Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: goalies
Everyone Has To Pull Their Weight
by Paul on 11/05/07 at 08:25 AM ET
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from the Sun-Sentinel,
Standing in the visitors’ dressing room inside RBC Center, goalie Tomas Vokoun pointed out all of this after Florida’s 4-2 loss at Carolina, and then said he couldn’t understand why the Panthers didn’t work hard.
“We’re not consistently doing that enough to be successful on an every-night basis,” Vokoun said. “We are whatever we feel like that day, and that’s just not winning hockey. If you want to be in the playoffs, you have to be a whole lot better than that.
“No team is going to give you an easy game and say, ‘We’ll just let you win tonight.’ Especially with our team, we need everybody pulling their weight. That’s the bottom line for us to win. If that’s not happening, we can’t blame anyone but ourselves. We’re on the ice.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Florida Panthers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: florida+panthers, goalies, Tomas+Vokoun,
Weekes Hopes To Be A Link To Newark Community
by Paul on 11/05/07 at 06:09 AM ET
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from the NY Post,
A black Toronto native whose parents immigrated to Canada from Barbados, Weekes envisions the marvelous new arena invigorating the strife-stricken city and its residents. With Newark’s largely black population, not hockey’s usual fan demographic, Weekes hopes he can provide a link to the community.
“I’d like to think I can make a positive contribution, and when you have people who contribute positively, they are ambassadors,” Weekes said. “It’s extremely important for the sport, too, at the end of the day. We want to have as many different people, ages and demographics as possible among our fans.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, New Jersey Devils | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Kevin+Weekes, new+jersey+devils,
Kiprusoff is a Funny Guy
by Paul on 11/03/07 at 10:48 PM ET
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from the Calgary Herald,
To the ticket-buying public, he’s the saviour. The biggest reason why the Calgary Flames can stake a legitimate (some days more than others) claim to being a Stanley Cup contender.
But behind the mask? Under all those pads? Who is he?
Well, he’s a funny guy. Really. Teammates say so. Coaches say so…
“Miikka,” begins Sportsnet interviewer Jamie Thomas, following Kiprusoff’s brilliant performance against Nashville on Tuesday night, “when we talked in training camp, you said you didn’t want to talk about your contract until it was done. Now that it is, what can you say?”
“Well,” deadpans Kiprusoff, “now that it’s done, I don’t want to talk about it.”.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: calgary+flames, goalies, Miikka+Kiprusoff,
Toronto Goalies Hang Together
by Paul on 11/02/07 at 08:39 AM ET
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from the National Post via Canada.com,
They first met two years ago while playing for opposing hockey teams in Finland. But it took a month of sharing the net for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season for Vesa Toskala and Andrew Raycroft to become off-ice friends.
The two goaltenders dine together, swap iPod playlists and cheer for the same Formula One driver. Even their girlfriends seem to be getting along.
“It’s nice to have a guy there that you can relate to and be friends with and cheer for,” Raycroft said. “I want him to do well. Especially, through good times and bad, you can sit there and kind of go through it with someone else.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: andrew+raycroft, goalies, toronto+maple+leafs, vesa+toskala,
Masked Men In Columbus & LA
by Paul on 10/31/07 at 09:21 AM ET
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from E.J. Hradek at ESPN,
Halloween is a time for masks, right?
That being the case, I guess I should talk about the two masked men who’ll likely face one another Wednesday night in Hollywood.
Those two goaltenders are the Kings’ Jason LaBarbera and the Blue Jackets’ Pascal Leclaire. The Kings bring a four-game winning streak into their meeting with the Jackets, who are on their own three-game roll.
I’ll start with the 24-year-old Leclaire, who might be living up to the billing that led the Jackets to select him with the eighth overall pick in the 2001 draft.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: columbus+blue+jackets, goalies, los+angeles+kings,
Manny Fernandez Out with Knee Strain
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/07 at 07:13 PM ET
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From the AP via Santa Barbara News,
The Boston Bruins recalled goalie Jordan Sigalet from Providence of the AHL on Tuesday after Manny Fernandez sustained a slight strain of his left knee in practice earlier in the day.
Fernandez and another veteran, Tim Thomas, had been sharing the goaltending duties.
Update 7:45pm ET
From Fluto Shinzawa at the Boston Globe,
Chiarelli said the strain might keep Fernandez sidelined for the next two or three days, which might put him out of uniform for Thursday’s game against Buffalo. With Jordan Sigalet recalled to replace Fernandez, all signs point toward Tim Thomas starting on Thursday.
Chiarelli said the strain was not related to the left knee sprain Fernandez sustained last season.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, goalies, injuries, manny+fernandez,
Surprising Habs
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/07 at 05:51 PM ET
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From Jim Kelly at Sportsnet,
The Habs are a surprising second in the Northeast Division (to Ottawa) and through Monday night were 6-2-2 and tied for third overall in the Eastern Conference and tied for fifth overall with the likes of Philadelphia and Colorado. Isn’t that where Vancouver or maybe Calgary was supposed to be?
To be sure, both the Flames and the Canucks have had their problems, especially in regards keeping the puck out of their respective nets, but the Habs have out-pointed every Canadian entity except the Senators and even have some games in hand in comparison to some teams ahead of them in the standings.
How is this happening you ask? Well, in a word, goaltending.
Tack on another it would be defence and after that add things like timely scoring, smart positional play, a potent power-play attack (often the best in the league so far) and consistently strong lines.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, montreal+canadiens,
LaBarbera Sweating Up His Jersey
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/07 at 10:50 AM ET
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From Lisa Dillman at the LA Times,
Hockey players sweat. So, tell us something we don’t know.
Except not all sweating athletes are created equal, and some perspire more than others. Put Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera squarely in that latter camp, which has created some interesting challenges for this season.
The new Reebok Edge uniform system may be too efficient in repelling sweat from jerseys, so much so that it is wreaking havoc with LaBarbera’s gloves. He said that he probably doesn’t shoot the puck quite as well at the end of the period because of his slippery hands.
“I sweat a lot. I’m kind of known for it,” LaBarbera said recently. “I’ve always been like that. I’ve noticed it more so in my gloves this year than anything. You can feel it dripping into your gloves.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, jason+labarbera, los+angeles+kings,
Kiprusoff Will Sign Extension With Flames
by Alanah McGinley on 10/29/07 at 06:25 PM ET
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From TSN,
The Calgary Flames have called a news conference tonight and sources tell TSN it is to announce a long-term contract extension for Calgary netminder Miikka Kiprusoff.
Sources add that the deal is worth approximately $35 million for six years, or an average annual cap hit for the Flames of about $5.8 million per year beyond this season.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: calgary+flames, goalies, Miikka+Kiprusoff,
Fleury Feeling It Again
by Paul on 10/24/07 at 09:42 PM ET
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,
Last season, Fleury became the Pens’ undisputed No. 1 goaltender, finishing with a save percentage of .906. However, the whispering started when the Penguins were quickly dispatched in the first round of the playoffs by the Ottawa Senators.
Those whispers grew much louder a few weeks ago when the Penguins did not start well. Sidney Crosby may not have been scoring, and still isn’t, but it was Fleury who took the criticism.
“The one thing we can’t forget is that [Fleury] is the youngest No. 1 goalie in the league,” Penguins head coach Michel Therrien said yesterday. “He is still learning. It seemed a lot of people were panicking, but we weren’t panicking because we knew his game was going to get back where it was supposed to be.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, marc-andre+fleury, pittsburgh+penguins,
David Aebischer Down to the AHL
by Alanah McGinley on 10/24/07 at 03:52 PM ET
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From Jim Gintonio at The Arizona Republic,
Coyotes goaltender David Aebischer cleared waivers Wednesday and will report to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, joining the team in Chicago. [...]
Coach Wayne Gretzky said that with defenseman Zbynek Michalek returning from the injured list, room was needed on the roster.
Phoenix entered the season with a goalie trio that also included Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld, another free agent.
“The worst thing , the first three weeks of the season for us, we haven’t had a lot of games,” Gretzky said. “So Aebischer in a lot of ways probably had a right to feel he didn’t get a really good chance. But we just haven’t had enough games to give him that chance.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: david+aebischer, goalies, phoenix+coyotes,
Blame The Goalie
by Paul on 10/24/07 at 09:35 AM ET
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from Jamie Fitzpatrick at About.com,
When in doubt, blame the goalie. The following headlines have all appeared in the past seven days. Brief excerpts from the accompanying articles included:
Brodeur Can’t Bear to Look at Stats
The numbers would be bad even for the average guy. For Martin Brodeur, they’re positively ghastly.Where Have You Gone Roberto Luongo?
...and all your thrilling, acrobatic saves, a rain-soaked, darkened city turns its lonely eyes to you.
Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, martin+brodeur, roberto+luongo,
Martin Biron on XM Radio
by Alanah McGinley on 10/22/07 at 03:30 PM ET
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Philadelphia Flyers goalie Marty Biron spoke with XM’s NHL Live show today. The interview can be heard on the player below.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Note: The transcript below is another interview, from Biron’s NHL press conference call earlier today.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, martin+biron, media, philadelphia+flyers,
Lehtonen Out With Strained Groin
by Paul on 10/22/07 at 11:29 AM ET
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from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen will be out four to six weeks with a strained groin. An MRI revealed that there was no tear in the groin Lehtonen injured during Thursday’s win over the Rangers.
Even so, he’ll likely be out until December.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: atlanta+thrashers, goalies, Kari+Lehtonen,
Blue Jackets Thinking About Luongo
by Paul on 10/21/07 at 09:02 AM ET
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from the Columbus Dispatch,
The puck drops for the Blue Jackets against the Canucks today in Nationwide Arena.
But will it ever get past Luongo?
“I’ve played against him a lot of nights when it’s … well, it’s never impossible, but it seems like it,” said Blue Jackets left winger Fredrik Modin, who saw a lot of Luongo—too much, he might say—when Modin played for Tampa Bay and Luongo played for Florida two seasons ago.
“Guys get frustrated. What would be goals against other goalies, Luongo saves. So you feel like you have to be perfect to beat him, and it gets into your head.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: columbus+blue+jackets, goalies, roberto+luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Save Of The Night
by Paul on 10/21/07 at 08:34 AM ET
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Henrik Lundqvist robs Marc Savard with a fantastic save yesterday.
Savard thought so too- Notice the tap on the pads Marc gives Lundqvist at the end of the video.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, goalies, Henrik+Lundqvist, new+york+rangers,
No Panic In Pittsburgh
by Paul on 10/20/07 at 06:51 AM ET
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from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
“We’ve got confidence in Marc-Andre Fleury,” Therrien said. “He won a lot of games for us last year. We believe in the kid. He just needs to be himself.
“Right now, we’re not panicking. We know that he’s going to get better. It’s a matter of time. There’s nothing wrong with facing adversity for a player or as a team because you know that eventually it’s going to make you better.”
General manager Ray Shero also backs Fleury and denied a report by TSN’s Bob McKenzie that the Penguins are shopping for a veteran goaltender to back up and perhaps challenge Fleury.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, marc-andre+fleury, pittsburgh+penguins,
Flames Talking Contract Extension With Kiprusoff
by Paul on 10/18/07 at 10:34 AM ET
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from the Calgary Herald,
While GM Darryl Sutter was critical of the recent play of his goalie on Wednesday, the Flames still see him as a linchpin in the lineup. And despite the jibes of Sutter and coach Mike Keenan about a slow start, Kiprusoff continues to be bullish on Calgary. (It’s just one Kumbaya short of a love-in.)
As for anything imminent to announce from said discussions, however . . . do not hold your breath. Kiprusoff remains firm about being paid like the top goalie in the NHL—that would be in the $6.75-million US range being enjoyed by Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. And he’s looking for recognition that he’s equally as important to the Flames as is captain Jarome Iginla. He of the five-year, $7-million-per-year payday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: calgary+flames, goalies, Miikka+Kiprusoff,
Belfour In Sweden
by Paul on 10/17/07 at 09:32 AM ET
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Eddie Belfour has arrived in Sweden.
You can watch the video (will open wmp video) of the press conference.
thanks to a KK reader for the pointer…
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, European Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Eddie+Belfour, goalies,
Here Manny Goes Again
by Alanah McGinley on 10/17/07 at 01:34 AM ET
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From John Shipley at the Pioneer Press,
Yes, this is the same Manny Fernandez who ranks dead last among NHL goalies in goals-against average (5.00) and save percentage (.796), and once again is splitting time with another goaltender.
Fernandez is 1-1 in two starts. In three starts, partner/backup Tim Thomas ranks second in the NHL with a 1.34 GAA and .957 save percentage, right behind the Wild’s Nik Backstrom (1.00, .959) - the guy who pushed Fernandez out of Minnesota after seven seasons.
So, for Fernandez, it has been a case of here we go again.
“We’re splitting time for now,” he said. “You know, it’s the same questions and the same answers as it’s always been. We don’t make the rules, and we don’t make the decisions.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, goalies, manny+fernandez,
The Diplomatic Response
by Paul on 10/16/07 at 07:02 AM ET
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from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun,
Ray Emery , the only goalie to take Ottawa to the Stanley Cup finals, is finally ready to return from wrist surgery and reclaim his No. 1 job.
Martin Gerber, who in 12 months has amazingly transformed his game from shaky to steady to sometimes spectacular, has zero interest in giving up the position he’s held since the season began.
Both men said all the right things yesterday. Both want to play, both are content to let the chips fall where they may, both want what’s best for the team.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Martin+Gerber, ottawa+senators, Ray+Emery,
Bernier Back To Juniors
by Paul on 10/15/07 at 04:17 PM ET
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from Bob McKenzie of TSN,
Jonathan Bernier is heading back to junior hockey.
Sources tell TSN the Los Angeles Kings are in the process of returning the 19-year-old underage netminder to Lewiston of the Quebec League. He is expected to be back with his junior team as early as tomorrow.
Updated 6:32pm ET:
Kings activate Jean-Sebastien Aubin from IR.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, jean-sebastien+aubin, Jonathan+Bernier, los+angeles+kings,
Vanbiesbrouck Inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
by Alanah McGinley on 10/13/07 at 12:26 AM ET
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From the AP via Sports Illustrated,
John Vanbiesbrouck entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Friday night as the NHL’s winningest American-born goalie.
“One statistic you don’t know is that I had almost an equal number of losses,’’ the former Rangers star said. “That meant for a lot of cold, dark rides in New York City. It’s in those times that you grow, gain courage and ask the deepest questions.’‘
Vanbiesbrouck retired in 2002 with a 374-346-119 record. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie in 1986.
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, john+vanbiesbrouck,
Gerber Flirting with Greatness
by Alanah McGinley on 10/12/07 at 01:48 PM ET
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From Scott Burnside at ESPN,
If greatness has a footman, a manservant, a chambermaid, then surely Martin Gerber is that person.
For the past two years, when hockey has been played on its grandest stage, the Swiss-born goaltender has been there. Sort of. Far from the spotlight, Gerber has existed in the shadows of that greatness while others have basked in the glory.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Martin+Gerber, ottawa+senators,
Theodore Starts Tonight
by Paul on 10/12/07 at 09:27 AM ET
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from the Rocky Mountain News,
Six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore will make his regular- season debut tonight.
He will start against the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center in a game that could set the tone for the kind of season it will be for him and for the Avalanche.
“It’s good to be back in,” he said Thursday. “It was a long rehab, but it’s fun to get the start. I’m anxious to get out there and help the team.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: colorado+avalanche, goalies, Jose+Theodore,
No Goalie Controversy In Montreal
by Paul on 10/12/07 at 09:17 AM ET
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from the Montreal Gazette,
Huet is aware he and Price are competing for the No. 1 job and said that’s the way it should be.
“It has to be like that,” Huet said. “The coach is going to use the best goalie, the guy who’s playing the best during the games and that pushes me, for sure, to be better and get the job done.”
Price describes Huet as the perfect mentor for a young goaltender, although Huet was at a loss to explain exactly what he does in that role.
“I think the important thing is that I treat him like everyone else,” Huet said. “But you should ask him.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: carey+price, cristobal+huet, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Keenan Comes Down On Kiprusoff
by Paul on 10/11/07 at 08:18 PM ET
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from the Calgary Herald,
After a Thursday afternoon’s practice in Dallas, Keenan managed to smack both his goalie and his struggling team by offering this assessment of the Detroit contest: “You most likely aren’t going to win any road game putting 20 shots on the net unless your goaltender is spectacular. And our goaltender wasn’t spectacular.”...
“It’s not our responsibility to get them going,” he said. “It’s their responsibility. Jarome (Iginla) did a lot of work in the off-season to get ready and now he’s got to get his game together. And Kiprusoff, if he has notorious slow starts, that’s his responsibility to contribute to the team as he should be able to on consistent basis once the season does start. So he’s going to have to figure out what he’s going to have to do to make some improvements quickly.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: calgary+flames, goalies, Miikka+Kiprusoff,
Ghosts of Mellon Arena
by Alanah McGinley on 10/11/07 at 04:55 PM ET
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From Shelly Anderson at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
It was 40 years ago tonight—Oct. 11, 1967—that the Penguins played their first game, a 2-1 loss to Montreal—the same opponent they faced last night.
The Canadiens took a 2-0 lead in that game on a first-period, short-handed goal by Gilles Tremblay and a second-period goal by Jean Beliveau (the 400th of his career) before Andy Bathgate scored the first goal in Penguins’ history at 7:06 of the third period against goaltender Rogie Vachon.
Attendance was 9,307 in an arena that did not yet have balconies and whose roof could still open, but did not for hockey games.
Do you believe in ghosts? There’s something about Mellon Arena, or at least this city’s hockey teams, and goaltenders.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, pittsburgh+penguins,
Ryan Miller’s Inspiration
by Alanah McGinley on 10/11/07 at 03:35 PM ET
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From John Vogl at the Buffalo News,
Matt Schoals has served as an inspiration to Ryan Miller and to people who knew Schoals and his story. It’s clear death will not stop that.
Miller was detailing this week’s passing of his young cousin, grief and shock audible in his voice. But when talk turned to the mask of the Buffalo Sabres goaltender — the mask that Schoals helped design and serves as a constant reminder that there’s more to life than hockey games — Miller’s mood brightened. He laughed while recounting how the caricature of a bulldog came about, a sign that Schoals’ inspirational effect will not soon fade.
“He left a great legacy, and it’s only fair to talk about him and talk about the positive impact he had on the community,” Miller said Wednesday.
“He left the world, but he left having done great things.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: buffallo+sabres, goalies, ryan+miller,
Price Is Right For Canadiens
by Paul on 10/11/07 at 10:12 AM ET
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Habs Inside/Out has all the talk…
Any debate over the readiness of Canadiens goalie Carey Price for the National Hockey League has been settled. The kid is poised, confident and plays his angles beautifully. He is more than ready.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carey+Price, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Emery’s #1 Status In Doubt
by Paul on 10/10/07 at 03:44 PM ET
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from Mike Brophy of the Hockey News,
While it might appear Ray Emery is the odds-on favorite to regain the starter’s role once his wrist is healthy, there is every chance Martin Gerber will have used the time to stake a hold on the job that was his last season before he tanked it early in the year. In his first four games – all victories – Gerber has looked solid, if not outstanding.
There is no denying Emery saved the day last year. He picked up the ball when Gerber fumbled and carried it all the way to the Stanley Cup final.
But let us not forget, it wasn’t necessarily a smooth journey.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, ottawa+senators, Ray+Emery,
Osgood Starts Tonight
by Paul on 10/10/07 at 12:57 PM ET
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via Red Wings Corner,
Lingering pain above Dominik Hasek’s knee means that Chris Osgood will get his first start of the season tonight against Calgary.
Hasek will back-up Osgood.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: chris+osgood, detroit+red+wings, dominik+hasek, goalies, injuries,
Jose Theodore’s Knee Ready for NHL Duty
by Alanah McGinley on 10/10/07 at 11:58 AM ET
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From Rick Sadowski at the Rocky Mountain News,
“The rest is up to the coach. I’m just waiting for my start, my chance. There’s no pain - everything is feeling really good. I feel as strong as ever. It was hot in the building, too, so I could test my conditioning. I wanted to make sure that, when I play here, I was ready.”
Theodore skated for about a week before training camp when he felt pain in his knee. A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a tear under the kneecap, and he underwent arthroscopic surgery Aug. 29.
It was an unexpected setback for Theodore, coming off a 13-15-1 season and begins 2007-08 as Peter Budaj’s backup with plenty to prove in the final year of a contract that pays him $6 million.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: colorado+avalanche, goalies, jose+theodore,
Vokoun’s Game Has Changed
by Paul on 10/10/07 at 10:20 AM ET
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from the Palm Beach Post,
Former Panthers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck and Terry Crisp, a former player and coach who’s now the Predators’ TV analyst, have noticed a slip in the enormous confidence that helped make Vokoun one of the league’s top 10 goalies.
“He’s had a lot of things happen the last couple years: the blood disorder, the thumb injury,” said Vanbiesbrouck, now a national broadcaster who worked Tuesday night’s Toronto-Carolina game for Versus. “Talking to him after all that, I thought everything was fine. Then I started focusing on him and saw he was a lot further back in the net than he had been.
“Before, he had been personified as a real rock - a guy who would challenge shooters and was hard to score on in the third period. Now he gives up four goals (to the Rangers) in the third his first game out.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Florida Panthers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: florida+panthers, goalies, Tomas+Vokoun,
Looking At Gump
by Paul on 10/10/07 at 08:18 AM ET
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from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,
The late Red Storey liked to tell the story about the day he met Worsley in a bar in the morning of an afternoon game.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Sit,” the goaltender said.
They chatted for a few minutes, whereupon Storey said to Worsley: “It’s none of my business, Gump, but don’t you have a game this afternoon?”
“You’re right,” Worsley grunted, “it’s none of your business.”
more on Worsley…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Gump+Worsley,
Gerber In Relaxed Mode
by Paul on 10/10/07 at 06:21 AM ET
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from the Ottawa Sun,
“He’s relaxed,” said Senators coach John Paddock. “He got off to a good start in the first exhibition game. Last year he didn’t get off to a good start, then had to face (the media).
“I know they have (one) beat writer in Carolina, so there’s about 20 times the amount of people in here right now and that’s every day. That makes a difference. We struggled and those things mentally were tough (on Gerber).”
Gerber admitted he had a difficult time dealing with the pressure after he arrived with a three-year, $11.1 million US contract.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Martin+Gerber, ottawa+senators,
High Hopes for Price’s Debut
by Alanah McGinley on 10/09/07 at 06:19 PM ET
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From Bob McKenzie at TSN,
There may be those who question the wisdom of the Montreal Canadiens starting netminder Carey Price against Sidney Crosby in his first NHL game on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, but it may turn out to be a fitting debut.
Because in years, when we look back on the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, it may well be that Price is the only prospect from that class who has even a chance to be mentioned in the same breath as Sid the Kid.
Now as good as Bobby Ryan or Jack Johnson or Anze Kopitar or Marc Staal are going to be, Price has a chance to be something special.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: carey+price, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Legace Targets 60 Games
by Paul on 10/09/07 at 07:19 AM ET
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from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
On Monday, two days after leaving in the second period of a 5-3 Blues win over Los Angeles with a “tweaked” right knee, Legace was reassessing his proclamation. He was back at practice bending and scooting with ease and said he will start in the Blues’ home opener against Nashville on Wednesday night. But as far as playing 70 games this season, probably not.
“Sixty would be good ... that would be a good mark, not to push it,” said Legace, 34. “We’ll see how it goes. I’m just going to take all the precautions in the world.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, St. Louis Blues | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Manny+Legace, st+louis+blues,
Luongo Appears Fine After Knee Scare
by Paul on 10/08/07 at 08:42 PM ET
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from the Vancouver Sun,
Less than 48 hours after avoiding a serious knee injury, Vancouver Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo was back on the ice and practising with his teammates….
“I was able to get through the practice so that’s a good sign,” Luongo said. “This morning it felt much better than yesterday and I was able to walk on it fine. Obviously if it was going to bother me on the ice, I was going to get off. Once it was warmed up, I was fine.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
Mason Off To A Fast Start
by Paul on 10/08/07 at 05:42 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun at Sportsnet,
Can’t help but cheer for a guy like Chris Mason, named the third star by the NHL on Monday after the Nashville goalie stopped 63 of 64 shots in leading the Predators to a pair of opening wins. With Tomas Vokoun traded to Florida, Mason finally gets a chance to become a No. 1 goalie in this league, something I know he’s craved for a long time. He could be one of the best stories of the season.
more NHL bits plus some Forseberg talk…
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Chris+Mason, goalies, nashville+predators,
From Luongo to Vokoun
by Alanah McGinley on 10/02/07 at 11:45 PM ET
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From Steve Gorten at the Sun-Sentinel,
Jacques Martin has never publicly said, and probably never will, that trading Roberto Luongo was a mistake, despite how it shook the Panthers’ organization.
Martin ultimately gave his approval of the trade to then-General Manager Mike Keenan not because he wanted to — Luongo was the reason Martin chose to coach the Panthers instead of the Coyotes — but because he felt he had no other choice after contract negotiations with the star goalie grew too contentious.
So Martin, the coach, made do with Alex Auld and Ed Belfour in goal. In June, Martin, the general manager, made a major move to stabilize that position and this franchise: He traded three draft picks to the Nashville Predators for goalie Tomas Vokoun.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Florida Panthers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: florida+panthers, goalies, tomas+vokoun,
Gerber #1 For Now
by Paul on 10/02/07 at 09:03 AM ET
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from the Ottawa Citizen,
Scenarios change so quickly, the starting job sometimes falls from the sky.
“You never know what the situation is,” Gerber says. “All I can do is put everything out there, try to work hard and everything else takes care of itself usually. You have to stay healthy. A lot of things play into it.”
The 34-year-old from Burgdorf, Switzerland, is more comfortable in his Canadian environment now, and more comfortable in the same old net. Known as a goaltending technician, Gerber has been working on the athletic side of his game - in particular, quickness and mobility.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Martin+Gerber, ottawa+senators,
Coyotes Spy Game
by Alanah McGinley on 10/02/07 at 12:47 AM ET
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From Jim Gintonio at the Arizona Republic,
And the opening night goalie for the Coyotes is…
“What do they call it in football? The spy game?” joked coach Wayne Gretzky. “It’s top secret. I’m not gonna decide until Wednesday. All three of them have played pretty hard, all three of them have been strong, all three of them really worked hard in practice each and every day. I know who we’re gonna start. I’m just gonna keep it close to the vest until Wednesday.”
The goalie trio: returning backup Mikael Tellqvist and two free agents, David Aebischer and Alex Auld.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, phoenix+coyotes,
There’s Only One Team for Kolzig
by Alanah McGinley on 09/30/07 at 05:43 AM ET
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From George Solomon at the Washington Post,
Kolzig might not be Cal Ripken—he missed 13 games last season with a knee injury—but his numbers are impressive. Nine seasons as the Caps’ regular goaltender, 702 games in goal overall. A regular season winning percentage of slightly better than .500, and just as important, two major NHL awards for community service.
“It’s rare an athlete plays his entire career with one team, but Washington gave me my opportunity and stuck with me when I was coming up and not what they call a top-end prospect,” Kolzig said. “Playing with one team my whole career, that’s something I’d like to hang my hat on.”
more… (*and go here for more on Kolzig’s backup, Brent Johnson)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, olie+kolzig, washington+capitals,
Hedberg’s Mask
by Paul on 09/28/07 at 04:08 PM ET
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via Blueland Blog, The mask of the “Moose”. Great pics…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Atlanta Thrashers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Johan+Hedberg,
Kings Feel Good With Bernier
by Paul on 09/28/07 at 06:45 AM ET
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from the LA Times,
By the time Bernier arrived at training camp, the Kings were eager to see what he could do and he was added to the goaltending mix with Dan Cloutier, Jason LaBarbera and Jean-Sebastien Aubin.
“I got to camp, there were three veteran goalies, so I said to tell myself, ‘Just play like I know and just worry about the game,’ ” Bernier said. “And that’s what I did.”
“You don’t want to get too overly excited, but he’s showing some very good poise in the net,” said Coach Marc Crawford, who last Friday sent Cloutier to Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League. “For a goalie to play at this age, they need to have a real strong fundamental game.
“He has a sound package, especially with his skating. . . . He has a great foundation to his goaltending game.”
more (reg. req.)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Jonathan+Bernier, los+angeles+kings,
Toskala Will Be Fine
by Paul on 09/28/07 at 06:30 AM ET
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from the Toronton Sun,
Yet before the Maple Leafs goaltender officially is declared a flop across the board, a voice of reason last night might help this sudden city-wide panic to end.
That person was none other than San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, who watched Toskala come up through his organization to emerge, in his mind, as one of the upper echelon goalies in the game.
“I understand the passion of the fans and that’s wonderful, butI’m not sure you want to judge him after just two exhibition games,” Wilson said in a phone interview from San Jose. “He is a very good goalie and I predict he will play very well for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“He is very mentally tough. He’ll be able to handle the (spotlight) in Toronto.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, toronto+maple+leafs, Vesa+Toskala,
Goalie Expectations in Florida, Boston and Toronto
by Alanah McGinley on 09/27/07 at 05:18 PM ET
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From the CP via Yahoo! Sports,
A trio of Eastern Conference teams feel they’ve made themselves better this off-season by acquiring goalies who couldn’t hold on to No. 1 jobs in the West.
Trades brought Tomas Vokoun to Florida, Manny Fernandez to Boston and Vesa Toskala to Toronto this summer and every one of those teams is hoping those guys can carry them to the playoffs.
Expectations might be a little high.
All three have shown some shaky form during the pre-season, although it would be foolish to put too much stock in the exhibition play.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, florida+panthers, goalies, Manny+Fernandez, tomas+vokoun, toronto+maple+leafs, vesa+toskala,
Goaltending #1 Concern For Kings
by Paul on 09/27/07 at 11:58 AM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of Sportsnet,
The Los Angeles Kings will definitely be the forgotten team here in London this week as the Anaheim Ducks parade the Stanley Cup around the English capital.
The question is whether they’re on the right track to one day duplicating Anaheim’s Cup triumph. It’s Year 2 of GM Dean Lombardi’s rebuilding job and what a massive facelift it’s been.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, los+angeles+kings,
Oh Roberto!
by Paul on 09/26/07 at 12:38 PM ET
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from Adam Proteau of the Hockey News,
I’ve never been a major proponent of enlarging NHL nets. But when I hear Roberto Luongo threaten retirement if such a thing comes to pass, I want nothing more than to see the NHL go that route.
The audacity and petulance of Luongo’s statement truly is stunning.
continued plus more NHL talk…
Note: Here is the full transcript of Luongo’s comments yesterday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, Roberto+Luongo, vancouver+canucks,
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