Abel to Yzerman
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Protecting The Jewels
by IwoCPO on 11/22/06 at 05:11 AM ET
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I guess when you’re the Holland/Babcock brain trust and you sign a quirky 41-year old groin injury waiting to happen, you do so with the expectation that the coming season could very well turn into something of a three-ring circus. You anticipate seven months of shielding your eyes every time he goes post-to-post, and hope for approximately two months, 9 days of reaping the rewards of your brilliant foresight.
But when the backup you signed to back-up the last psycho goalie you eventually, and thankfully, let walk gets hurt and can’t back-up the current brittle goalie...well, it’s time to get creative.
And creativity this week means that when Hasek gets a rest, he rests on the bench instead of in the press box. And creativity means that if Joey MacDonald lets in 6 goals in 6 minutes Friday against the Blues (I know, I know...bear with me), the backup signed to bring the Cup back up to Detroit won’t be budging.
Khan(!)/MLive
“We’re not doing anything to risk what we think is a good thing we got going,’’ Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
They won’t increase Hasek’s workload and won’t play him on consecutive nights, at least during the first half of the season. Hasek will, however, dress as the backup in the few games that Joey MacDonald starts. But, Babcock will minimize his risk of injury if forced to enter a game cold.
“(Assistant coach) Todd McLellan’s job is to make sure I never pull (MacDonald),’’ Babcock said. “It’s not going to happen. If we make a goaltending change in any of those games, it’ll be between periods.’’
All this talk, all this hand wringing and worry, will be for naught. Why?
* The Wings have only three back-to-back situations between now and Christmas.
* They’re playing so well defensively that the three goals MacDonald gave up against Edmonton could very well be the most he relinquishes all season.
* No matter where this discussion takes us, no regular season game is going to be vital enough to bring Hasek off the bench.
And that I guarantee. Unless MacDonald’s hurt, we will never see the ballcap leave Hasek’s balding head. Those silly soft twins could put in four apiece in the first period tonite and Babcock won’t even look in Hasek’s direction.
Oh, Hasek says he feels good. He says he could even play back-to-back games. He’s doing more stretching before games and, whoa, he gets regular groin massages.
Uhhh...I’m almost 38. I felt a twinge getting out of the Chief jeep yesterday. I think it’s time I received regular groin massages.
I know. Don’t say it. I’ll go blind.
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