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Goalie Controversy In Chicago? Not A Chance |
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As the Hawks get ready for their game tomorrow night against the Sharks, I have a couple of comments. First, there isn’t a Goalie controversy in Chicago. Lalime will keep starting in goal until the Hawks lose, or they win a game despite his performance. As long as he plays well Lalime will get the start, the 6.75 million dollar contract that Kahbibulin inked a few years ago will have no influence on his playing time.
Now reread the above statement if you would like, because it has not been the case here many times before. I am saying that Savard and more importantly Tallon will not force their overpaid Goalie into the Lineup. In a perfect world Khabby would have been playing well enough this Season to allow the Hawks some options. His up and down efforts will probably not allow the Hawks the opportunity to trade him.
The other factor that most likely will cause Nik to stay a Hawk for awhile is his bloated contract. To support my statement lets take a peek at the salaries of a few other Starting Goalies on the East Coast. Khabby makes 1.55 million more then Brodeur, 2.25 more then DiPietro and 2.5 million more then Henrik Lundqvist. I could stop there but just in case you still want to keep thinking about trading #39 let me continue. Comparing to those in our own Division Khabby is also vastly overpaid. Leclaire is earning 1.4 million, Mason’s contract is for 1.25 and Legace will receive 1.80 million for his efforts this Season. Last but not least Roberto Luongo will get paid 6.5 million dollars for his outstanding goal keeping in 07-08, still slightly less then Khabibulin.
As I have said in the past Tallon led with his chin right after the Lockout. He thought that he could put together a Cup contender immediately and he inked the wrong kind of players to hefty contracts. I don’t fault him for signing Nik at the time because he realized that a top notch goalie was needed for future success. Where he fell short was in assuming Lapointe, Barnaby, Aucoin and others were really good enough to be the foundation for a Playoff team. It was a tough time for many GM’s back then as the “New NHL’ was dawning, so Tallon like others made some mistakes. He has done a good job in correcting those early miscues, and is still the best GM that the Hawks have had in long time.
Kahbibulin would have been a Playoff Goalie if he was retained by the Lightning. That team would have been much better off and Kahbby would have been too in many ways if he stayed in Tampa. He would have won many more games with the Lightning then the Hawks the past 3 Seasons, but he wouldn’t have received the same money for his efforts. Khabibulin has been fortunate with his timing when signing contracts. He has also played well enough to win a Cup and was recognized at one time as being a top goalie. He was also able to sit out a year over a contract dispute and still land on his feet and win a Cup. He was then in the right place at the right time to benefit from an over eager young GM’s desire to bring a winner to Chicago. Lastly it is not his fault that he is over paid, he has a family and a responsibility to make as much as can if he chooses so. Khabby has been very fortunate to be able to make his NHL career a very lucrative experience.
Unfortunately for the Hawks the entire salary structure for Goalies after the Khabibulin signing resembles the US Housing Market in the last couple of years. In the last few Seasons there have been many very good goalies that have arrived on the NHL scene. Anyone trying to sell a house now knows only so well what happens when supply dramatically increases… prices drop.
The signing of Khabibulin resembles the sale of the last Ocean Front Condo in Boca Raton that sold for well over the already bloated market price. The new owner has no choice but to enjoy the view. His only out would be to sell at a big loss now and even then a sale may not take place.
Tallon has been great at not letting one mistake lead to another. He along with everyone else that pays attention knows that the signing of Kahbibulin was a case of the right player at the wrong time, or just the wrong player period. Tallon will not let that contract influence Savards decisions as to who will start in goal. This team is too good now for that to happen and there are also many more fans watching these days.
It also has to be realized that although I think Tallon and Savard have done a very good job, they are not in tenured positions. Both of their contracts are up after next Season. Neither one would want to disrupt the chemistry that has formed with this young team. The foundation for that new found chemistry is simple; everyone has to earn the right to play.
Savard has said it and followed that axiom all Season, and not even 6.75 million dollars should change that thinking.
Al’s Shots
There were 6 NHL games on Sunday and in all but 2 the losing team out shot the victor. Actually the winning team led in shots only 1 time out of 6 as there was a game where each team had the same shot total.
Even thought the NHL continues to micro manage the game to try for whatever reason to create more scoring, which has not been the case and whatever else they are trying to accomplish it doesn’t matter. Hockey is such a great game it finds a way to be exciting anyway.
Due to the silly 3 point game situation teams with a lead will just sit back and play defense. That is why the shot total stat is worthless in trying to predict a winner. I know that the Hawks have a much better win record when being out shot then when having the shot total advantage. Who would have thought it, but that appears to the case around the NHL.
I guess the most telling stats are leads after the first and second periods and the amount of quality scoring chance by each team.
I give Denis Savard high marks for having the conviction to pair Buff and Barker together. I also give Savard extremely high marks for his guts, as he does play those 2 young players in the last 2 minutes of close games.
Interestingly enough neither Barker nor Byfuglien have been making as many glaring mistakes of late. Confidence shown may cause confidence to be gained.
I still maintain that the only trade destination in the NHL if Khabibulin was play well would be Ottawa.
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