.. like wall

The Starter?

Miika Kiprusoff is overworked. Plain and SIMPLE! At 34 he needs to have his workload cut back to be effective all season. When he’s healthy and well-rested he’s among the best in the game. During the years when Calgary were legitimate Cup Contenders on the back of stars in their prime (mostly Iggy), Kipper was unbeatable. The Flames however, always seemed to fall short.

Kip has been around since the Flames marched to the Finals in 03-04 and Calgary has always had 40+ wins with him as the starter. The last two season however, have been the worst in that reign (40 and 41 respectively) while the Flames nearly made the playoffs twice. Nearly is not enough. 

Last Season: 37-24, 2.63gaa, 90.6%, 6 shutouts.

Career: 276-177, 2.46gaa, 91.3%, 40 shuouts.

Back-up Plans?                                         

Last season Kiprusoff had a rough go. Again, he played 71 games for Calgary in a losing effort as they missed out at the chance to play for Lord Stanley’s Cup. The reason why he played 71 games is Calgary doesn’t have a legitimate Back-up in the their system. 

27 year old Henrik Karlson has taken a lonnng time to develop in his native Sweden. To be fair, goalies generally take a longer time to groom that skaters and the bigger and lankier the goalie is will usually make that time increase exponentially. At 6 foot 6 and 215lbs Karlson qualifies as lanky. He appeared in 17 games for the Flames last year and did well enough to be accepted back into the fold for the Flames (4-5, 2.58gaa, 90.8%). Numbers very similar to Kipper’s so you can’t fault him there. 

Young Guns?

If and when Kipprusoff finally bites it (sooner rather than later if Calgary keep playing him 70 times a season) Leland Irving should be ready to take over. Hell he might even wrestle the job from the Finn if he’s ever given a chance. Irving was 30-24 with a 2.30gaa and a 91.3% save percentage with 8 shutties in the ‘A’ last season. That was his 3rd season with the Flames affiliate system in Quad City and Abbotsford. He’s complied a 68-59 record in 3 seasons so he should be getting an opportunity to play in my opinion (NO NHL ACTION YET). He’s been assigned to start the year in the AHL with the next guy on our list.

Joni Ortio played one game on North American ice last season with the Heat and was torched! He allowed 6 goals! That’s no way to kick off your professional career. He did however play a number of games in the Finnish pro league with TPS where he was also shelled to the tune of a 3.30gaa and a 3-7 record. Before you go smashing him he played brilliantly at the World Juniors where he posted a 93.1% save percentage and a 1.86gaa. Drafted in the 6th Round 2009 he could end up being a steal in a few seasons.

Verdict

Calgary probably won’t make the playoffs again this year. If the plane starts to nosedive watch how fast Calgary turns into a fire-sale a la Ottawa. It may be in Calgary’s best interest to give their young goalies a nice kick at the can in the NHL while resting Kipper a lot more than they usually have. It would be nice to play Miikka 55-60 games (around Tim Thomas’s totals last year) and rotate in Karlson/Irving/Ortio (in that order). 

Carolina have to be the most inconsistent of any team in the league, but to be honest it’s worked out for them. Since they relocated from Hartford (God Bless the Whalers) they’ve made the playoffs five times in thirteen seasons. Not exactly cream of the crop, but here’s what I’m getting at. They’ve really made the most of those five appearances in the post season. Sure they lost in the first round twice, but they also lost in the Conference Final, lost in the Cup Final, and won the Cup.

They’re one of those smaller market teams that needs to be streaky on a given year, but they can throw a really big wrench into the plans of teams that contend for the Cup year after year. Most of the veterans who were cogs in those deep runs are gone now and we see younger players like Jeff Skinner rejuvenating the Canes line-up. One thing remains constant…Cam Ward.

The Starter?

After winning Goaltender of the year honours for the entire Major Junior system in Canada, Ward played one year in Lowell of the American League during the lockout. While there he dominated shooters with a 1.99 gaa and a 93.7% save percentage. The following season he won 14 games in Carolina but couldn’t find his way past Martin Gerber who was the starter. The Hurricanes were the best team in the Southeast with 52 wins that season and Gerber had done well. That is until the Canadiens dumped two six goals performances on the Canes doorstep in their first two playoff games. Enter Ward…15 wins + 2.14 gaa + 92% = Conn Smythe/Stanley Cup.

Cam Ward is an elite goaltender. Some people may disagree with me because he has an average stat line compared to some of the goalies we associate ‘elite’ status with. As I stated above Carolina has been an inconsistent environment year in and year out. Cam’s numbers reflect that. Just compare ’08-’09 with ’09-’10 for example. He had 23 losses and a 91.6% save percentage in both seasons. In ’08-’09 he had 39 wins and a 2.44 gaa, while in ’09-’10 he had 18 wins and a 2.69 gaa. Yes he missed 31 games to injury in that ’09-’10 season so he wasn’t up to the physical par. The point is he wasn’t going to come back and win 21 games in a row to reach 39 wins.

Last Season: 37-26, 2.56gaa, 92.3%, 4 shutouts.

Career: 175-126, 2.74gaa, 90.9%, 16 shuouts.

Back-up Plans?                                         

Last season may have been the best of Ward’s career as of yet (in terms of his play alone), but Carolina didn’t even make the playoffs. This just provides further evidence for my claim that the Canes are very inconsistent as a team. The good news for the upcoming season is that for the first time since Cam Ward has been in Carolina he won’t have to play 65-70 games. The team will finally have a dependable back-up.

Brian Boucher a 34 year old veteran of 11 NHL seasons will be a great guy to throw into 15-20 games for the Hurricanes. ‘Boosh’ was 18-10 last year for the Flyers, providing good insulation for Sergei Bobrovsky (which will now apparently be useless thanks to the Bryzgalov addition). Though his career record of 119-131 leaves something to be desired, his numbers haven’t been worthy of such a record (2.69 gaa and 90.1% save percentage). If you disregard the middle of his career (31-58 between 2002 and 2007) where he was bounced around between four teams, he ends up with a record 15 games above .500.

Young Guns?

Carolina’s lack of a legitimate back-up goalie has thrown Justin Peters’ career off the tracks a little bit. He has been forced into action in the past two seasons and clearly was not ready for the NHL (9-8, 3.49 gaa, 88.7% save percentage). He’s just 24 so there’s still time for him to develop and thankfully he’ll be sent back to the farm team this season to do that. Playing just 21 games over the last two years is not good for a goalies development.

Peters will have some competition in the ‘A’ however because 22 year old Mike Murphy (’08-’09 Major Junior Goalie of the Year) has been biding his time in Albany and Charlotte the past two seasons. Unlike Peters he’s had plenty of action posting a 31-20 record with a 2.63 gaa and a 91.8% save percentage. A 6^th round selection in 2008, Murphy was exceptional in the OHL with Belleville where he was 85-23 with a 2.42gaa and a 92.9 save percentage. He’ll be looking to translate that play into the professional ranks this season as his play should increase to 50-60 appearances. Peters will be standing in his way.

Verdict

To make the playoffs the Hurricanes need Ward, but once they’re in the playoffs they’ll need him even more. The addition of Boucher is much more important for the team’s success than fans might realize. If Boucher plays 20 games Ward will be very well rested come playoff time and he’ll be free to elevate his game when it’s crunch time.

Beyond those two Peters appears to have worn out his welcome in Raleigh and Murphy may not have the chops just yet. Murphy should get some opportunities in the coming seasons, perhaps a start or two this year with the Canes would be good for his development. Hopefully a healthy Ward-Boucher tandem will keep both Murphy and Peters in Charlotte.

No doubts about it, this is a good system of goaltenders. Without the addition of Boucher to fill in the talent gap I wouldn’t be praising this organization. I’d be scornful of their lack of foresight.

Rating: Elite Starter in His Prime, Dependable Back-Up, and 2 AHL caliber Goalies 8/10

Rewind a couple of seasons and Minnesota was defined by the stingy defensive minded coaching of Jacques Lemaire. Those days are gone. So too are the playoff berths. Three years on the outside looking in have caused management to re-evaluate the defense-first mentality.

We see a team heading in a more offensive direction these days (like most of the league). Heatley, Koivu, Bouchard, Cullen, Setoguchi, Latendresse…not a bad top six. These are guys who should all be 20 goal, 50 point threats. Add to that a healthy dose of grinders featuring Clutterbuck and Powe (hereby known as the ‘Boom-sandwich’) and you get a solid forward contingent.

The problem is that after saying bye-bye to Burns the defense looks downright disastrous. Zidlicky is a good powerplay quarterback, I’ll give him that, but not a whole lot else. Schultz and Zanon are his opposites, hardnosed shot blocking machines. Umm, it’s anyone’s guess who will round out the top six…Lundin, Stoner, Scandella, Spurgeon? This might not bode well for Nik.

The Starter?

Niklas Backstrom. He should be regarded as one of the best goalies in the game, but these last two seasons (48-46) haven’t been kind to the Finn. It’s important to remember that even though Backstrom is just five seasons into his NHL career, he came over at age 28, making him 33 now. He’s a veteran of steely resolve who aged like a fine wine in the Finnish League playing parts of eight seasons. Note: he played those seasons well, 130-68, 2.14gaa, 31 shutouts. He’s a wonderfully dependable goaltender who sadly has been hung out to dry these past few seasons in Minny.

The Wild have always had trouble scoring goals, and more recently just a lot more trouble in general. This season looks like a fresh start for a lot of guys, including Nik. He’ll be hoping to return to the form he exhibited under the Lemaire system (three seasons: 93-45) when his gaa was just over 2.00 and his save percentage sat around 92%. Legendary numbers.

Last Season: 22-23, 2.66gaa, 91.6%, 3 shutouts.

Career: 141-91, 2.42gaa, 91.7%, 22 shuouts.

*No idea what’s going on here but it looks like a good time*

Back-up Plans?                                         

Those last two seasons have REALLY done a number on his…numbers. With this seasons’ squad shaping up to be a more offensive one it may well be poor defensively. With a potentially large workload night-in and night-out, a solid back-up option is necessary. There has always been a lot of talk surrounding Josh Harding, but is he really as good as people make him out to be? Or is he just an above average back-up? His AHL numbers in Houston are good (67-40, 2.38gaa, 92.4%) but he’s failed to make an impact as an NHL player (28-39, 2.66gaa, 91.5%). He also had his career totally derailed (i.e. he didn’t play a game) by a knee-injury last season. He’s on a 1-year $750,000 contract at age 27 so it’s make or break time.

Probably the biggest shot in the dark this season (possibly out of any goalie with a chance to play in the league) is Dennis Endras. The German goalie has played his whole career in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (the German League), most of that career with Augsburg. Not exactly elite company, but it’s tough to judge him on his play there or for that matter at the World Championships where he was subject to a shooting gallery in the German net. At 26 he should be more mature than the younger guys in the system but can he compete in the show?    

Young Guns?

The Wild have two promising young goalies manning the depth chart. Matt Hackett is one step ahead of Darcy Kuemper (maybe not for long) at this point, and both could be a few steps ahead of Endras. Hackett is coming off a nice, lunch-pail rookie professional season with the Aeros. He was 23-16 with a 2.37gaa and a 91.6% save percentage, got one emergency call last year but sat on the bench. With numbers like those I assume he’s willing and able to challenge a recovering Harding for a few back-up starts at the very least.

Kuemper was drafted in the same year as Hackett (who was a higher selection) but ended up being returned back to Red Deer of the WHL this past season. It may have been to his benefit to go back. I mean he only walked away with the Del Wilson Trophy (Top WHL ‘tendy), Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL MVP), and to top it off the Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year Award…I’d say he might be coming into camp with some confidence. His numbers with Red Deer: 45-12, 1.86gaa, 93.3%, 13 shutouts. Wow. 161^st overall pick in ’09, no big deal.

Verdict

Backstrom has been slaughtered by opposing offenses the last two seasons. The Wild just haven’t been the defensive-game-stealing-frustrating-to-play-against team that they once were. But the times they are a changin’. A revamped team could inject some life into a sluggish franchise.

The goaltending won’t be the problem if Minnesota tank this year. A great starter, an apparently decent back-up (although I may disagree), a wildcard German goalie (everyone loves a wildcard, see: Charlie Day of IASIP, hah!), and two very good 21 year old youngsters to put the pressure on the veterans.

Rating: Underappreciated Starter and Some Good Options 6/10

P.S. The problem will be either an underperforming offense, or (more likely) a defense that in my mind is one injury away from being in dire straits.  

I think most of the Blues’ fans management team were hoping for a hero. He certainly appeared to be a legitimate contender in the battle against Carey Price for supremacy in Montreal. If you’ve ever been to a game in Montreal you know that’s no easy task. The francophone fans are ROWDY/VICIOUS if you show the slightest glimmer of weakness. If he could stand the heat in Habbyland he can easily do the same in St. Louis.

What the Blues really need is an identifiable captain and assistants, leadership. This is a young team with lots of depth and grit, but no standout. There are a number of young men on this roster with the ability to become standouts as early as next season, which is cause for optimism. The defense in front of Halak and company however, looks suspect. Even bigger strides from Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk, plus at least one surprisingly good season from another defender, and solid play from veterans Jackman and Colaiacovo will all be needed for this team to find an elusive playoff berth. It’s iffy.

But! This is about goaltending!

The Starter?

Jaroslav Halak played himself into a position just below God-like status in Montreal. Actually…scratch that, ‘tenders are more revered. He had to battle through a number of seasons splitting time between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the big club and also fight for every start with Carey Price. Jaro even had to start his pro career in the ECHL with Long Beach, he earned his way to the show.

After arriving in ‘09-’10 the former 271^st pick proceeded to outduel Price, a 5^th overall selection. He went 26-13 while Price struggled to a measly 13-20. Montreal made the playoffs and Halak shone with a 9-9 record and a 92.3% save percentage before the Canadiens fell in the Conference Finals. It seemed he had the world by the tail…and then management gave him a gigantic kick to the pants by trading him. Habs fans were outraged, but Blues fans rejoiced.

Last Season: 27-21, 2.48gaa, 91.0%, 7 shutouts.

Career: 83-55, 2.57gaa, 91.6%, 16 shutouts.

The trade seems to have worked out well for Montreal as Price has emerged as a top-flight ‘tendy. But hey, Jaro and the Blues haven’t made out so terribly either. Halak was stalwart behind a mediocre (undisciplined *ahem* Oshie) Blues team last season. His 7 shutouts are especially noticeable in a stat-line containing just 27 wins. To me it’s an indication he’s stealing games from some superior opponents.

*nice to see this from Carlo, although he was probably hurt on the play *

Back-up Plans?                                        

Halak has also never played more than the 57 games he did last year so a quality back-up is in order. Management in Saint Lou’ have brought in Brian Elliott to do the job. Elliott was absolutely victimized last season behind a terrible Senators team (13-19) and an even worse Avalanche team (2-8). Because of that, he’s come into St. Louis at a nice discount price. It’s hard to argue with $600,000 for a guy who’s only a season removed from a 29-18 record, 2.57gaa, 90.9% save percentage and 5 shutouts. He’ll be glad to man the cage for a team not floundering in the basement.    

Young Guns?

The absolutely massive Ben Bishop has to be intimidating to opposing forwards. It’s not often you break into the slot to find a goalie with similar proportions to Zdeno Chara…he’s 6’7”. Okay so Benny’s only listed at about 215lbs giving Chara about 50 on him, but that’s of no consequence.

You may ask, he’s big but can he stop a puck? Well, he looked great during his Hockey East career with Maine, his 55-35 record, and 2.29gaa were nothing to scoff at. He seems to have had some trouble going pro however, as he’s just 57-50 with Peoria, the Blues’ AHL affiliate. His 2.55gaa and 91.4% save percentage with the Rivermen this past season were a bit more promising, but his big-league call-ups haven’t been. He’s 4-5 with a 2.83gaa and an 89.6% save percentage in limited action for St. Louis. Sub 90% save percentages are a death-wish. Still needs work.

It’s very possible that Bishop could be leapfrogged on the depth chart this season (if he hasn’t been already) by Jake Allen. 20 year old Allen starred for team Canada two seasons ago in the World Juniors (U-20s), and this past year completed his first pro season. His play (25-19, 2.52gaa, 91.7%, 6 shutouts) rivaled if not exceeded Bishop’s, but Ben ended up getting the call-ups. Perhaps it was just to keep Jake’s development on an even keel (likely a good decision for a team that didn’t make the playoffs).

Verdict

Halak is a goaltender with above average skills. He can carry a team if he needs to, but he needs a strong defense just as much as any other goalie does. That said, he can steal games for this young St. Louis team and chances are they’ll need him to do that a number of times this season if they want to make a playoff push.

The great thing about bringing in Elliott is that the Blues can’t lose with the price-tag. Either Brian plays 20-30 games well, or he’s simply beaten out by Bishop, Allen, or both. Barring an injury to Jaroslav both of those young men should play in Peoria for the entire season (a cup of coffee each wouldn’t hurt). Playing with the farm team they’ll create a healthy level of competition for each other, while also keeping Elliott on his toes in the back-up role for the Blues.

Rating: This is a Better Foursome Than You Might Think 7/10