Special DElivery: Goaltending by numbers
By Darren Eliot –
Injuries play a role in the regular season and how teams deal with player loss goes a long way in determining playoff existence through post-season positioning. Once in the playoffs, injuries can swing a series one way or another. For instance, teams always covet depth on the blue line, especially during the spring derby. Losing a star player can cripple an otherwise healthy Stanley Cup pursuit. What about losing your number netminder? Who can best survive such an unfortunate occurrence should it arise in 2012?
The St. Louis Blues come to mind as best suited this year because they have effectively split time with Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak all season with spectacular results. They have proven to be equally effective, so if one was to come down with any type of malady, the look, feel and confidence of the Blues wouldn’t change at all. The tandem backstops the strongest defensive game in the league. They are interchangeable as part of the Blue’s overall team scheme. They focus on first shots and have confidence down low to square up on the strong side, knowing that their teammates protect the weak side vigilantly. That’s how you post more shutouts than the 1968-69 tandem of legends Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante.
Contrast the Blues’ situation with that of just their Central Division rivals and it becomes apparent that, while only one goalie can play, it’s nice to know that two are capable of delivering at the same high level. With Pekka Rinne and his league leading forty-one wins tending goal, the Nashville Predators can contend for the Cup. Not so much if forced to turn to Anders Lindback and his 3-8 regular season record in spot duty. Same for the Detroit Red Wings. Look at the struggles of the mighty Wings since Jimmy Howard vacated the crease just after the All-Star break. Sure, they have battled other injuries, but without Howard’s consistent excellence, the Red Wings have struggled to find their collective game, no matter who is suiting up.
That’s what makes the “Ell-ak” combination so intriguing. You just don’t see a true division of work very often anymore, where neither goaltender plays as many as fifty-games, but neither has fewer than 30 starts, either. The Blues with Halak (44 starts) and Elliott (34 starts) are the only playoff bound team this year with such a make-up. Most teams have a definitive number one like the Preds and Wings. There are, however, slight variations in the make-up of the tandems around the league. For instance, you have a veteran in Marty Biron comfortably filling the role behind workhorse Henrik Lundqvist, while emerging starter Cory Schneider continues to push number one Roberto Luongo for more time with his fine play. Meanwhile, Marty Brodeur and Johan Hedberg form a sage and seasoned tandem in New Jersey. Both have played exceedingly well, with Hedberg’s numbers slightly better and Brodeur returning to majority game-playing status — and the playoffs — after enduring an injury plagued season a year ago.
Riding your top guy all the way worked last year in Boston with Tim Thomas and with Marc-Andre Fleury in 2009 for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was also the case in 2007 when J.S. Giguere and the Anaheim Ducks prevailed. Coming out of the lockout, Cam Ward had his coming out party in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup — even though Cristobal Huet got the nod to start the playoffs over rookie Ward. He jumped into the first round series and eventually won the Conn Smythe Trophy. In 2008, Chris Osgood similarly began the playoffs on the bench backing up Dominik Hasek. The difference is that both Hasek and Osgood were veterans. Coach Mike Babcock was just looking for anyone to get hot. Osgood did, winning his third Cup in the process.
If you don’t have a definite number one – like the 2006 ‘Canes and the ’08 Wings – coaches are more apt to switch goaltenders within a series, searching for that “right moment” when a guy gets in groove and generates momentum. That’s what the Chicago Blackhawks did in 2010, splitting the regular season in Blues-like fashion between Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet. Niemi took over down th stretch and played all but twenty minutes of the playoffs.
The Blackhawks under Coach Joel Quenneville are following the same formula with the tandem of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. Crawford had a nice showing a year ago in the Blackhawks’ Conference Quarter Final series against the Vancouver Canucks, pushing them to seven games after trailing 3-0. Emery went to the Final in ’07 with the Ottawa Senators and has resurrected his career. Yet, neither goalie put any real long runs together during the season.
Not until Crawford seized control of the goal in mid-February. That needed to happen for the Blackhawks to get themselves into the playoff mix and now ready for the annual spring marathon. Prior to Crawford’s late season turnaround, though, goaltending remained a question mark for the Blackhawks. And while the Blues’ goaltending has been anything but questionable, someone needs to stay solid. Halak had a memorable playoff performance in 2010 when he backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to a surprising trip to the Eastern Conference Final. That resume note, along with playing slightly more than Elliott, probably gets Halak the nod to begin the post-season.
I’ll be shocked, though, if Elliott doesn’t get in at some point. If he doesn’t, it means the Blues will be well on their way to a lengthy playoff run. And that’s all any team is looking for, no matter who gets the start in goal.