Contagion

These days, it seems like the NHL teams that don't have goaltending problems are in the minority.

The list of those with goalie woes is long. Chicago. San Jose. Buffalo. Tampa Bay. And, of course, the Maple Leafs.

Its just a question of how these teams, specifically their coaches, prefer to talk about them.

Dale Hunter, possibly the one-year coach of the Washington Capitals, wasn't about to sugar-coat anything after the Caps fell behind Ottawa 4-0 on Wednesday night en route to yet another stupifying defeat. Goalie Tomas Vokoun, who seemed like a canny acquisition by GM George McPhee last summer, was the object of Hunter's displeasure.

“Tomas would like a few of them back,” Hunter told the Washington Post. “He wasn’t as sharp as he should have been, and it’s in the back of our net.”

“We need some big stops early, that’s part of the game. Tonight we played a good, solid road game and we lose. . .Goaltending is a big part of the game and we need good goaltending.”

Not exactly putting Vokoun on a spit, but some coaches wouldn't even go that far. There seems to be an unwritten rule that no matter how many smelly ones go in, you don't admit your goalie couldn't stop a beachball. Broadcasters often go along with it, saying a goalie "would like that one back" - wouldn't they want them all back? - or desperately searching for a pebble on the ice that might have redirected the puck even a fraction of a millimetre.

Maybe that's how you save the confidence of netminders. Or maybe its payback for the nights when they're abandoned back there.

To me, honesty works best. Fans aren't stupid. They have eyes, and they have opinions. 

Sure it's a tough position to play. My kid's a goalie. I know the heartache.

But pretending doesn't change anything. So kudos to Hunter. He may be back in the OHL with the London Knights next season after a forgettable stint with the Caps (who still may grab a playoff berth) but good on him for speaking the truth.

 

 

 

Comments

[80s Leafs]

Before getting even more bogged down in the "Leafs need a goalie" issue, I want to get back to the "Nash (or another quality centreman)needed" issue.
I noticed the other night, the Kessel-Bozak-Lupul line which is all right-hand shots, often had times where they missed getting good chances or making good passes because of this awkwardness. A decent lefty centre with those two guys (and it doesn't HAVE to be Nash), could make a big diff. Just my two unheard-by-Burke cents.

[paul]

get Wayne Thomas out of retirement.

[Faraz]

Just on the issue of goalies and specifically for TML, it sometimes is a blessing when garbage players like Colby Armstrong go under the radar - I will reiterate that Jonas is a better goalie than Reimer and Francois Allaire was a bad goalie coach decision by the no-good GM and his bag of cronies.

[John Carss]

I KNOW! I couldn't believe it the other night when Greg Millen was trying to justify one of the goals the Monster let in. "he was in a great spot, uncovered." Yeah but, he fanned on the shot & still scored.

[William Thompson]

Nothing to do with the goalies. Why not trade Phanouf the poof?? He's on the ice for 70% of the goals. I am baffled as to why he was designated the captain. He's not fit to be the water boy in my opinion does anyone else see this??