Why do goaltenders tap the ice with their stick during games?

I’ve been a hockey fan for some time now, but even after several years of watching the Colorado Avalanche (and the odd game here and there), I seem to learn some new things. Now, diehard fans will know the answer to this question, but even though I watch the Avalanche play, the question just popped into my mind the other day.

Why do goaltenders tap the ice during games? Now, it’s not all the time, not even every single period, but it happens.

The whole reason that a goaltender would tap his stick on the ice is to warn his teammates that the opposing team’s power play is about to come to an end. The action is because, if the goaltender’s teammates don’t know, the opposing team’s player can come out of the penalty box and potentially go on a breakaway, with no defenders back to help their goalie out.

In other words, the player heading out of the box could be passed the puck on his way to an insane breakaway opportunity. It would be similar to a 1-on-1 on a shootout, except that the skater would have extra space on the ice to build his speed up, which could be deadly to a goaltender. Take, for instance, Nathan MacKinnon.

When describing MacKinnon’s play style, it’s somewhere between a shark And a cannon being fired off into the distance. If the right player gets the one-on-one opportunity, it’s almost game over for the other team’s goaltender.

So far in 2024-25, the Colorado Avalanche rank 23rd in terms of penalty kill percentage (PK%) at 73.5 percent. Their power play percentage relatively “better” as they rank fifth in the league, having scored on 30.6 percent of power plays (power play goals). The Avalanche have killed off 36 penalties this season, which ranks 21st in the league.