Goalie Masks

With this weekend being the 50th anniversary of  Jacques Plante using the first goalie mask, I thought it was time to show a few masks from some of the games I’ve covered so far.  Shown below are Matt Dalton of the Providence Bruins, Tyler Scott of the UNH Wildcats, Jeff Zatkoff of the Manchester Monarchs and Cody Reichard of Miami (Ohio)

 Happy Halloween!

Matt Dalton, Providence Bruins

Tyler Scott, UNH Wildcats

Jeff Zatkoff, Manchester Monarchs

Cody Reichard, Miami (Ohio)

Happy Halloween! Here’s to no tricks from skaters and lots of treats in the form of big saves for all us goalies!

Features

• Mark Dekanich is struggling in goal for the Milwaukee Admirals and backup Chet Pickard isn’t any better. Is it time to give Jeremy Smith another look? A great analysis of the Ads goaltending woes. (Admirals Short Shifts)

Usually jumping isn’t the right save selection on a low shot -
Mark Dekanich – Photo by Chris Jerina

• Worcester Sharks’ Alex Stalock invites flattering comparisons to Martin Brodeur for his puck-handling abilities. (Worcester Sharks)
• Daren Machesney gets a chance to find his rhythm as he’s pushed into the #1 role for the Manitoba Moose with the Vancouver recall of Cory Schneider. (Winnipeg Sun)
• Taking a look at Jason Bacashihua’s on the anniversary of Jacques Plante wearing the first mask in the NHL. (York Daily Record)
• Alex Salak is adapting nicely from the Finnish game to the new challenges of North American hockey. (Democrat and Chronicle)

Game Reports

• Daniel Larsson secured the 2-0 shutout for his Grand Rapids Griffins against the Houston Aeros Thursday night with 34 saves. (Grand Rapids Press)
• The Toronto Marlies welcomed Joey MacDonald home from his stint with the Leafs by allowing only 18 shots on goal, helpin him nail a 3-0 shutout against the Adirondack Phantoms. (The Canadian Press)
• Perhaps the many call-ups to the New York Rangers have dented Hartford’s scoring ability, because they got crushed by the Hershey Bears 6-0 Friday night, with goalie Jason Bacashihua notching his first shutout as a Bear. (Patriot News)
• Texas Stars’ Brent Krahn earned his first shutout of the season, stopping 34 shots in route to a 3-0 victory. (Texas Stars)
• Dan LaCosta made 32 saves en route to a 2-0 Syracuse Crunch victory over the Norfolk Admirals. (Syracuse Crunch)

Transactions

Matt Climie was recalled from Texas by Dallas due to flu-like symptoms keeping Marty Turco at home for a few days.

Charlie Effinger of the CHL Allen Americans was signed to a PTO by Texas to fill in for Climie. One would think Stars prospect Richard Bachman, who plays for the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, would get the call, but proximity was a factor here with both teams playing Friday night.

Joey MacDonald was returned to the Marlies from the Leafs now that Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson are healthy.

Tyler Weiman was returned to the Lake Erie Monsters from Colorado now that Peter Budaj seems to have recovered from the flu.

Let’s see if you the readers can choose Friday’s save of the night. We present three fine examples of goaltending here from Friday’s games and a poll. Do you like Steve Mason’s great lateral movement to make a shoulder stop on Sidney Crosby? Perhaps you give the Leafs’ new number one Jonas ‘Monster’ Gustavsson serious style points for his work on Friday? Or do you like Carey Price doing is old school by stacking the pads.

Please take a minute to vote and, if you’d like, add a comment. Write in votes welcome in the comments!

Which one was the best?

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Steve Mason Save on Crosby

The Monster Makes a Save with Style

Carey Price does it old School

Transactions

Usually transactions aren’t the most interesting news of the day, but when a superstar like Roberto Luongo gets hurt, those are some big shoes to fill. Waiting in the wings lo these many years isManitoba’s Cory Schneider, who’s proven himself over and over in the AHL but not really had a the rousing success he’d like in his NHL call-ups. He’s up with Vancouver now, though, and no doubt ready to try and make it stick this time. (Vancouver Sun)

In his place in Manitoba, the Moose have called up ECHL Idaho Steelheads goalie Rejean Beauchemin. I love to look at most goalies but especially Beauche. (Winnipeg Sun)

Rejean Beauchemin during a short call-up to the
Houston Aeros last season – Photo by Fred Trask

Features

• Braden Holtby is another feather in Washington’s goalie-scouting cap. (NHL.com)
• Here’s a podcast with Syracuse Crunch goalie Kevin Lalande talking about having the flu and his relationship with teammate Dan LaCosta. (Syracuse.com)

Game Reports

• Leland Irving and the Abbotsford Heat shut down and shut out the Milwaukee Admirals, 2-0, last night in Milwaukee. (The Hockey News)

From the Blogs

• Speaking of Leland Irving, the Bleacher Report thinks it time he gets a cuppa from the Calgary Flames. (Bleacher Report)
• Taking a look at Michal Neuvirth’s slow start for Hershey and what the problem is there. (Hershey Bears Hockey)
• Mike Brodeur, who left Binghamton’s game on Saturday with dizziness, was back on the ice and says he’s feeling better. (Sharp on the Sens)

But wait… there’s MORE!

• For only $1.99, you can have “all the action of the game” on your lapel with this goalie pin! (Lake Erie Monsters)

It was originally reported that Cunuck’s captain Roberto Luongo had an injury that would leave him out “indefinitely” but TSN.ca is now reporting that he is likely out only about a week with a hairline fracture of a rib.

TSN.ca Update

Vancouver Province :

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo injured, but severity is unclear

Game Reports

• Semin, Theodore Lift Capitals Over Flyers 4-2
• Anderson Shuts Out Oilers
• Osgood chased after allowing 2 goals on 4 shots but Red Wings recover to defeat Canucks 5-4

NHL Goalies

Craig Anderson in Colorado is the hottest hand in the NHL right now -carrying the Avs to the top of the league when no one would have been surprised to see them at the bottom.

Avs worst in NHL at allowing shots, but goalie Anderson has gotten job done

View slide show of Avs goalie Craig Anderson
Avs goalie Anderson explodes out of the gate

• Ducks to swap Jiggy for Toskala?
• Erika Vanderveer’s Blog: Struggling goalies need to get back to basics
• Senators’ Leclaire masking his success in Ottawa
• TSN Celebrates 50 Years of the Goalie Mask on NHL on TSN
• Rogie Vachon – Amazingly, not in the Hall of Fame
• Colorado goalie Peter Budaj comes down with H1N1 flu virus
• Brush the Bodies Away – The Goalie Guild
• Top-50 Prospects Ranking [October] – The Goalie Guild
• Chris Osgood wants referees to be more consistent as Red Wings …
• Central: Blues’ Mason, Conklin are brothers in arms
• No surprise that with Jaroslav Halak playing so well in a four game win streak, there is more and more coming out on the Montreal goalie situation.

• • Halak’s hot hand ices Price
  • ‘We stuck to the game plan,’ Halak says
  • Price: Halak should continue to play while hot
  • It’s Not A Controversy. It’s Just A Team Trying To Do Well

Junior Goaltenders

The Hot List: Big Mac a tasty prospect
American Junior Hockey: Faragher Nets League Goalie Honors

This is it – the highlight for a lot of us – a chance to see the best in the world put their best on display. Check out the top ten – did they get them right? Which goalie should be number one? Which goalie got lucky? Who had it all the way?

The NHL is celebrating 50 years since Jacques Plante first wore a mask in the NHL – the anniversary coming November 1st.

read more about the night he made history here.

See the video about the game:

Check out the legendary Red Fisher discuss that famous night:

Looks like the the Leafs have a goalie!

Well the Leafs have finally won a game! You can check out the full story from Damien Cox and the Toronto Star or in the Hockey Buzz.

Jump back on the bandwagon – they’re riding a one game win streak and have a new number one goaltender (um, excuse me, Vesa…that’ll be your seat right there at the end of the bench. the Marlies’ bench that is).

So in celebration here is the highlight of the night – the kind of back door, diving save that beer leaguers like me are dreaming of all the time.

Runner-up and a serious sinner in the “style-points” category goes to Marty Biron:

and how about an honourable mention for this Gustavsson glove save on a point-blank Corey Perry:

Features

• Alexander Salak is in the news again for being named player of the week for the AHL. (Let’s Go Amerks)

And for those who are curious to see him in game action, Let’s Go Amerks kindly posted some video of him. Have you ever seen a goalie play so low? I don’t see how he’s holding that inside edge so securely. He’s without a doubt a unique goalie.

• Brad Thiessen is making the most of his pro start in with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with a bold, successful debut on Saturday. (Times Leader)
• Lake Erie’s Tyler Weiman is up with the Avalanche right now while Peter Budaj rests up from the flu, but here’s a link to a piece in The Hockey News about the goalie biding his time in the Avs system. (I Mean, We Got Guys)
• Despite a rough start, Daniel Larsson is showing he’s the real deal in goal for Grand Rapids. (Grand Rapids Press)

Transactions

Houston Aeros goalie Anton Khudobin got the nod (over veteran Wade Dubielewicz) to back up Niklas Backstrom for the Minnesota Wild, as Josh Harding is potentially out with what the team is calling lower body soreness (but they’re being cagey about it).

Brett Jaeger, who attended Aeros pre-season camp, has been called up from the CHL Texas Brahmas to fill in for Khudobin. (The Third Intermission)