It is frozen before entering play to make it bounce resistant. Some professional players can shoot the puck between 90-100 miles per hour. Speeds of up to 120 miles per hour have actually been recorded by some of the hardest shooters in hockey. Generally speaking, it is one that s low and to the stick side. Some goaltenders overplay to the stick side, presenting a more inviting target on the glove side.
Many people think that deflections are mere luck.
Actually, players practice deflections by standing off to the side or in front of the net and deflecting shots from that position into another area of the goal. Seldom does a goaltender have sufficient time to react to a deflection since the puck suddenly changes direction off an offensive player s stick. The slap shot, while harder and faster, is easier for the goalie to time than a wrist shot, which takes the goalie more by surprise. A puck cannot intentionally be kicked in and still count as a goal. However, a puck can be deflected off a skate or a player s body and still count as a goal if no attempt was made to deliberately throw or kick it in.