DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH A GOALIE
By Lowetide
8 years agoThe Edmonton Oilers did not pass go, did not collect $200 and did not avoid a goalie controversy altogether. An afterthought trade for a distant bell in the BCJHL fetched the orange and blue their current starter. Is there a lesson here? Yes! Don’t get attached to the goalie. Ever
GLEN SATHER HAD IT RIGHT
- Hockey Draft Central: (Moog) Made
headlines as a rookie in 1981 playoffs, when he led Edmonton to a first-round
sweep of Montreal. He also was the goalie of record for the first NHL
postseason win in Edmonton history, beating Canadiens 6-3 on April 8, 1981, in
Montreal. Started all nine of Edmonton’s 1981 playoff games despite having
entered postseason as the team’s backup goaltender. Source
I remember that series and recall thinking Edmonton had their goalie problem solved for the next decade and beyond. Glen Sather? He said screw that and invested the 1981 first-round pick on another goalie, Grant Fuhr. The Spruce Grove phenom came right to the NHL, and again I thought Edmonton was set and would not look back.
- Hockey Draft Central: (Fuhr was) demoted by Edmonton to Moncton (AHL) on Jan. 25, 1983,
as a result of poor performance during his second NHL season in 1982-83. He
was not recalled to Edmonton until mid-February 1983. Source
And on it went through the decade, with Billy Ranford writing a big part of the story, too. Goalies are voodoo, and for Edmonton fans this year attaching yourself to any of these guys is folly. Here’s how I see things this morning:
- Anders Nilsson: De facto starter until further notice, he’ll need to have a terrible outing to lose the crease in my opinion. He’s a lesson to NHL teams, too. Unless Carey Price is available, chances are there’s a reasonable goalie swaying in the wind somewhere and available for a single Coughlin.
- Cam Talbot: As long as Peter Chiarelli is GM, his bets are going to get a full chance to show their quality. I’m not complaining, that’s the way we would all handle it. Talbot was fine early, but as Jamie McLellan said on the Nielson & Fraser show the other morning, things seem to have gone sideways since that late goal allowed against the Flames. He’ll get his confidence back, and I’d still bet on Talbot playing more games than anyone this season in the Edmonton net.
- Laurent Brossoit: He’s an actual house on fire in the nets currently, brilliant performances stacked neatly in the corner of the Condors story this season. His save percentages from the last five AHL games are .970, .974, 1.000, .952 and. 979. During November, he is 5GP, .98 and .970. Lordy.
Earlier this season, Todd McLellan said something like ‘we don’t care who plays, we just want to win’ and that goes double for the goalies. There’s a job there, and three candidates on the horizon. Who wants it? We’ll see. Don’t get attached though, this is a transaction in progress.
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