Goalie Report: Faceoff 2009

I’d like to just briefly thank the guys here at CTC for allowing me to write the goaltending reports for this fantastic group of hockey guys and just quickly introduce myself. I’m Rye, a young goaltender that is extremely passionate for the position and the game of hockey. I’m not real big on introductions so I’ll just jump right in to my first ever report.

My first installment will take a look at the top ten goalies that have high expectations for the year and how they have done in the opening weekend of the 2009/2010 NHL season.

10. Miikka Kiprusoff – Calgary Flames
After Calgary was eliminated from the first round of the playoffs for the 4th consecutive year in a row, the Flames needed a bigger change to their team. Miikka Kiprusoff really needs to pace himself throughout the year so he can stay consistent into the end of the season.

Kiprusoff made 39 saves in the Flames home opener to help his team to a 5 – 3 victory over Vancouver. His positioning was excellent as he would move out and challenge the shooter to make himself look bigger. His execution and rebound control looked good, however, at certain times he looked very tired and slow. Who wouldn’t be tired after facing 42 shots? This fatigue that was shown should not be a problem coming out of camp but I feel that after a few more games, Kiprusoff will be back in game shape and will battle through all exhaustion to keep that puck out of the net.

9. Nikolai Khabibulin – Edmonton Oilers
Khabibulin had an excellent year in Chicago and played very well during the post-season. The “Bulin Wall” signed with the Oilers as a free agent during the off-season and will commit 4 years to try and help the struggling team in Edmonton.

Khabibulin realized the situation in Edmonton after they lost Dwayne Roloson to the Islanders and quickly signed with the team expecting to be the starter. With the only big changes being the coaching staff, the success of the team will heavily rely on the Bulin Wall playing at his best.

In his game against the Calgary Flames, Khabibulin did not look like his usual self. His timing and reflexes did not look like they have in the past. Overall it looked like he played ok, except for the last goal. Khabibulin really likes to play the puck, which can be good, but he’s got to be smarter when he does it. If the Oilers want to achieve their goal of making the playoffs, Khabibulin is going to have to improve his game to what it was his past few seasons.

8. Marc-Andre Fleury – Pittsburgh Penguins
Marc-Andre Fleury was the backbone in the success of the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup. Being the champions, the Penguins will be expected to make the finals for the 3rd year in a row which puts the majority of the pressure on great goaltending to get them there.

In the Penguins home opener, Fleury looked good, but not like he had in the playoffs. After having a short summer, Fleury helped the Penguins to a 3 – 2 win, stopping 25 out of 27 shots. Fleury’s positioning looked on par, which is fine since he is a goalie that really relies on movement and reaction saves. His ability to slide across the net and read the play is amazing. He made an amazing read on a two-on-one to slide across the net and make a glove save while fully stretched out. If Fleury can remain consistent like this throughout the year, the Penguins should have no problem making the playoffs and possibly making another run for the cup.

7. Roberto Luongo – Vancouver Canucks
Luongo signed a lifetime contract with the Canucks right before the start of the season. Sounds good for Canucks fans since Luongo has always played great for their team, right? That contract has already raised questions about whether or not it was a good decision.

In the Canucks first game against the Calgary Flames, Luongo did not look like his regular self. He allowed 5 goals on only 22 shots against him. Most of the goals scored were from right in close to the net and some of those shots probably should have been stopped. Now, not all of the blame goes to Luongo, the Canucks defensive play was not very good in front of the net. They allowed the Flames to just walk out and take shots, however, a goaltender like Luongo should be stopping over 20 shots a game and have the ability to pull off wins for the team.

Luongo did look better against the Colorado Avalanche but still did not look 100% in the net. His angles and reaction time were better than his first game  but he still seemed to scramble and kind of just fall down in certain situations. He went down too early or allowed too many rebound which caused him to scramble often and it cost him a couple goals. If the Canucks want to be the division leaders again, they’re going to need a more sufficient effort from their captain.

6. Craig Anderson – Colorado Avalanche
After a season with the Florida Panthers, Anderson headed over to the Colorado Avalanche to challenge Peter Budaj for the starting spot. The Avalanche had a rough year last season after finishing last in the Western Conference and losing Joe Sakic to retirement shortly after.

In the opener against the San Jose Sharks, Anderson looked like a starter. He looks so big in the net and his positioning really limited the Sharks putting the puck past him. He looked very confident and calm out there after making a save or allowing a goal. His ability to move around the crease is good but could get better being the size that he is. His weakness is rebound control as he had trouble holding onto the puck or sending it to the corners but did not cost him a goal.

In the game against the Vancouver Canucks, he stole the show. Anderson made 35 saves to earn his team their second consecutive win and earn his first shutout of the year. Anderson really showed his athleticism in the win over the Canucks. His angles were perfect, he battled through everything and came up with some really big saves by never giving up on the puck. Anderson’s play gave his team quite a boost and if he can stay consistent and keep playing well, the Avalanche should have no problem making a comeback from last year.

5. Simeon Varlamov – Washington Capitals
Varlamov finished the 08/09 season as the starter for the Washington Captials in the playoffs. The rookie goaltender played very well in the playoffs that you almost forgot this kid was a rookie. He was consistent and played very well considering the pressure these goalies feel during the playoffs. This type of play set his expectations for this season very high.

Varlamov did not play in the first Capitals game but got the start against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Early in the game, he looked fantastic. He came out to challenge very well and made some really nice saves. It looks like he has improved his speed with his lateral movement and he looked very explosive at times. His lack of consistency seemed to really show  late in the game which cost him some goals. Fortunately for him he plays for a very strong Washington Capitals which will help him accelerate his learning curve, not to mention beef up his win totals.

4. Steve Mason – Columbus Blue Jackets
Steve Mason really surprised a lot of people last year after posting 10 shutouts as a rookie goaltender and really contributed in getting the Blue Jackets into the playoffs. His size helps him cover the bottom half of the net really well and his ability to still be tall on his knees makes him one of the most dangerous goalies in the league.

Mason played very well against the Minnesota Wild, his leg movement was quick which was displayed time and time again as he had to stop a lot of quick one-timers. He controlled his rebounds very well and his focus really showed as he dominated in the game. He looked very calm and plays so well when he’s on his posts, covering virtually the whole net from the view point of the shooter. If Mason can avoid the 2nd year curse, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have a very good chance at making the playoffs for the second year in a row.

3. Ray Emery – Philadelphia Flyers
Ray Emery left the Ottawa Senators and a year of the NHL last season to go re-organize himself and his game in Europe. This made a lot of people curious to see what he could do now. Surprisingly, the game has changed quite a bit but that has not stopped Emery from doing his best to try to become one of the best goaltenders in the league again.

In his first game back in the NHL’s regular season, Emery showed the doubters that he is serious this time. Emery was aggressive, quick, and looked great. He came out and challenged the shooters very well and greatly controlled his rebounds. He stopped 28 shots to earn his 1st shutout in his return to the NHL. I feel that Emery will stay consistent and will have a great bounce back into the NHL.

2. Jonas Gustavsson – Toronto Maple Leafs
Gustavsson was the talk of the summer and when he signed the the Maple Leafs, I expected that he would be the starter. Currently, he’s still battling for the spot with Vesa Toskala which I feel will only rely on the way Toskala plays. Gustavsson’s size helps cover most of the net and he is also very fast considering how tall he actually is. He is a very composed individual and doesn’t look too far into the future. He has admitted that he tries not to think about being a starter or a backup, he will just focus on being ready when the Leafs put him between the pipes.

Gustavsson played two periods against the Washington Capitals in relief for Vesa Toskala. I felt that Gustavsson played very well, despite being scored on three times in the game. He didn’t have too much help from his defense on the goals that were scored and, lets face it, he went up against, arguably, the current best team in the National Hockey League. For this kid to go into that building and play the way he did most of the game really makes me believe that he has earned the starting position for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1. Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
In my opinion, Carey Price is the goaltender with the most pressure on him this year, even if he doesn’t show it. Price had a very solid rookie year after becoming the starter when the team traded away Huet. Price’s past season ended up being a nightmare, as well as a few other team member’s seasons. It’s still early in the season, however, Price played fantastic against Toronto. He looked like he did two years ago and stopped 43 shots to help the Habs win in OT.

Price looked really good, his angles were fantastic, he looked calm and overall in control. He worked on his butterfly movement during the summer and it really showed. He was so quick and effective in the butterfly, he was no longer just on one leg anymore and he covered a lot of the net. His lateral movement has always been great and it looks like he’s still improving. The only part of his game that still needs a lot of work is rebound control. If he had controlled his rebounds a lot better, he probably wouldn’t have seen so many shots. There were times where he would have the puck but drop it which would cause a delay before the whistle was blown and the Leafs’ forwards could get right in close.

In Carey’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, he played just as well as he did against Toronto, earning back-to-back wins. Price’s hard work in Calgary really seems to have been effective as he is showing it in games that he is ready to carry this team on his shoulders if he has to. It really is fun watching this guy play again and I look forward to seeing this type of play from Price throughout the season.