Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Chad+Johnson
Rangers: Strong in Net
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/17/09 at 03:07 PM ET
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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
Johnson told me earlier this afternoon his goal is to make the Rangers (which should be the goal for everybody who stepped through the doors this weekend, no matter how realistic or unrealistic that might be).
But with Steve Valiquette under contract for one more season as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup, the Rangers are set. Johnson could compete for one of the two Hartford spots with Matt Zaba and Miika Wiikman, both who played for the Wolf Pack last season. Or, he could start the season at Charlotte (ECHL). But even based on just a few scrimmages/two preseason games, it seems obvious that Johnson has a chance to quickly move up the organizational goaltending ladder.
“I think, for me, the more I can be around and be with NHL caliber players and shooters, I’ll get used to the speed of the shots and the game,” Johnson said.
The Penguins chose Johnson, who had a 1.66 goals-against average and a 14-16-5 record for Alaska-Fairbanks last season, in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. But Johnson said he didn’t think the Penguins organization was a good fit for him in terms of opportunities and was prepared to wait until Aug. 15 this summer to become a free agent. Instead, the Penguins sent him to the Rangers in a trade that pleased Johnson for two reasons: He knew there was more of a chance to move up in the Rangers’ organization and he would have the chance to work with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire.
Click here for more. Nice to know that the Rangers have some depth in goal. Let’s see how it plays out this season.
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Tags: Chad+Johnson, New+York+Rangers,
Youngsters looking good
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/17/09 at 10:33 AM ET
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The New York Rangers may have dropped their second straight game in pre-season (3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils) but they certainly got impressive performances from some of their youngsters, in particularly defensemen Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto and goaltender Chad Johnson.
It’s nice to see a Ranger blueliner who is not afraid to rush the puck up the ice, show some moves and put the puck on the net. The goal he scored to make it a 2-1 game should show the Blueshirt brass that he has the poise and determination to create offense, something the team has been missing since it lost Brian Leetch in 2004.
Del Zotto also had a strong performance, even showing that he’s not afraid to go deep in the offensive zone in a four-on-four situation. He’s constantly looking to create offense and that is something that head coach John Tortorella likes to see from both young defensemen Gilroy and Del Zotto.
“They make subtle plays,” Tortorella told Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants after the game. “It’s not just always off the glass and giving it back to the other team. They’re looking to make a play out of the end zone so we have control. They’ve done a good job in a lot of minutes that we’ve given them the past couple of games.”
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Tags: Chad+Johnson, Matt+Gilroy, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
