Goaltending Issues?

So over the course of the season, and past seasons, goaltending has always been a hot topic. A prime example of the effects of good goaltending can be seen in Columbus and in Phoenix. With very few changes occurring in the off season for Columbus, the team they have now is effectively the same they had when they went to the playoffs last season. The biggest change for them is the play of Steve Mason. Mired in his sophomore slump, Columbus is left with a failing Starter and a career backup who's certainly not getting the job done. The quick turnaround in goal for columbus has turned a promising season into a disaster. The opposite can be said in Phoenix with the likes of Ilya Bryzgalov as one of the league leaders in goalie stats. It's no surprise that the teams performance has improved with Bryzgalov's play. Similar situations are present in Ottawa with both Brian Elliot and Pascal Leclaire performing poorly. Recent games aside, neither goaltender has been playing at the level they were needed at. Leclaire has shown to be a Jekyll and Hyde goalie all in the same game making Spectacular saves and equally spectacular mistakes. This is a far cry from the goalie we were seeing earlier in the year before he got hurt. The call up of Mike Brodeur sparked the team. Calm, poised goaltending and timely saves allowed the team to play with confidence and they shed a 5 game losing streak and are now on a 4 game tear.

It's off hearing that Chicago has a goaltending issue when they have the only goalie with a goals against average under 2.00...It's not like Detroit has a goalie who's a brick wall either. At the end of the day it's the timely saves that need to be made and Osgoode and Huet have seemed to be able to do that. I suppose it helps having stellar defensive players in front of you and Chicago's #1 defence will do more than enough to insulate Huet. That being said, aside from his abysmal puck playing abilities, he's still a good goaltender and as long as he makes the saves he needs to make, the Hawks will have no problem down the road. And hey they can always throw that guy with the under 2.00 GAA. Antti Niemi right?

By the way? Think there's a scouting report now that Carey Price can be beat high blocker side off the rush? Zack Smith's first career goal he scored shorthanded on Saturday and Andy MacDonald's OT winner last night look oddly similar.

Back! ish....

So after a long hiatus due to mainly laziness I should be posting a little more regularly. Now to kick off the start of this New Year I'll take a look at My home team the Ottawa Senators. After another boring defeat to the Florida Panthers the Senators are now on a three game losing skid heading into Carolina this evening. The team just lost another player in Jesse Winchester and maybe "Top offensive" defenceman Filip Kuba bringing their injury numbers to 4 and 5 respectively. I put top offensive in quotations because though he's being paid to be that stalwart D-Man, Kuba has hardly played in a way that merits such a title. Like most of the Senators he's been underachieving but he's simply looked lost for the most part. Bobbling pucks and simply not making crisp passes it's hard to get powerplay goals when Kuba is unable to perform. If you look at most effective powerplays, there's always a threat from a shot from the point and normally from either point man. That's not to say both will shoot but both have the slight threat of a shot. I've watched a lot of Ottawa's struggles on the powerplay and a lot comes from teams knowing who's the trigger man. Kuba normally lines up with Alfredsson, when's he's healthy, on the right or left point. Alfredsson has a good shot and a lot of teams cover him to prevent that shot.

The problems the team has been facing aren't based off the powerplay alone. Goaltending has been shaky at best looking spectacular at times and horrific at other times normally in the same game. I'm not one to question coaching but at this point I would ride Leclaire for the next several games. Both Leclaire and Elliot have struggled but Leclaire was brought in as a Number 1 guy. Not 1a or the backup. Since you have no hot hand to ride, you ride the supposed prized horse and hope he catches fire.

Ottawa faces a lot of road games now and their losing record on the road and all their injuries likely means they fall from they playoff position very rapidly.