Inside The Penalty Box 10.01.07: Rookie Goalies Star In London
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 10.01.2007
The NHL preseason is done and the regular season opened this weekend in London for the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. The two biggest stars of the Premiere Series were goalies hoping to earn some playing time in the NHL. In this week’s edition of Inside The Penalty Box, Neil Borenstein takes a look at what Jonas Hiller and Jonathan Bernier have done so far with their clubs through the first two games of the season. Plus, he examines the Steve Downie situation and gives his prediction for the 2007-2008 NHL season!
'm pretty sure the city of Philadelphia just exploded after the Phillies managed to make the playoffs for the first time in since 1993. After a massive collapse by the New York Mets, the Phillies snuck their way into the postseason. So here's to hoping the New York Yankees and Phillies make it all the way to the World Series so I can catch some games and watch the Bronx Bombers just smash away all of Philadelphia's joy from today.
Enough with the baseball, though, as this is Inside The Penalty Box and we do hockey in this neck of the woods.
And before I go into the main topic of discussion for this week's column, I have to comment on the hit by Steve Downie on Dean McAmmond. Before I rant, here's the video of what the Philadelphia Flyers' prospect did to the Ottawa Senators forward, who has a history of concussion problems:
As a result of that hit, Downie was suspended for 20 games by the National Hockey League. He has since been demoted to the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate – the Philadelphia Phantoms – where the AHL commissioner, David Andrews, needs to decide if he will abide by the NHL's disciplinary decision, create one of his own or just allow Downie to play.
"It's a hit that as soon as you see it happen live, and I happen to be watching the game live that night [on television], you think this is going to be a bad one," Executive Vice President, Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said in an NHL conference call on Thursday.
Downie's hit was one of the most obvious attempts to injure a player that I have ever seen in the NHL. And it's also obvious that Downie's hit was for retribution after being hit against the boards just a few moments earlier by Chris Schubert of the Senators. For a player trying to earn on a spot in the big leagues, Downie took the wrong path toward getting there.
Being that the Flyers are a very physically franchise that doesn't shy away from the rough stuff, I won't say Downie's career is over. Philadelphia is a team that would appreciate a hard-nosed player like himself and might be willing to give him a chance in the future. But I don't think a player like Downie, who has a history of going overboard from his days in juniors, has a place in the NHL.
I don't think the 20-game suspension is harsh enough. If I were in Campbell's spot as the NHL disciplinarian, Downie would have received at least a year ban, which he will probably get anyway since he wasn't going to earn a spot on the Flyers' roster. All I needed to see was Downie leave his feet to know this player just doesn't respect the game enough to play it the right way. And while he is young, not leaving your feet while making a check seems pretty fundamental to me and it's not as if that game against the Senators was Downie's first ever contest. He's played hockey before and should know better.
Unfortunately for McAmmond, he gets to add another concussion to his resumé. He was, after all, the recipient of one just last season during the Stanley Cup Finals when Anaheim's Chris Pronger sent a hit to his head. He is out indefinitely and we'll have to wait and see if he can play again this season.
Rookie Goaltenders Shine In Premiere Series
Bernier, Hiller Make Claims For Playing Time
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports
Rookie Jonathan Bernier started for the Kings on Saturday in London.
While Steve Downie might have cost himself a spot in the NHL with his reckless hit against Dean McAmmond, there are several players that have earned their spots to play in the NHL this year based on strong preseason performances.
With the 2007 NHL preseason officially concluded as of Sunday, its right about that time for teams to make their final cuts to get their rosters in shape for the opening of the regular season on Wednesday. That means a lot of hopefuls will be sent back to juniors or the minor leagues in order to fine-tune their skills for future call ups or another invitation to training camp next year.
But it also means some players will have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams now.
The two rookie goaltenders that started, and ended up with wins, in this week's London Premiere Series are certainly in line to receive more playing time.
One of the hottest goaltenders in the preseason was Anaheim's Jonas Hiller. After playing four games, Hiller ranked sixth in goals against average (0.98) and fifth in save percentage (96.6). He finished with a 1-1-1 record and one shutout. But that record doesn't really tell the story when you notice he only allowed three goals in the four games he suited up for. He was, by far, Anaheim's best preseason netminder.
On the contrary, Ilya Bryzgalov, Jean-Sebatien Giguere's backup for the past two years, played pretty poorly in the three games he played. Giguere didn't see any game action due to a hernia injury.
Hiller started the regular season on Saturday as the backup to Bryzgalov. He did, however, receive the starting nod in London on Sunday in the series' second game. And as opposed to being on the losing side of a 4-1 decision like Bryzgalov was on Saturday, Hiller played a strong game. He stopped 22 of 23 shots and only allowed a mid-second period score by Michael Cammalleri. He also walked away with the third star of the game.
Though Hiller will probably be sent down to minors once Giguere comes back in a few weeks from his injury, it's worth noting that Bryzgalov's name is definitely circulating the trading block. If the Ducks can find a suitor for Bryzgalov with a return that makes sense coming the team's way, the play of Hiller will certainly make a move much easier for general manager Brian Burke to make. Hiller's stay with the Ducks might be short for now. But he's one Bryzgalov trade away from becoming a permanent fixture in Anaheim.
The man who received the starting nod in Game One for the Kings, Jonathan Bernier, stands a great chance of being the No. 1 guy in Los Angeles for the rest of the season.
Bernier backstopped the Kings to a 4-1 victory on Saturday to open the NHL's regular season schedule. He made 26 saves on 27 Ducks shots, and only allowed a third period goal to Bobby Ryan with less than seven minutes remaining in the contest. Bernier was named the second star of the game.
Bernier was Los Angeles' first round (11th overall) selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, so it was pretty much inevitable that he would wind up as the starter for the Kings. A poor return by Dan Cloutier opened up the door for Bernier to come in and grab that spot this season.
Jason LaBarbera was the player the Kings were really leaning toward to be the No. 1 in Los Angeles this year. But it's hard to overlook Bernier's performance in his first regular season start and LaBarbera's allowance of four goals on Sunday in the Ducks' defeat of the Kings. At this point, I think Bernier has pretty much solidified himself as the go-to-guy between the pipes for the Kings.
He was also the Kings' best goaltender in the preseason. He received the most playing time and walked away with a 2.44 goals against average and 92.1 save percentage in three games played (123 minutes.)
I'm sure the Kings aren't jumping on a decision right now and will let the situation play itself out a little bit more. But if Bernier keeps up the level of play he had on Saturday, the Kings' starting job has to be his.
2007-2008 NHL Season Predictions
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. New York Rangers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Philadelphia Flyers
4. New Jersey Devils
5. New York Islanders
Northeast Division
1. Ottawa Senators
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. Boston Bruins
Southeast Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Florida Panthers
4. Washington Capitals
5. Atlanta Thrashers
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. St. Louis Blues
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Nashville Predators
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Dallas Stars
5. Phoenix Coyotes
Conference Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Ottawa Senators *
2. New York Rangers *
3. Carolina Hurricanes *
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Tampa Bay Lightning
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Florida Panthers
------------------------------------
9. New Jersey Devils
10. Buffalo Sabres
11. Montreal Canadiens
12. Washington Capitals
13. Atlanta Thrashers
14. New York Islanders
15. Boston Bruins
* - Division Winner
Western Conference
1. San Jose Sharks *
2. Detroit Red Wings *
3. Colorado Avalanche *
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Vancouver Canucks
6. Los Angeles Kings
7. Chicago Blackhawks
8. Calgary Flames
------------------------------------
9. Dallas Stars
10. St. Louis Blues
11. Minnesota Wild
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. Edmonton Oilers
14. Nashville Predators
15. Phoenix Coyotes
* - Division Winner
Playoffs
Eastern Conference
Conference Quarterfinals
1. Ottawa Senators vs. 8. Florida Panthers
Winner – Ottawa Senators in four
2. New York Rangers vs. 7. Toronto Maple Leafs
Winner – New York Rangers in six
3. Carolina Hurricanes vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Winner – Philadelphia Flyers in five
4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5. Tampa Bay Lightning
Winner – Pittsburgh Penguins in seven
Conference Semifinals
1. Ottawa Senators vs. 5. Philadelphia Flyers
Winner – Ottawa Senators in six
2. New York Rangers vs. 4. Pittsburgh Penguins
Winner – New York Rangers in six
Conference Finals
1. Ottawa Senators vs. 2. New York Rangers
Winner – Ottawa Senators in seven
Western Conference
Conference Quarterfinals
1. San Jose Sharks vs. 8. Calgary Flames
Winner – San Jose Sharks in seven
2. Detroit Red Wings vs. 7. Chicago Blackhawks
Winner – Detroit Red Wings in six
3. Colorado Avalanche vs. 6. Los Angeles Kings
Winner – Colorado Avalanche in six
4. Anaheim Ducks vs. 5. Vancouver Canucks
Winner – Vancouver Canucks in five
Conference Semifinals
1. San Jose Sharks vs. 5. Vancouver Canucks
Winner – San Jose Sharks in seven
2. Detroit Red Wings vs. 3. Colorado Avalanche
Winner – Detroit Red Wings in six
Conference Finals
1. San Jose Sharks vs. 2. Detroit Red Wings
Winner – Detroit Red Wings in five
Stanley Cup Finals
1. Ottawa Senators vs. 2. Detroit Red Wings
Winner and 2007 Stanley Cup Champions – Detroit Red Wings
Linkage
In case you haven't noticed, it's not just Inside The Penalty Box anymore here at 411mania as far as hockey coverage goes. We're going big time with more columns and more media access!
Over the last week, the NHL offered five more players to the press for conference calls:
Make sure you also check out The View From The Crease by Jason Chamberlain, which has now become a new weekly addition to the Sports Zone here at 411! This week, Jason looks at the goalie situations for all 30 teams.
Send all comments, questions, suggestions and telephone numbers from the ladies to br7qbsteelers@yahoo.com.
Until next week, you have just been Inside The Penalty Box!
'm pretty sure the city of Philadelphia just exploded after the Phillies managed to make the playoffs for the first time in since 1993. After a massive collapse by the New York Mets, the Phillies snuck their way into the postseason. So here's to hoping the New York Yankees and Phillies make it all the way to the World Series so I can catch some games and watch the Bronx Bombers just smash away all of Philadelphia's joy from today.
