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player ready...It was our fault, forwards from both teams said of the defensive zone chaos and neutral zone follies that added unexpected drama to the Hawks’ 6-5 victory Saturday night over the Flyers in the opener of the Stanley Cup finals.
No, really, it was our fault, defensemen from both teams said Sunday, the morning after a game Brent Sopel described as “pond hockey with a tennis ball.”
They’re all right.
Philadelphia’s forwards did little to help Michael Leighton, who gave up five goals on 20 shots before Brian Boucher replaced him at 15:18 of the second period. Chris Pronger was the only defenseman who regularly got a body or stick on anyone though the Flyers — remarkably — were not assessed a single penalty.
The Hawks’ forwards were too busy chasing the fast-transitioning Flyers and scrambling around their own zone to minimize traffic in front of Antti Niemi until the third period, when he managed to stop all six Flyer shots. Their defense, with an uninjured Brian Campbell trusted to play only 13:07, was under heavy pressure early and needed 40 minutes to adjust. That’s too long.
While it’s noble of the Flyers to take the fall for Leighton and the Blackhawks to protect Niemi’s reputation more energetically than they policed his crease, they can’t disguise one simple fact heading into Game 2 Monday night at the United Center:
Both goalies were atrocious, and the team that wins the Cup likely will prevail despite of its goaltending, not because of it.
No one’s asking a goalie to stand on his head, a wonderful hockey saying that conjures visions of upside-down players with flailing skates spinning on their helmeted noggins.
But it’s not too much to ask that they control rebounds and stand on their own skated feet, which they couldn’t do Saturday.
Leighton, one of five Flyers goalies during an injury-marred season, will get the call for Game 2. Boucher gave up only one goal, on a patient and skillful play by Tomas Kopecky at 8:25 of the third period, but that was his first action since he injured both knees May 10. But Leighton helped the Flyers complete their comeback from an 0-3 deficit against Boston in the second round and Laviolette probably feels a sense of obligation.
Laviolette, after offering the usual clichés about winning or losing as a team, zeroed in on the Flyers’ need to reduce the Blackhawks’ quality opportunities. That applies no matter who’s in net.
“We didn’t give up a whole lot of chances against,” Laviolette said. “The ones that we did … we even had coverage on a lot of them. Some of them were one-on-four, one-on-three. We have to do a better job in front of our goaltender, making sure we’re competing in that area. And that’s the area we have to tighten up.”
The Hawks didn’t make Niemi available for interviews Sunday and coach Joel Quenneville said that in evaluating the goalie’s performance he gave considerable weight to the team’s poor defensive coverage and the goalie’s resilience.
“We like the way he approaches games and he moves on after goals or after every situation,” Quenneville said.
Captain Jonathan Toews said his team has moved on, too.
“I’m sure we’ll get back to where we know we can play,” Toews said. “There was lots of nerves out there last night. Forwards, defense and goaltending. I think it will be a little different story tomorrow.”
Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said he doesn’t expect another 6-5 game.
“Especially from our side,” he said. “We’ve got to play way better defense and help Antti out a little more. I think we’re going to do a better team effort.”
Please. Somebody.
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