Your old P88 is getting soft. The shop has a P92 in the right hand and flex, and the two blades look close enough until you put them next to each other. Do you take the stick that's on the rack or wait for the one you know?
If you liked the old stick and can replace it in the right size, keep the P88. If you regularly get a puck near the net and struggle to lift it before a defender closes in, the P92 is worth trying. Neither is worth buying in a flex or length that doesn't fit you.
What changes when you switch
Bauer lists the P88 and P92 (opens in a new tab) as round-toed mid curves with the same published lie of 6. The P88 has a medium-length blade and a slightly open face. The P92 blade is longer, and Bauer describes its open face as helping with elevation (opens in a new tab). Lie is the angle between the blade and shaft. A matching lie number doesn't make the rest of the blade the same.
Set both blades on the floor with the shafts at a similar angle and look along each blade from the heel. An open face tilts back more, a little like the face of a lofted golf club. That gives you a reason to try the P92 if you want help getting the puck up on a short forehand release. It doesn't tell you how high your shot will go, or whether you'll like taking a hard pass with that blade.
Shopping CCM? Compare its P88 with its P29. CCM describes the P88 as a medium, closed-face mid curve and the P29 as a larger, open-face mid curve (opens in a new tab). The P29 is the CCM option to look at if you're shopping for something in the P92 family. It isn't a promise that a CCM stick will feel exactly like a Bauer. The same caution applies to a P88 with a different brand name on the shaft.
Buy for the play you want to improve
Keep the P88 if you're replacing a stick you trust. You already know how it handles the pass that comes a little too hard, the backhand out of your feet and the shot you want to keep low. If those plays are working, don't give them up just because the P92 is easier to find at one shop.
Try the P92 if you can name a problem it might solve. Maybe you collect the puck beside the crease and need another touch to get it up. That's a better reason to compare curves than wanting a harder shot. If your P88 shots already run high when you rush, check where the P92 misses go before you commit.
Fit comes first if you're buying for a kid or getting your first stick. A P92 or P29 in a shaft the player can hold and load is a better starting point than a P88 that needs a big cut just to be usable. If the player struggles to shoot with either curve, start with length and flex. A different blade won't make a shaft easier to bend.
Check the exact stick before you pay
- Read the old shaft. Photograph the model, curve, hand and flex markings. If the stick was cut or extended, measure its finished length. The length printed on a new product page is not necessarily the length you're playing with now.
- Select the hand and flex before checking the curve. A product page can list both patterns even when only one is available in your combination. The Bauer Nexus E40 senior listing (opens in a new tab), for example, shows both P88 and P92 among the options. That's a place to look for a comparable pair, not a guarantee that both are in stock.
- Read the whole pattern code. Bauer's P92M adds height at the top of the blade. If you mean to try a regular P92, make sure the sticker says P92. For a used stick, ask for a clear photo of the code and the blade instead of relying on the listing title.
- Check the return terms before cutting or taping. If you can't borrow one or try a shop demo, don't count on being able to take a new stick onto the ice and return it.
Compare the two on ordinary plays
If you can borrow or demo both, match the brand, model, hand, flex and finished length as closely as you can. Use similar tape and the same puck and targets. Comparing a freshly cut P92 with a worn P88 from a different line may tell you which stick you prefer, but it won't tell you which difference came from the curve.
Give both sticks a few warm-up touches, then alternate them through four short sets:
- Receive a firm pass while moving. Can you make the next play without taking a second touch to settle the puck?
- Make a backhand pass from beside your skates. Aim for a teammate's blade or a small target. Notice how often you can hit it without stopping to rearrange your feet.
- Shoot low through a lane. Pick a low target and use the release you'd actually take through traffic. Count the shots that miss high.
- Lift the puck in tight. Start from the same spot near the net and see how often you can get the puck up without a long pull or an extra touch.
Pay more attention to the misses than the best shot. If the P92 helps in tight and the rest of your game still feels normal, that's a reason to switch. If you make one great top-corner shot and spend the rest of the skate chasing your first touch, keep the stick you trust.
For more on what varies inside the pattern family, see our P88 guide.