Garon on net
- Thread starter Frogy
- Start date
Leaning toward the same plays.
The pk for wash will make the diff in this one wash has been outscored seriously recently and this should be a very bowring trap game.
The under looks very good but i just cant convince myself to play montreal. Maybe double the under is the play.
The pk for wash will make the diff in this one wash has been outscored seriously recently and this should be a very bowring trap game.
The under looks very good but i just cant convince myself to play montreal. Maybe double the under is the play.
WAIT BEFORE KNOWING HOW'S IN NET FOR MONTREAL BEFORE PLAYING THIS ONE.
Capitals coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn't mind witnessing a flurry of offensive activity from his defence corps.
In the past two months, no Capitals defenceman other than Sergei Gonchar and Jason Doig has scored a goal. That must change, Cassidy said.
"Our team has to recognize we need scoring from everyone," Cassidy said. "The blue line ... has to be hungry like everybody else. I expect them to play defence first, but when you get a shot from the point, you have to bear down.
(Monday) night (a 3-1 loss to the Lightning in Tampa) was our poorest game of the year for our blue line in terms of trying to be opportunistic."
PRACTISED IN FLORIDA
Overall, putting the puck in the net with consistency has eluded the Capitals, who are in first place in the Southeast Division thanks in part to the ineptitude of some of the other teams in the group.
-->In eight games since the all-star break, the Capitals are 4-4, and scored one goal or less in four of those matches.
-->In the other four, twice they have tallied five.
Montreal has allowed more than 3 goals in only one out of last 8 games. Last game against Toronto.
Theodore has lost 7 of last 8.
Although Jaromir Jagr was seventh in NHL scoring (66 points in 60 games) going into last night, the Caps have managed only four goals in their past 11 periods.
Goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who on Monday got his bell rung in the final minutes of the game and had to leave, is slated to start for the 20th time in 22 games tonight. He skipped practice on Tuesday but was back on the ice yesterday.
"I am good enough to play, and that's all I am going to say," said Kolzig, who was knocked in the jaw by the leg of Tampa's Ben Clymer.
"I wasn't able to respond after I got hit," Kolzig said. "It took a little while for the cobwebs to clear, but basically it is just a stinger around my neck."
Capitals coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn't mind witnessing a flurry of offensive activity from his defence corps.
In the past two months, no Capitals defenceman other than Sergei Gonchar and Jason Doig has scored a goal. That must change, Cassidy said.
"Our team has to recognize we need scoring from everyone," Cassidy said. "The blue line ... has to be hungry like everybody else. I expect them to play defence first, but when you get a shot from the point, you have to bear down.
(Monday) night (a 3-1 loss to the Lightning in Tampa) was our poorest game of the year for our blue line in terms of trying to be opportunistic."
PRACTISED IN FLORIDA
Overall, putting the puck in the net with consistency has eluded the Capitals, who are in first place in the Southeast Division thanks in part to the ineptitude of some of the other teams in the group.
-->In eight games since the all-star break, the Capitals are 4-4, and scored one goal or less in four of those matches.
-->In the other four, twice they have tallied five.
Montreal has allowed more than 3 goals in only one out of last 8 games. Last game against Toronto.
Theodore has lost 7 of last 8.
Although Jaromir Jagr was seventh in NHL scoring (66 points in 60 games) going into last night, the Caps have managed only four goals in their past 11 periods.
Goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who on Monday got his bell rung in the final minutes of the game and had to leave, is slated to start for the 20th time in 22 games tonight. He skipped practice on Tuesday but was back on the ice yesterday.
"I am good enough to play, and that's all I am going to say," said Kolzig, who was knocked in the jaw by the leg of Tampa's Ben Clymer.
"I wasn't able to respond after I got hit," Kolzig said. "It took a little while for the cobwebs to clear, but basically it is just a stinger around my neck."
from NHL.com preview
Julien may be forced to start backup Mathieu Garon on Monday. In three starts this season, Garon is 2-1 with a .969 save percentage, including a 2-0 shutout at Washington on Feb. 9.
LAST MEETING: Feb. 9; Canadiens, 2-0. At Washington, Garon stopped 25 shots in his first start of the season and Koivu and Jan Bulis scored for Montreal.
Julien may be forced to start backup Mathieu Garon on Monday. In three starts this season, Garon is 2-1 with a .969 save percentage, including a 2-0 shutout at Washington on Feb. 9.
LAST MEETING: Feb. 9; Canadiens, 2-0. At Washington, Garon stopped 25 shots in his first start of the season and Koivu and Jan Bulis scored for Montreal.
Piece here claims Theo in net
Piece here claims Theo in net
February 24, 2003
Goalie duel brewing for Habs
No. 2 Garon playing well as Theodore slumps
By PAT HICKEY
The Montreal Gazette
The Canadiens' party line is that there is no goaltender controversy, no question about who is No. 1.
"Jose Theodore is our No. 1 goaltender," says head coach Claude Julien, and that opinion is seconded by No. 2 Mathieu Garon and, of course, by Theodore.
But, as the Canadiens prepare to meet the Capitals tonight in Washington, there is reason to believe that Garon will be part of any run the Canadiens make toward a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
That's because the Jose Theodore who will be making the start tonight, isn't the same Jose Theodore who swept the Hart and Vezina Trophies last season.
The latest evidence came Saturday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Canadiens 5-3. The last goal doesn't count - it went into an empty net - and defensive mistakes left Theodore exposed on a couple of goals, including Tie Domi's tying goal at 14:33 of the third period.
But Nik Antropov's winner at 17:38 beat Theodore on the short side. It's the kind of shot goaltenders should stop, particularly if they have a Hart and a Vezina Trophy on the shelf. Theodore was making those last season.
The fallout from last season's success - a dizzying summer of personal appearances, endorsement opportunities, lowering his golf handicap and an active social life - contributed to a rocky start to the season. But it appeared that Theodore had turned things around by late January when the Canadiens traded Jeff Hackett to Boston.
"I think I'm back to where I was," Theodore said a few days after the trade. "Just look at my record."
There are few invitations to examine his record today. In the 11 games he has played since Hackett's departure, Theodore has a 3-7-1 record. More significantly, as the Canadiens chase Boston, Tampa Bay and the Islanders for one of the final playoff spots, Theodore has lost seven of his last eight starts.
The offensive support hasn't been great, but Theodore's goals-against average for those eight games is 3.14 and his save percentage is .895. When he was the best goaltender in the league last season, his GAA was 2.11 and he led the NHL with a .931 save percentage.
Enter Garon. When the Canadiens drafted him in 1996, they thought he had more potential than Theodore. He was bigger and stronger, but his development has been slow. He started the season in Montreal because the Canadiens didn't want to expose him to waivers. General manager Andre Savard shipped him to Hamilton early in November to give him some playing time.
Exposing Garon to waivers was seen as a gamble, but Savard realized there would be little interest in an unproven goaltender with a 5-9-1 lifetime record in the NHL and ordinary numbers in the American Hockey League. More than 25 goaltenders in the AHL had better numbers than Garon last season.
Garon would rate a longer look if he was made available today. He dominated in the AHL this season and has two wins and an overtime loss in his three games with the Canadiens, allowing only three goals and posting a .965 save percentage.
There will be increasing pressure to use Garon, not only because he's playing well but also because the Canadiens may still lose him. Under NHL rules, he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he doesn't play at least 12 games this season.
"It's not something I worry about now," Garon said when it was suggested that he would be in a good bargaining positioning if he doesn't make nine more appearances down the stretch. "I want to play in Montreal. I've been in this organization for my whole career and I want to stay."
Garon, who turned 25 last month, said he's content playing behind the 26-year-old Theodore. But the Canadiens may not want to find out if he changes his mind when he's swayed by free-agent cash and the chance to be No. 1 elsewhere.
Piece here claims Theo in net
February 24, 2003
Goalie duel brewing for Habs
No. 2 Garon playing well as Theodore slumps
By PAT HICKEY
The Montreal Gazette
The Canadiens' party line is that there is no goaltender controversy, no question about who is No. 1.
"Jose Theodore is our No. 1 goaltender," says head coach Claude Julien, and that opinion is seconded by No. 2 Mathieu Garon and, of course, by Theodore.
But, as the Canadiens prepare to meet the Capitals tonight in Washington, there is reason to believe that Garon will be part of any run the Canadiens make toward a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
That's because the Jose Theodore who will be making the start tonight, isn't the same Jose Theodore who swept the Hart and Vezina Trophies last season.
The latest evidence came Saturday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Canadiens 5-3. The last goal doesn't count - it went into an empty net - and defensive mistakes left Theodore exposed on a couple of goals, including Tie Domi's tying goal at 14:33 of the third period.
But Nik Antropov's winner at 17:38 beat Theodore on the short side. It's the kind of shot goaltenders should stop, particularly if they have a Hart and a Vezina Trophy on the shelf. Theodore was making those last season.
The fallout from last season's success - a dizzying summer of personal appearances, endorsement opportunities, lowering his golf handicap and an active social life - contributed to a rocky start to the season. But it appeared that Theodore had turned things around by late January when the Canadiens traded Jeff Hackett to Boston.
"I think I'm back to where I was," Theodore said a few days after the trade. "Just look at my record."
There are few invitations to examine his record today. In the 11 games he has played since Hackett's departure, Theodore has a 3-7-1 record. More significantly, as the Canadiens chase Boston, Tampa Bay and the Islanders for one of the final playoff spots, Theodore has lost seven of his last eight starts.
The offensive support hasn't been great, but Theodore's goals-against average for those eight games is 3.14 and his save percentage is .895. When he was the best goaltender in the league last season, his GAA was 2.11 and he led the NHL with a .931 save percentage.
Enter Garon. When the Canadiens drafted him in 1996, they thought he had more potential than Theodore. He was bigger and stronger, but his development has been slow. He started the season in Montreal because the Canadiens didn't want to expose him to waivers. General manager Andre Savard shipped him to Hamilton early in November to give him some playing time.
Exposing Garon to waivers was seen as a gamble, but Savard realized there would be little interest in an unproven goaltender with a 5-9-1 lifetime record in the NHL and ordinary numbers in the American Hockey League. More than 25 goaltenders in the AHL had better numbers than Garon last season.
Garon would rate a longer look if he was made available today. He dominated in the AHL this season and has two wins and an overtime loss in his three games with the Canadiens, allowing only three goals and posting a .965 save percentage.
There will be increasing pressure to use Garon, not only because he's playing well but also because the Canadiens may still lose him. Under NHL rules, he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he doesn't play at least 12 games this season.
"It's not something I worry about now," Garon said when it was suggested that he would be in a good bargaining positioning if he doesn't make nine more appearances down the stretch. "I want to play in Montreal. I've been in this organization for my whole career and I want to stay."
Garon, who turned 25 last month, said he's content playing behind the 26-year-old Theodore. But the Canadiens may not want to find out if he changes his mind when he's swayed by free-agent cash and the chance to be No. 1 elsewhere.
Frogy - According to RDS, Theodore is the starter tonight. Read my theread for more info on teh Habs tonight. Good luck tonight