apropos of nothing in particular regarding this game (in which the
referee just made a horrible call= Clarkson gets called for
interference after being pushed), how is it possible that you can
reach the pinnacle of this sport and become one of the top 700 or so
players on the continent and not be able to hit the net with pretty
much every shot?

I understand they're not aiming for the middle. They're usually aiming
just inside the posts, or just under the crossbar or in the corners,
but some of the missed shots are remarkably far from the target. I
also understand that there are defenders to deal with, but again,
these are the BEST players on the continent.

What's up with that?