|
Meltzer's Musings: Goaltending Dilemma (Part I) |
|
|
|
|
|
Last year after the Stanley Cup Final, it suddenly became fashionable around the NHL to say that a team can win with "average" goaltending as long as it scores enough and has a strong team defense in place. I never agreed with that idea. While a team need not have a big-name goalie to reach the Final or win the Cup, the goalie (regardless of his past reputation) has to play solid hockey and inspire confidence in his team.
It's not just about how many goals a team's goaltender gives up. It's not even about save percentage. It's about making timely saves. It's about not letting up a soft goal when your team is down by one or has just scratched and clawed to get on the board. It's about making a few difficult stops with the score tied in the third period.
When a team receives consistently strong goaltending, it skates with more energy and confidence. The defensive play actually becomes more alert and, when an opposing goal is scored, the genuine attitude is, "No problem. We'll get it back and we won't give up another one." At the offensive end, the team is more dynamic in its forecheck because it doesn't have to constantly worry what will happen if the other team gets a counterattack.
On the flip side, if a team has to hold its breath every time the puck goes over their blueline -- when every opposition shot is a potential goal or dangerous rebound no matter the angle or distance -- it quickly saps energy. Nothing in hockey is as disheartening as having to battle for real estate and getting repeatedly denied by the opposing goalie and then giving up a softie in your end of the ice.
Yes, it is responsibility of every position player on the ice to do his own job as effectively as possible regardless of the play of the goaltender. Defense is everyone's responsibility, and there are times every goalie needs help with a key block, a rebound clear or a stick lift on the backcheck to prevent a surefire goal. But team D and goaltending work in syngery. When one falls apart for long enough, the other goes with it. When one truly shines, the other picks up to a level suitable for winning.
For instance, if you look at what Antti Niemi did in the Final last year, he certainly had far from a stellar series. He was no Conn Smythe candidate, although he had been very solid in the previous rounds. However, what he did do against the Flyers was get better as games moved along. Even in the high-scoring, seesaw first game of the series, he slammed the door in the third period once Chicago had a lead. In Game 2, the Flyers threw a third-period onslaught at him similar to the one Tim Thomas faced in Game 2 of ECSF this year, and Niemi preserved a 2-1 win to put his team up 2-0 in the series.
In the playoffs this year, the Flyers goaltending was wildly inconsistent in the first round against Buffalo and subpar in getting swept by Boston. Peter Laviolette's constant switching of goalies -- especially the scratching of Sergei Bobrovsky in Games 3-6 of the Buffalo series and the still-inexcusable decision to start Michael Leighton in Game 6 -- made things worse.
********
Brian Boucher had a good series against Buffalo. He was strong in relief of Bobrovsky in Game 2, very solid in Games 3 and 4 and fine in Game 7. In Game 6 when he relieved Leighton, Boucher was outstanding until he allowed a soft goal that put the team behind again after it had battled back and then killed off a 5-on-3 penalty. He was rather shaky in the third period but solid in the OT leading up to Ville Leino's game-winning goal.
Boucher, however, was putrid in the first period of Game 5 of the Buffalo series. He allowed three bad goals, two of which were jaw-droppingly hideous. In the Boston series, he greatly contributed to why the team had no energy as the series progressed. The goalie suffered letdowns at times when he had a legitimate chance to keep games tied, keep a deficit to one goal or, in Game 2, prevent Boston's second goal that quickly erased an early 2-0 lead for the Flyers (the only time they played from ahead the entire series).
The defense in front of Boucher was lacking. There were breakdowns galore and ill-timed turnovers. It should also be said that he did make a few big stops, such as the breakaway denial of Daniel Paille. But the Flyers needed a lot more from Boucher early in Games 1 and 3. Again, that's no excuse for the rest of the club. Even when trailing by two goals early in Game 3, there were still nearly 59 minutes of hockey left to be played.
It has been said by people close to the situation that the Flyers' players rallied around Boucher in the Buffalo. They were said to be furious at Laviolette for switching toe Leighton after Boosh had the one bad period in Game 5. But whatever confidence Boucher inspired in his teammates in the Buffalo series evaporated in Game 1 of the Boston series, never to return again.
I feel horribly for Boosh. He's such a quality person off the ice and a battler on the ice. On any given game -- or stretch of games -- he can match just about any opponent in the league. But there's also a reason why he has never been able to hold down a starting job in the NHL for long. He is prone to letdowns and can implode in spectacular fashion. Even within the same game (such as Game 6 against Buffalo), you can see how he can get into a rhythm were he's sharp as a tack and then just as suddenly fall out of it, to the point that every shot is an adventure.
I would have no qualms about the Flyers re-signing Boosh as the backup, except for one huge problem: What do you with Bobrovsky? The young Russian has the raw talent to become an above-average NHL starter (although I think Flyers loyalists who peg him as a potential franchise goalie ala Pelle Lindbergh are deluding themselves). Bobrovsky clearly belongs in the NHL.
It's crystal clear that 1) the Flyers need a goaltending upgrade, 2) Bobrovsky figures to continue improving while Boucher is as good as he's ever going to get, and 3) the window of opportunity to win the Cup with Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen as the backbones of the defense may only last one more year.
So that leaves Boosh out in the cold. Loyalty is admirable and if anyone deserves it for being a hard-working employee with the right attitude to be a backup goalie, it's Boucher. But circumstances dictate that the impending unrestricted free agent is no longer a good fit for the club.
****
Coming tomorrow: A look at Sergei Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton, the offseason goaltending market and Flyers goaltending prospects.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»