Tuesday, April 29, 2008
MORE RED LINE MERCH IS IN...
Be sure to check out some of the new Red Line "Merch" at the Cafepress store! Click any of the items below to be directed to the store.....
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: GAME 7 GOALTENDING DUEL ENDS THE SERIES
Congratulations to Cristobal Huet for a fantastic stretch run. His goaltending has been remarkable and clearly, the Caps would not have made the playoffs without him.
Congratulations to Martin Biron as well, who found a home for himself in #1 role after have been a backup to Ryan Miller up in Buffalo.
Congratulations to Martin Biron as well, who found a home for himself in #1 role after have been a backup to Ryan Miller up in Buffalo.
We shall see how the Capitals goaltending situation pans out in the coming months....
Stay tuned for more goaltending reports as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on.
Game 7 Highlights
Monday, April 21, 2008
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: HUET TAKES GAME 6 IN PHILLY
Beware the backboards! The first goal on Huet is something that has been picked up by a number of teams set up in the offensive zone. The point shooter shoots wide purposely or inadvertently, but the weak side wing stays back a bit on the other side of the net to handle and rebounding puck behind the crowd in fron to of the net. Keep your eyes open to this and be sure to chirp at the d to watch the backdoor.
Back to Huet. He is playing stronger and stronger as the series goes on as is the team.
Game 6 Highlights...
Back to Huet. He is playing stronger and stronger as the series goes on as is the team.
Game 6 Highlights...
RLH QUESTION: HOW CAN I HANDLE SHOTS WITH THE GLOVE BETTER?
The Glove
New catching gloves sometimes are in a pointed shape and the pocket is not opened all the way. Turn it over and push on your pad to make the glove open up during down time. The manufacturers have moved away from the oversized pockets which can be more of a hindrance than a help especially for younger goaltenders. A glove that fits properly and has a “friendly” pocket can make a big difference.
Handling Shots
New catching gloves sometimes are in a pointed shape and the pocket is not opened all the way. Turn it over and push on your pad to make the glove open up during down time. The manufacturers have moved away from the oversized pockets which can be more of a hindrance than a help especially for younger goaltenders. A glove that fits properly and has a “friendly” pocket can make a big difference.
Handling Shots
When the puck is coming at you think about how high you hold it and if you are going to catch the puck hand facing down or hand facing up. The usual case is that the further away the shooter is, the higher the glove can and should be, and should be turned facing up. The closer in the get, the glove moves to the side or down. More commentary on glove positioning to come…
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: HUET DELIVERS GAME 5
Huet shutdown the Flyers (as predicted) on Saturday 3-2. Biron played well at the other end as well. Goals are coming off of special teams opportunities and given the opportunity, both teams are hammering home 5 on 3 opportunities backdoor.
I expect Huet and the Caps will have their best defensive effort yet this evening.
Friday, April 18, 2008
UPCOMING RLH SESSIONS MAY / JUNE
(all PM at Cabin John):
Sat 5/10/2008 ---
5:00– 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (FULL)
Sat 5/31/2008 ---
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (2 Opening)
Sat 6/7/2008 ----
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (1 Opening)
Sat 6/14/2008 ---
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (1 Opening)
Contact red-line-hockey@hotmail.com to reserve a spot.
Sat 5/10/2008 ---
5:00– 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (FULL)
Sat 5/31/2008 ---
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (2 Opening)
Sat 6/7/2008 ----
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (1 Opening)
Sat 6/14/2008 ---
5:00 – 5:40 Off-ice, 6:00 – 7:00 On-Ice (1 Opening)
Contact red-line-hockey@hotmail.com to reserve a spot.
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: HUET DOES - NOT- BACK - DOWN
Huet, turned it on and proved he's now ready for playoff hockey. He was scored on within the first minute which can be tough mentally, but from then on out he was a wall. He had 2-3 saves that had goal written on them, but for his amazing concentration and ability to continue following the play.
Cristobal is turning a corner, and I think, is ready to steal a win for the Caps on Saturday.
Game 4 Highlights
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
WASHINGTON POST: TIME FOR THE BACKUP PLAN
RLH: If Kolzig does get a start, it should be in Game 4 when it's not do or die yet. They could always pull him during the game. Otherwise ride Huet.
By Jason La Canfora
Wednesday, April 16, 2008; E09
PHILADELPHIA
The most drastic change Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau could devise in response to his club's lackluster performance thus far in the playoffs would be to bench once-unbeatable goalie Cristobal Huet in place of playoff veteran Olie Kolzig.
It would be bold and brazen, with the potential to prove profound, but it won't happen. The rookie head coach said he never entertained the thought of changing goalies during Tuesday night's convincing 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center, and Huet will be back in net here for a critical Game 4 on Thursday. The Capitals, playing almost all game with just five defensemen after Jeff Schultz aggravated his "upper-body" injury, trail this best-of-seven first-round series two games to one after being outplayed for all but one amazing 18-minute stretch of Game 1.
Turning the team over to Kolzig can't ease the frustrations of slumping superstar Alex Ovechkin, who is wilting amid the constant pressure and physical play of the Flyers' defense, or eliminate the defensive breakdowns and silly retaliatory penalties born of Washington's youth. It can't prod finesse forwards to shun the fancy play in favor of a simple dump-and-chase sequence or add bite to a suddenly foundering power play.
But a change in net can alter a team's identity, foster a rebirth of sorts and give an opponent a new wrinkle to consider, with no position being more important or influential this time of year. It's much too late to finally add that pounding, hulking defenseman long missing to punish forwards around the crease (impish Flyers forward Daniel Brière, of all people, is wreaking havoc in such high traffic areas), but the right goalie in the right moment can steal a game or sway a series, overcoming a discrepancy in personnel.
Kolzig, though pondering retirement at age 38, is only a few months removed from being the face of the franchise (before Huet's trade-deadline arrival), and with his hyper-competitive nature, he has a history of carrying teams for weeks on end. Kolzig's superior size and strength would serve him well with the Flyers intent on crashing the net -- they have given Huet fits at times -- and his goals against average of 2.14 and save percentage of .927 in 45 playoff games are beyond reproach.
In this series, Huet has never looked the part of the goalie who won nine straight starts to catapult the Capitals into the playoffs. He has allowed 11 goals already in this series (one goal Tuesday night was scored into an empty net) after yielding just 14 during that nine-game stretch. The veil of impenetrability has been lifted.
On this night, Huet was again victimized by Brière low to the stick side, an area the Flyers identified as vulnerable in Game 1, and the Capitals never led.
"I'm going to have to make some key saves at the beginning of games if we're going to have a better shot," Huet said.
The Capitals tied the score when the fourth line -- their only consistent unit in this series -- netted another gritty goal, but 65 seconds later Scott Hartnell beat a screened Huet with a one-timer. Seventeen seconds after that, defenseman Milan Jurcina -- on the ice for all three of Philadelphia's first-period goals and a candidate to be scratched for Game 4 -- made a horrendous blunder from behind his net.
Attempting to pass the puck down the middle was egregious enough, but Jurcina muffed his delivery, just about giving the Flyers a 3-1 lead just before intermission.
"It's very frustrating," Huet said. "I felt really good, but the end results look bad for me."
For five months, virtually all of Boudreau's machinations -- as minor as when to cancel practice to as significant as when to bench a slumping player -- were sage. But the playoffs are a different animal, when the rigors of facing the same opponent night after night can magnify every weakness and bring new fissures to light, and best aligning your personnel to attack the opposition is paramount.
While Jurcina struggles, former first-round pick Steve Eminger, a mainstay in both Boudreau's and former coach Glen Hanlon's doghouses, sits, despite being a smooth skater if nothing else. The team was 15-5-1 with Eminger in the lineup this season (including Game 1, which Schultz missed).
And while the Flyers feasted on the miscues of defensemen such as Jurcina and John Erskine, Ovechkin has appeared lost, bottled up by Philadelphia's top pair of defenders (Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen, who left and did not return with an upper-body injury). Ovechkin's one moment of brilliance, the winning tally in Game 1, came on the rare shift not against that duo. Boudreau has played down the impact of Philadelphia's matchup on Ovechkin, but no one can deny that the 65-goal scorer has been languishing amid a torrent of contact.
"It's up to those guys to battle through it," Boudreau said. "There's nothing you can say magically. Just go out there and play hard and fight through this stuff. You can see some of them getting frustrated, Alex probably in particular."
Double-shifting Ovechkin with the fourth line -- usually paired against modest defenders -- might help ignite him, however, and forcing him to take 45-second shifts is in order, too. Adding a net presence such as Brooks Laich to the top power-play unit makes sense as well, with a series close to slipping away, and a season suddenly in the balance.
By Jason La Canfora
Wednesday, April 16, 2008; E09
PHILADELPHIA
The most drastic change Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau could devise in response to his club's lackluster performance thus far in the playoffs would be to bench once-unbeatable goalie Cristobal Huet in place of playoff veteran Olie Kolzig.
It would be bold and brazen, with the potential to prove profound, but it won't happen. The rookie head coach said he never entertained the thought of changing goalies during Tuesday night's convincing 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center, and Huet will be back in net here for a critical Game 4 on Thursday. The Capitals, playing almost all game with just five defensemen after Jeff Schultz aggravated his "upper-body" injury, trail this best-of-seven first-round series two games to one after being outplayed for all but one amazing 18-minute stretch of Game 1.
Turning the team over to Kolzig can't ease the frustrations of slumping superstar Alex Ovechkin, who is wilting amid the constant pressure and physical play of the Flyers' defense, or eliminate the defensive breakdowns and silly retaliatory penalties born of Washington's youth. It can't prod finesse forwards to shun the fancy play in favor of a simple dump-and-chase sequence or add bite to a suddenly foundering power play.
But a change in net can alter a team's identity, foster a rebirth of sorts and give an opponent a new wrinkle to consider, with no position being more important or influential this time of year. It's much too late to finally add that pounding, hulking defenseman long missing to punish forwards around the crease (impish Flyers forward Daniel Brière, of all people, is wreaking havoc in such high traffic areas), but the right goalie in the right moment can steal a game or sway a series, overcoming a discrepancy in personnel.
Kolzig, though pondering retirement at age 38, is only a few months removed from being the face of the franchise (before Huet's trade-deadline arrival), and with his hyper-competitive nature, he has a history of carrying teams for weeks on end. Kolzig's superior size and strength would serve him well with the Flyers intent on crashing the net -- they have given Huet fits at times -- and his goals against average of 2.14 and save percentage of .927 in 45 playoff games are beyond reproach.
In this series, Huet has never looked the part of the goalie who won nine straight starts to catapult the Capitals into the playoffs. He has allowed 11 goals already in this series (one goal Tuesday night was scored into an empty net) after yielding just 14 during that nine-game stretch. The veil of impenetrability has been lifted.
On this night, Huet was again victimized by Brière low to the stick side, an area the Flyers identified as vulnerable in Game 1, and the Capitals never led.
"I'm going to have to make some key saves at the beginning of games if we're going to have a better shot," Huet said.
The Capitals tied the score when the fourth line -- their only consistent unit in this series -- netted another gritty goal, but 65 seconds later Scott Hartnell beat a screened Huet with a one-timer. Seventeen seconds after that, defenseman Milan Jurcina -- on the ice for all three of Philadelphia's first-period goals and a candidate to be scratched for Game 4 -- made a horrendous blunder from behind his net.
Attempting to pass the puck down the middle was egregious enough, but Jurcina muffed his delivery, just about giving the Flyers a 3-1 lead just before intermission.
"It's very frustrating," Huet said. "I felt really good, but the end results look bad for me."
For five months, virtually all of Boudreau's machinations -- as minor as when to cancel practice to as significant as when to bench a slumping player -- were sage. But the playoffs are a different animal, when the rigors of facing the same opponent night after night can magnify every weakness and bring new fissures to light, and best aligning your personnel to attack the opposition is paramount.
While Jurcina struggles, former first-round pick Steve Eminger, a mainstay in both Boudreau's and former coach Glen Hanlon's doghouses, sits, despite being a smooth skater if nothing else. The team was 15-5-1 with Eminger in the lineup this season (including Game 1, which Schultz missed).
And while the Flyers feasted on the miscues of defensemen such as Jurcina and John Erskine, Ovechkin has appeared lost, bottled up by Philadelphia's top pair of defenders (Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen, who left and did not return with an upper-body injury). Ovechkin's one moment of brilliance, the winning tally in Game 1, came on the rare shift not against that duo. Boudreau has played down the impact of Philadelphia's matchup on Ovechkin, but no one can deny that the 65-goal scorer has been languishing amid a torrent of contact.
"It's up to those guys to battle through it," Boudreau said. "There's nothing you can say magically. Just go out there and play hard and fight through this stuff. You can see some of them getting frustrated, Alex probably in particular."
Double-shifting Ovechkin with the fourth line -- usually paired against modest defenders -- might help ignite him, however, and forcing him to take 45-second shifts is in order, too. Adding a net presence such as Brooks Laich to the top power-play unit makes sense as well, with a series close to slipping away, and a season suddenly in the balance.
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: GAME 3 V PHILLY - HUET BLOWN OVER, BLOWS BACK
The Caps goaltender played well, but not super on Tuesday night. Most of the lapses in the 6-3 loss (1 empty netter) were team breakdowns.However, Huet did lose it after taking at retaliatory penalty for punching Danny Briere in the head with less than a minute left in the second Period. Who goes on to score with :09 seconds left in the period to bump up the score from 3-2 to 4-2? You guessed it. Danny Briere.
The game got away from the Caps and that penalty by Huet cost them THE critical goal of the game since the Caps were able to pull themselves to 4-3 in the 3rd period.
Game 3 Highlights
Monday, April 14, 2008
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: HUET STEADY, BIRON ON A ROLL
Game 2 Highlights
Excerpts from AP Article by Joseph White
……Martin Biron got his third shutout in four games Sunday to lead a 2-0 victory over the Washington Capitals and even their Eastern Conference series at one game apiece.
…… “Everybody always says you want to split, going on the road, after the first two games,” said Biron, who made 24 saves. “We played really well on the road, and now we have to carry that over.”
……Biron kicked Ovechkin’s power-play wrist shot away in the first period, used the handle of his stick to deflect Alexander Semin’s breakaway attempt in the second and sprawled on his back while corralling the puck with his left arm to thwart Dave Steckel in the third. The goalie who ended the regular season with back-to-back shutouts was back in form after allowing five goals in his NHL playoff debut Friday.
……“He made some big saves early,” Flyers center Mike Richards said. “I think three or four of them were point-blank. When a goalie does that, it gives you opportunities and momentum.”
…..The Flyers got all the goals they needed with a pair of odd-man rushes in the first period. Defenseman Braydon Coburn made a long lead pass from his own end to Umberger near the Capitals blue line. Umberger split the defense, which was in disarray following a line change, and beat goaltender Cristobal Huet up high on the breakaway.
……A turnover at center ice led to the second goal. Mike Knuble took the puck from Jeff Green and started a 2-on-1 rush. Huet made a kick save on Knuble’s shot, but Carter was there to chip in the easy rebound.
……Biron took care of the rest, with the help of a defense that cleared nearly every rebound, leaving no garbage-goal opportunities for the Capitals. He and his teammates also killed off all six Washington power plays.
……“I think we did a great job taking away a lot of the shots, their big weapons,” Biron said, “especially when we’re on the penalty kill. We got in front of a lot of pucks out there or by a puck in Game 1, did not play but is a possibility for Game 3. … Capitals D Jeff Schultz played after missing Game 1 with an undisclosed injury.
Excerpts from AP Article by Joseph White
……Martin Biron got his third shutout in four games Sunday to lead a 2-0 victory over the Washington Capitals and even their Eastern Conference series at one game apiece.…… “Everybody always says you want to split, going on the road, after the first two games,” said Biron, who made 24 saves. “We played really well on the road, and now we have to carry that over.”
……Biron kicked Ovechkin’s power-play wrist shot away in the first period, used the handle of his stick to deflect Alexander Semin’s breakaway attempt in the second and sprawled on his back while corralling the puck with his left arm to thwart Dave Steckel in the third. The goalie who ended the regular season with back-to-back shutouts was back in form after allowing five goals in his NHL playoff debut Friday.
……“He made some big saves early,” Flyers center Mike Richards said. “I think three or four of them were point-blank. When a goalie does that, it gives you opportunities and momentum.”
…..The Flyers got all the goals they needed with a pair of odd-man rushes in the first period. Defenseman Braydon Coburn made a long lead pass from his own end to Umberger near the Capitals blue line. Umberger split the defense, which was in disarray following a line change, and beat goaltender Cristobal Huet up high on the breakaway.
……A turnover at center ice led to the second goal. Mike Knuble took the puck from Jeff Green and started a 2-on-1 rush. Huet made a kick save on Knuble’s shot, but Carter was there to chip in the easy rebound.
……Biron took care of the rest, with the help of a defense that cleared nearly every rebound, leaving no garbage-goal opportunities for the Capitals. He and his teammates also killed off all six Washington power plays.
……“I think we did a great job taking away a lot of the shots, their big weapons,” Biron said, “especially when we’re on the penalty kill. We got in front of a lot of pucks out there or by a puck in Game 1, did not play but is a possibility for Game 3. … Capitals D Jeff Schultz played after missing Game 1 with an undisclosed injury.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
WASHINGTON POST ALL-MET HOCKEY ANNOUNCED
TJ Cuneo on leftSee entire story -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/hssports/longterm/allmets/winter08/icehockey.html
First Team
T.J. Cuneo
Woodbridge » Sr.
After helping the Vikings complete a perfect regular season with a 2.72 goals against average, Cuneo made 51 saves in the NVSHL title game.
Second Team
Matt Tyler Gonzaga, So.
Honorable Mentions
Goaltender: Michael Band, Bullis, Sr.; John Burrows, Broadneck, Jr.; Miles Hamilton, St. John’s, Sr.; Ryan Haughey, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sr.; Spencer Nielson, Stone Bridge, Sr.; Jay Williams, Langley, Fr.; Corey Walwaski, Georgetown Prep, Sr.; Paolo Zanello, Germantown, Jr.
T.J. Cuneo
Woodbridge » Sr.
After helping the Vikings complete a perfect regular season with a 2.72 goals against average, Cuneo made 51 saves in the NVSHL title game.
Second Team
Matt Tyler Gonzaga, So.
Honorable Mentions
Goaltender: Michael Band, Bullis, Sr.; John Burrows, Broadneck, Jr.; Miles Hamilton, St. John’s, Sr.; Ryan Haughey, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sr.; Spencer Nielson, Stone Bridge, Sr.; Jay Williams, Langley, Fr.; Corey Walwaski, Georgetown Prep, Sr.; Paolo Zanello, Germantown, Jr.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
RED LINE HOCKEY TEE SHIRTS ARE IN!
Red Line Hockey tee shirts are in. Goalies that have participated in 10 or more sessions, get 1 free. Otherwise, they are on sale to the general public for $20 each. Take the Red Line to the the Caps game with your Red Line T! Email me at red-line-hockey@hotmail.com to place an order.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
WASHINGTON POST: To Keep Going, Caps Count On Huet for Stops
By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 8, 2008; E01
In the NHL playoffs, the difference between a short run and a long one often comes down to whether a team has a hot goaltender.
Right now, the Washington Capitals' Cristobal Huet is perhaps the hottest goaltender in the league.
Several Capitals have been lauded for raising their game during the team's improbable surge over the final month of the regular season, a remarkable 11-1 streak that propelled them to their first playoff berth in five years. But it could be argued that no player was more important than Huet, who, since being acquired from Montreal at the trade deadline, has won 11 of his 13 starts, including his last nine.
"It's what we needed," said Huet, whose winning streak is the longest for a Capitals' goalie since Pete Peeters in 1987. "We all played like every game was our last game. But now it's just the beginning."
On Friday, Huet will make his seventh career appearance in a playoff game when Washington hosts the Philadelphia Flyers at Verizon Center in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. For the Capitals, it marks the completion of a remarkable rally from last place. For Huet, a 32-year-old native of France who took a circuitous route to the NHL, it's a measure of vindication after being discarded by the Montreal Canadiens six weeks ago.
"We all have pride, and we are all competitors," Huet said with a smile.
Huet began the season as Montreal's No. 1 goaltender, but when prodigy Carey Price proved he was ready to assume the starting role, Huet was pushed aside, then dealt for a second-round draft pick in 2009 -- a steal for a player of his ability.
In the first three weeks of Huet's tenure, he shared playing time with incumbent starter Olie Kolzig. But two nights after the Capitals' 5-0 loss in Chicago with Kolzig in net March 19, Coach Bruce Boudreau tapped Huet as the starter in Atlanta. He's been in net since.
His greatest strength, his teammates say, is that he controls rebounds, steers shots harmlessly to the corner and consistently makes the toughest saves. He also remains unruffled under pressure, which has had a calming effect on the young defensemen in front of him.
"He sees the puck real well," Capitals goaltending coach Dave Prior said of Huet. "He has an ability to see what's happening, and there's no panic in their game, and they react to what they see, quite precisely. That's what gives him the edge over other goaltenders. It's a talent that not a lot of guys possess."
Added defenseman Mike Green: "At the times when he's needed to make big saves, he's made them, almost every time. As a defenseman, playing in front of him, he's so calm and relaxed you know where rebounds are going to go, and you know that he's going to make that first stop."
Huet began playing hockey at age 6 in his home town of Saint-Martin-d'Heres after some urging from his father, an ardent fan of the game. Huet immediately gravitated toward goaltending.
With cat-like reflexes and a fierce work ethic, Huet steadily climbed the rungs in his country and eventually led H.C. Grenoble to the French Elite League championship in 1997-98, earning most valuable domestic player that same season.
That's when he realized he might have a future in the NHL -- but not if he remained in France. So at age 23, four years after most prospects are drafted, Huet joined Swiss Elite League team Lugano and began working with goaltending coach Tom Hedican, who recognized Huet's talent, though raw and unrefined, and began preparing him for "the big league," Huet said.
"It's a very unusual road," Huet said. "I had to climb the French league, then the Swiss league and then start over again here."
In 2001, Huet was drafted in the seventh round (214th overall) by Los Angeles and a year later was signed by the Kings and assigned to their minor league team in Manchester, N.H., where the coach happened to be Boudreau.
Boudreau had Huet for just 30 games before he was promoted to the Kings during the 2002-03 season and established himself as an NHL-caliber netminder, making his first NHL start March 14 against the Capitals, a 3-1 victory for Huet.
He was dealt to Montreal in June 2004, but when Canadiens management deemed Price ready to assume everyday duty, Huet was on the move again. Montreal went on to win the Eastern Conference; Huet helped lead the Capitals to a historic comeback from last place to Southeast Division champions.
But he didn't want to discuss his future here -- yet. In the final year of a contract that pays him $2.75 million, Huet is going to attract several suitors on the open market, several of whom could entice him with a longer deal than the Capitals are willing to offer.
"This was a second chance, a second season for me," Huet said. "We have some great moments to live. We can talk about that after the season."
If he continues to play the way he has, that could be a while.
"Everyone knows that your goalie has to make some big saves in any playoff run," left wing Matt Cooke said. "We're more than confident that Huet will do that for us."
Capitals Note: Injured defensemen Shaone Morrisonn (upper body) and Jeff Schultz (undisclosed) did not practice yesterday, but have not been ruled out for the Flyers series.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 8, 2008; E01
In the NHL playoffs, the difference between a short run and a long one often comes down to whether a team has a hot goaltender.
Right now, the Washington Capitals' Cristobal Huet is perhaps the hottest goaltender in the league.
Several Capitals have been lauded for raising their game during the team's improbable surge over the final month of the regular season, a remarkable 11-1 streak that propelled them to their first playoff berth in five years. But it could be argued that no player was more important than Huet, who, since being acquired from Montreal at the trade deadline, has won 11 of his 13 starts, including his last nine.
"It's what we needed," said Huet, whose winning streak is the longest for a Capitals' goalie since Pete Peeters in 1987. "We all played like every game was our last game. But now it's just the beginning."
On Friday, Huet will make his seventh career appearance in a playoff game when Washington hosts the Philadelphia Flyers at Verizon Center in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. For the Capitals, it marks the completion of a remarkable rally from last place. For Huet, a 32-year-old native of France who took a circuitous route to the NHL, it's a measure of vindication after being discarded by the Montreal Canadiens six weeks ago.
"We all have pride, and we are all competitors," Huet said with a smile.
Huet began the season as Montreal's No. 1 goaltender, but when prodigy Carey Price proved he was ready to assume the starting role, Huet was pushed aside, then dealt for a second-round draft pick in 2009 -- a steal for a player of his ability.
In the first three weeks of Huet's tenure, he shared playing time with incumbent starter Olie Kolzig. But two nights after the Capitals' 5-0 loss in Chicago with Kolzig in net March 19, Coach Bruce Boudreau tapped Huet as the starter in Atlanta. He's been in net since.
His greatest strength, his teammates say, is that he controls rebounds, steers shots harmlessly to the corner and consistently makes the toughest saves. He also remains unruffled under pressure, which has had a calming effect on the young defensemen in front of him.
"He sees the puck real well," Capitals goaltending coach Dave Prior said of Huet. "He has an ability to see what's happening, and there's no panic in their game, and they react to what they see, quite precisely. That's what gives him the edge over other goaltenders. It's a talent that not a lot of guys possess."
Added defenseman Mike Green: "At the times when he's needed to make big saves, he's made them, almost every time. As a defenseman, playing in front of him, he's so calm and relaxed you know where rebounds are going to go, and you know that he's going to make that first stop."
Huet began playing hockey at age 6 in his home town of Saint-Martin-d'Heres after some urging from his father, an ardent fan of the game. Huet immediately gravitated toward goaltending.
With cat-like reflexes and a fierce work ethic, Huet steadily climbed the rungs in his country and eventually led H.C. Grenoble to the French Elite League championship in 1997-98, earning most valuable domestic player that same season.
That's when he realized he might have a future in the NHL -- but not if he remained in France. So at age 23, four years after most prospects are drafted, Huet joined Swiss Elite League team Lugano and began working with goaltending coach Tom Hedican, who recognized Huet's talent, though raw and unrefined, and began preparing him for "the big league," Huet said.
"It's a very unusual road," Huet said. "I had to climb the French league, then the Swiss league and then start over again here."
In 2001, Huet was drafted in the seventh round (214th overall) by Los Angeles and a year later was signed by the Kings and assigned to their minor league team in Manchester, N.H., where the coach happened to be Boudreau.
Boudreau had Huet for just 30 games before he was promoted to the Kings during the 2002-03 season and established himself as an NHL-caliber netminder, making his first NHL start March 14 against the Capitals, a 3-1 victory for Huet.
He was dealt to Montreal in June 2004, but when Canadiens management deemed Price ready to assume everyday duty, Huet was on the move again. Montreal went on to win the Eastern Conference; Huet helped lead the Capitals to a historic comeback from last place to Southeast Division champions.
But he didn't want to discuss his future here -- yet. In the final year of a contract that pays him $2.75 million, Huet is going to attract several suitors on the open market, several of whom could entice him with a longer deal than the Capitals are willing to offer.
"This was a second chance, a second season for me," Huet said. "We have some great moments to live. We can talk about that after the season."
If he continues to play the way he has, that could be a while.
"Everyone knows that your goalie has to make some big saves in any playoff run," left wing Matt Cooke said. "We're more than confident that Huet will do that for us."
Capitals Note: Injured defensemen Shaone Morrisonn (upper body) and Jeff Schultz (undisclosed) did not practice yesterday, but have not been ruled out for the Flyers series.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
USA HOCKEY GIRL'S / WOMEN'S NATIONAL TOURNEY PHOTOJOURNAL: U14 TEAM ILLINOIS
Here are a few photos goaltender Kelsey Ingram of the Team Illinois U14 team. She pulled out a 2-2 tie against the Connecticut Polar Bears in this game.
CAPS GOALIE REPORT: HUET WINS IT WHEN THEY NEED IT IN 4-1 WIN OVER CAROLINA
Huet keeps Carolina to 1 goal and the Caps get the scoring they need. 2 more to go....
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