Jan 20, 2016
Thumbs to Canucks netminders, bad NHL losses
TSN's Dave Hodge gives thumbs up to Vancouver Canucks goalies Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom and thumbs down to allowing a game-winning goal with eight seconds remaining in the third period after icing the puck needlessly (see Radko Gudas).
By Dave Hodge
“Thumbs up” to Vancouver Canucks goalies Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom. If the Canucks make the Stanley Cup playoffs by a point or two, and it’s hard to see how the race in the Western Conference won’t be as tight as that at the finish, look straight at the goalies to find the reason. You might say Miller and Markstrom have stolen the team’s last five points.
A pause here for reflection: There isn’t a fan of the Canucks in Vancouver or anywhere else who doesn’t remember the frustrating saga of two other goaltending buddies, Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider. With Luongo’s contract blocking the road, there didn’t seem to be any way out of that 1 and 1A dilemma, and no one could have predicted then-GM Mike Gillis’ ultimate solution, which was to trade both. Somehow, that didn’t end too badly, because Markstrom came for Luongo and Bo Horvat for Schneider. And, of course, Miller was the free agent signing of Gillis’ successor, Jim Benning.
Now, the trick is to make the Miller-Markstrom combination work. One way it won’t is if both goalies collapse from the weight of too much rubber. At Madison Square Garden last night, Miller was beaten in overtime but stopped 46 of 48 other shots.
In the preceding game against the Islanders, Miller was the hero in a 2-1 shootout victory that saw him make 47 saves. And prior to that, Markstrom was 38 for 40 in beating Carolina 3-2 in OT.
So, clearly, the Canucks need to ease the workload of Miller-Markstrom, and there’s also the future to consider all over again. It’s different this time, with both goalies on contracts due to expire after next season. It’s never dull with goalies in Vancouver.
Dying Seconds
“Thumbs down” to the worst way to lose a hockey game - by allowing the winning goal with eight seconds remaining in the third period after icing the puck needlessly. Radko Gudas of the Philadelphia Flyers did that last night. Matt Hunwick scored for the Maple Leafs after the ensuing face-off to the right of goalie Steve Mason, and the Flyers’ near-certain single point vanished, to say nothing of the chance to get a second point in overtime. Ironically, the Flyers lead the league in overtime appearances with 17. They, and especially Gudas, will try to ignore the fact that number isn’t 18 today. First, they might need a lesson in puck management when regulation time is ticking away and the score is tied.
There are other things on my mind after last night’s NHL action, but I will put them aside to deal briefly with the disturbing scene from the AHL that followed a fight between Brian McGrattan and Daniel Maggio.
If you haven’t seen the video that shows McGrattan lying flat and unconscious on the ice after being felled by Maggio’s right hand, be warned that you might not want to see it. Should you watch it, please consider the option of using a mute button to remove the audio.
The reaction of the crowd in San Antonio, home of the Rampage, was almost as disturbing as the condition of McGrattan, a member of the visiting San Diego Gulls. Surely the fans would have been sitting in hushed silence, I thought. Sadly, they couldn’t have sounded more excited. Thankfully, McGrattan was reportedly conscious and alert after being removed on a stretcher. The Texans in the stands should get follow-up treatment as well.