Backup goaltender hopes to help extend win streak to four
VANCOUVER, British Columbia ? The Blue Jackets signed goaltender Ty Conklin as a free agent last summer, figuring he would be a reliable veteran for the minor-league club in Syracuse, or, worse-case scenario, an emergency fill-in at the NHL level.
Welcome to the worse-case scenario.
With Pascal Leclaire recovering from surgery to fix torn knee cartilage and Fredrik Norrena nursing a groin injury, the Blue Jackets will turn to Conklin when they play the Vancouver Canucks tonight in General Motors Place.
Conklin also will play Wednesday in Edmonton and, quite possibly, Friday in Calgary.
"You hate to get playing time at the expense of other guys getting hurt," Conklin said. "But it?ll be good to play some games. It?ll give me a chance to contribute a bit more.
"These are big games. Every game, every point is a necessity. There?s not much leeway if we?re going to get into the playoff race. But that?s good. It makes the games exciting."
Leclaire likely is out until the middle of February. Norrena, reportedly feeling much better yesterday, could be summoned to hop a plane and meet the club in Calgary on Thursday, a day ahead of the game.
Until then, the Blue Jackets, who have won three in a row for only the second time all season, say they can keep the W?s coming with Conklin.
The worse-case scenario, they say, isn?t that bad.
"Conklin has played in all of these buildings before," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He?s an experienced NHL goaltender, and that?s huge for us right now.
"It was a tough situation losing Norrena like that because we?ve already lost Leclaire. But it would have been even worse if we didn?t have a guy like Ty Conklin to put in there. He?s been through this a few times."
Conklin, 30, played in 67 games the past two seasons with Edmonton, making 50 starts and putting up a 25-19-4-1 record and a .904 save percentage.
With the Blue Jackets, he has made only two starts.
"It?s important for us to get off to a good start (tonight), because Conks hasn?t played as much as (Norrena) did," right winger Anson Carter said. "If we can do that, it?ll get his confidence level up where it should be.
"Having said that, we have a lot of confidence in him as a guy who can make a big save for us. Look what he did late in (Saturday?s 3-2 win over Minnesota, after Norrena?s injury). He made a lot of big saves and really helped us earn those two points. That?s all you can ask out of a guy, especially coming into a game like that, under pretty tough circumstances."
Conklin has been with the Blue Jackets since Dec. 23, a day after Leclaire was injured.
He has played all of 210 minutes. As of yesterday, though, he wasn?t complaining of rust.
"I felt pretty good (against Minnesota)," Conklin said. "It?s always different starting a game having to get back into that routine of being the starter again.
"But I?m getting back into it pretty quickly."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia ? The Blue Jackets signed goaltender Ty Conklin as a free agent last summer, figuring he would be a reliable veteran for the minor-league club in Syracuse, or, worse-case scenario, an emergency fill-in at the NHL level.
Welcome to the worse-case scenario.
With Pascal Leclaire recovering from surgery to fix torn knee cartilage and Fredrik Norrena nursing a groin injury, the Blue Jackets will turn to Conklin when they play the Vancouver Canucks tonight in General Motors Place.
Conklin also will play Wednesday in Edmonton and, quite possibly, Friday in Calgary.
"You hate to get playing time at the expense of other guys getting hurt," Conklin said. "But it?ll be good to play some games. It?ll give me a chance to contribute a bit more.
"These are big games. Every game, every point is a necessity. There?s not much leeway if we?re going to get into the playoff race. But that?s good. It makes the games exciting."
Leclaire likely is out until the middle of February. Norrena, reportedly feeling much better yesterday, could be summoned to hop a plane and meet the club in Calgary on Thursday, a day ahead of the game.
Until then, the Blue Jackets, who have won three in a row for only the second time all season, say they can keep the W?s coming with Conklin.
The worse-case scenario, they say, isn?t that bad.
"Conklin has played in all of these buildings before," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "He?s an experienced NHL goaltender, and that?s huge for us right now.
"It was a tough situation losing Norrena like that because we?ve already lost Leclaire. But it would have been even worse if we didn?t have a guy like Ty Conklin to put in there. He?s been through this a few times."
Conklin, 30, played in 67 games the past two seasons with Edmonton, making 50 starts and putting up a 25-19-4-1 record and a .904 save percentage.
With the Blue Jackets, he has made only two starts.
"It?s important for us to get off to a good start (tonight), because Conks hasn?t played as much as (Norrena) did," right winger Anson Carter said. "If we can do that, it?ll get his confidence level up where it should be.
"Having said that, we have a lot of confidence in him as a guy who can make a big save for us. Look what he did late in (Saturday?s 3-2 win over Minnesota, after Norrena?s injury). He made a lot of big saves and really helped us earn those two points. That?s all you can ask out of a guy, especially coming into a game like that, under pretty tough circumstances."
Conklin has been with the Blue Jackets since Dec. 23, a day after Leclaire was injured.
He has played all of 210 minutes. As of yesterday, though, he wasn?t complaining of rust.
"I felt pretty good (against Minnesota)," Conklin said. "It?s always different starting a game having to get back into that routine of being the starter again.
"But I?m getting back into it pretty quickly."
