"The sizzling shot Dwayne Roloson took off his left collarbone Thursday against the Canadiens left a healthy bruise. But the Lightning goaltender said it likely would have been worse if not for a padded shirt he wore under his normal gear.

"Thankfully, we have those shirts," Roloson said, "because (the shot) would have done some damage if we didn't have that extra padding."

So shock resistant is the material, head equipment manager Ray Thill said, it can protect a hand from a full-on blow from a hammer.

"Want to try?" Thill said. "They demonstrate it all the time."

Roloson said he has worn the shirts, not standard issue to goalies, since he played for the Oilers from 2006-09. He hadn't replaced them in several years, so Thill ordered new ones from a company that uses a shock-absorbing material that feels like a spongy plastic and is called a viscoelastic polymer."