Alas, my trusty goalie tribe, the new NHL season is finally here. And nothing is more rewarding than knowing the off-season is over and the time has come to start soaking in another year of brutal on-ice battles, intense mental chess matches and robust reflex saves that leave us only wanting more.
Thankfully, all of our previewing and guessing is laid to rest as we can finally assess actual performances that mean something. But before the first puck drops tonight, we’ve posted a list of the most intriguing goalie questions that have developed beneath the surface of the more commonplace themes of the new season.
For you see, there’s always a number of obvious ”controversies” surrounding the more popular NHL goalies. For example, will Pekka Rinne and Steve Mason stave off or succumb to the dreaded sophomore slump? Can Carey Price play with more consistency compared to last year or will there be another meltdown in Montreal? Will Marty Turco have the turnaround season I’ve been blabbing about all summer?
Or how about California’s big burning question of whether or not Jonas Hiller can continue where he left off after last season’s playoff run and play more games than J-S Giguere. And of course there’s the issue of Ray Emery’s mental focus over the course of an entire season. To be honest, from a sheer entertainment value, we think the Emery debacle might trump them all.
Let it be known that we are extremely excited to provide you with more unique and creative goaltending analysis than ever before. We continue to evolve and refine on a daily basis, so we hope you enjoy our growth as much as we enjoy running the Guild and dishing out credits and prizes.
So break out your favorite goalie jersey, break in your new goalie pads and break off a can of beer from the six pack and get pumped up as the puck drops in four NHL cities later tonight!
Personally we are wearing The Avalanche Guild cap tonight, as we host our first-annual Avs Board Bash during the Joe Sakic Retirement Ceremony and game against the Sharks. We even get to strap on the pads after the game for our first After-Hours event of the season!
1. Will Semyon Varlamov play more games this season than Jose Theodore?
Although this is considered an obvious question for the goalie die-hards out there, the answer is not simple by any means. To start, the Capitals are going to give Theodore the same exact chances to be the starter this year than if Varlamov was any other backup in the league.
Everyone knows Varlamov is a future star in the league and is quickly progressing, so there’s no reason to rush the situation by going out and claiming him the starter. It’s not fair to either goalie, really. So no matter what label you want to put on either of them, or how many games you think they will ultimately play, they both have to show a high compete level and provide results on the ice in order to play more. And in order to be considered the “starter” for this team at any point this season, they have to provide results consistently.
If you think that Theodore is an inconsistent goalie, then it’s pretty obvious how you think things will unfold this season. In my opinion, it’s not if Varlamov becomes the starter, but when. And yes, he’ll end up playing more games than Theodore.
2. Can Dan Ellis take back the starting role from Pekka Rinne?
Absolutely, as seen in my School of Block article from earlier in September. And not because Rinne will lose the job, but because Ellis is a legitimate goalie with a skill level capable of re-claiming his old job. After looking at his stats from last season, it’s quite the illusion, don’t you think? Whatever you do, don’t get caught losing sight of Ellis and his ability to win games.
But at the same time, just because Rinne struggled in the pre-season doesn’t mean he’s a one-year wonder. As of today, the pre-season means nothing and the slate is wiped clean. I’ve seen nothing that leads me to believe Rinne will be any less competitive than he was last season.
3. Does Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen have the power to put the Panthers in the playoffs?
I think Vokoun’s ability to play with more consistency is the most important aspect of his game this season. And in that regard, his consistency will play a major role in the Panthers securing enough points to make the playoffs. If his dedication to a stronger start actually comes to fruition, it will say a lot about his improved mental strength and his focus. I really think that if his October is strong, his January and March will be strong as well…and that hasn’t happened in the past few seasons.
For Clemmensen, he already has a high comfort level when it comes to starting the season as a backup. There’s no question in my mind that he will perform at the top of his game when he gets the opportunity to play. I don’t see him struggling very often, but ultimately his ability to help the Panthers make the playoffs depends on how many games he plays, which invariably depends on Vokoun’s play.
I love the lesson this tandem teaches, because sometimes you just have to work together to get things done, no matter how much you want to play. Therefore I say yes, Vokoun and Clemmensen have the power to put the Panthers in the playoffs. But due to a lack of offensive support, the team will once again fall just short of the 8th and final spot.
4. Which goalie comes out on top as the Winter Olympics Gold Medalist?
I actually think the tandem of Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo will defeat Miikka Kiprusoff’s Team Finland for the Gold Medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Both Canadian goalies are the strongest in their respective conferences and will both benefit from more rest over the course of the tournament compared to that of Kiprusoff.
That basically means Team Canada will employ a tactic where Brodeur and Luongo will each play a round-robin game or two, then the goalie playing stronger and with the best focus will get a chance to advance in the Medal Round. Especially with the workload all three goalies on Team Canada see in the NHL, it only makes sense to try and win with more than one of them.
5. Does Thomas Greiss turn into a legitimate NHL goaltender this year?
Yes, I really think he does, mainly because he has the ability and potential to take advantage of opportunities. More importantly, however, is that he heads into the season with confidence because he’s one of the few AHL starters given a chance to be an NHL backup this season.
The Penguins didn’t have the faith in Jon Curry and the Avs didn’t have the faith in Tyler Weiman – and those teams are just two of many that had similar feelings over the summer. What makes Greiss different from the rest of these goalies? He has a golden opportunity to display his skills over the course of a whole season. And if you’ve never seen him play before, you’ll be surprised at how well-rounded his game looks.
6. Is Craig Anderson capable of giving the Avalanche a chance at the playoffs?
Without a doubt, Anderson is going to provide the consistency the Avalanche need in goal in order to make a run for the 8th and final playoff spot. Unfortunately, goaltending can only take this team so far. A major aspect of this team’s season will be the amount of support they get from their younger wingers, including Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski and Chris Stewart.
And by support, we don’t mean scoring. We mean actual support on the puck in all three zones. Defensively, the Avalanche forwards might be one of the weakest groups in the league. But with the change behind the bench from Tony Granato to Joe Sacco, this team should play with more of a physical and responsible tone, which might limit the number of scoring chances against them to a respectable number.
Ultimately, I think Anderson will be a valiant goalie this season that plays close to 60 games and easily develops into a legitimate NHL starter. His save percentage will once again be remarkable considering the team he’s on, but the Avalanche won’t have the offensive or defensive supported needed to win enough games.
7. Does Josh Harding have a shot at breaking out this season?
The answer is very tough to discern because it really depends on Niklas Backstrom’s play. If the Wild ever get into a situation where they NEED Josh Harding to play more minutes, it would only come from a Backstrom injury or from him severely lacking focus. And to be honest, an injury is probably more likely to happen considering how rock-solid the Finnish goalie has been over the last three seasons.
Harding’s total minutes in the net will be directly related to how he plays in his opportunities early in the season. If he is lights out in his first five games, the coaching staff will probably be more inclined to give him more minutes. Every team with a monster minutes muncher like Backstrom wants the luxury of a backup capable of catching fire - and Harding is patiently waiting for his chance to do just that.
But to be honest, the facts remain the same as they were at the start of the summer. Harding is very good (and was solid in the pre-season), but the Wild don’t really need him right now. If Backstrom decides he wants to play less, that’s a different story, but I don’t see that happening.
Harding to me is another Yann Danis or Weiman – a really good prospect with a legit future, but not in the market they are in right now. For Harding to actually be traded, it would probably have to be part of a package deal, because most GM’s don’t see Harding as being a legit future star because, well, he just hasn’t played in enough games.
