another day)

cheers! liam