Squatting on blue ice between two red metal posts yet again, he is the only thing between Alex Ovechkin’s lightning wrist shot and the net. Pads surely are not the heaviest thing carried on a NHL goalie’s shoulders.
In this pants-wetting situation again and again, the pressure of a net-minder in the playoffs is one of the most nerve wracking experiences one can imagine. Ultimately, a team’s ability to win consistently in the playoffs is decided by the way a goalie can handle pressure in extreme situations against the best players in the NHL playing at their highest level. As daunting as this task may sound, it is the common expectation of a net-minder in the NHL playoffs. Yet if these pressured puck-stoppers can handle their expectations, they have the ability to single-handedly carry their team to a Stanley Cup.
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward perfected the example of carrying his team in the playoffs last year. Ward completely shut down his opponents in the first three rounds of the playoffs, scrapping the odds that his team would have an early exit with a severe lack of offensive firepower and defensive skill. Ward was the sole reason the Hurricanes were in any position to compete in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. Goalies really can make all the difference.
Star players deserve their own credit for leading their teams in the playoffs. Their squads rely on them to score timely goals and perform at their highest ability. But the expected level of consistency is nothing compared to a goalie’s daily workload. If Sidney Crosby fans on an open-net shot or Henrik Zetterberg goes pointless in one or two games, it won’t be the deciding factor in a series or even a game.
Yet if a goalie is out of position or doesn’t have the right mindset in a game, they could give up a goal too early or miss too many easy saves that could easily lose a game (or two) for his team. Furthermore, goalies have to be on the ice the entire game, expected to hold their net through power plays, two-on-one breakaways and the aforementioned zooming all-star alone on the ice.
On the other side, no matter how consistent or clutch a star player may be, if the goalie can match that intensity he can single-handedly ensure a victory. Disabling a team’s leading goal-scorer can demoralize a team or even make them change their overall strategy, which would easily change the momentum of a team in a series. Of course, even when a goalie is consistent, he can still lose a series for his team.
When every player is playing at their highest level to try and win a game for their team, even the mediocre skaters will step up in big moments. As hard as it is for goalies to be consistent, if they can’t stop the nifty stick-work and speedy slap-shots from any spot on the ice, they’ll hear their name chanted in mockery for the next five minutes of ice-time.
With starting goaltender Jose Theodore struggling against the Rangers, the Capitals went with rookie Simeon Varlamov to guard the net for the remainder of the playoffs. Varlamov started off hot and proved to be the main factor in his team’s comeback to win their first series 4-3 against the Rangers. Yet just as hot as he started, he dropped three out of four games against the Penguins in the next round. The Capitals pulled him in game seven after he clumsily let in five unanswered goals in the first period. Talk about a goalie losing a series for his team.
The Penguins, on the other hand, relied on Marc-Andre Fluery to keep their team in contention. After sliding through the first round against Philadelphia, the goalie prepared to face his most difficult competition against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. Before Varlamov began to let in anything that crossed his pads, Fluery made an incredible save on Ovechkin-one that ended up making all the difference for the Pittsburgh team. After the save, Pittsburgh began its assault on the young opposing goaltender to seal a series victory. Who knows what would’ve happened if Ovechkin had scored the first goal.
The Capitals’ goaltending issues last year led to their downfall in the playoffs against the Penguins. But the Caps have the same issue this year, which leaves their fans wondering if the team will reach a similar and disappointing ending. Washington has already replaced its starting goalie, with Varlamov starting yet again in a high-pressure situation.
In a league full of talented players looking to earn the spotlight in this year’s playoffs, it is the goaltender that faces the highest expectations from his team. As much pressure as the job requires, the goalie’s performance is the deciding factor in which teams will be in serious contention for Lord Stanley.
No comments:
Post a Comment