Latest Khabibulin slump gives backup a shot
The Blackhawks departed for Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon, after three days of practice in San Jose, with new hope and a temporary return to backup goalie Patrick Lalime as they try to end a four-game losing streak tonight.
''I'm looking forward to starting again,'' Lalime said. ''We don't go to Edmonton too often. But I approach it like any other game in that I'm just going there to do my job.''Coach Denis Savard has had to handle his goaltending situation with diplomacy as his $6 million-a-year starter, Nikolai Khabibulin (15-18-4, 2.88 GAA), has fallen on hard times lately, losing his last 10 starts. Meanwhile, Lalime (8-6-1, 2.48) has won four of his last six starts, and the Hawks earned at least a point in five of those games.
''I've been in streaks like this before, and every goalie goes through them if he plays often enough and long enough,'' Khabibulin said. ''There's only so much you can control. Sometimes you play your best and lose, and sometimes you play your worst and still win. I believe the team plays just as hard for me [as for Lalime].''
Savard praises both of his goalies and says he still believes in Khabibulin and wishes his teammates would be as productive for him as they have been for Lalime. The Hawks have been outscored 34-19 during Khabibulin's 10-game skid while outscoring their opponents 18-12 in Lalime's last six starts.
''It certainly doesn't mean the players like one goalie better than the other,'' Savard said. ''I'd have to look at the teams we played, too, to better understand why that's the case. But our players like both their goalies, and they play hard for them.
''Of course, since Khabby plays a lot more often than Patty, he's going to get more of the losses or wins. But I'm going to start Patty [tonight] because he's done well against Edmonton, Khabby against Calgary [on Thursday] because he's done well against Calgary and then go back to Patty in Vancouver [on Sunday]. Then we'll see where we go from there.''
Savard stuck with Lalime the last time because ''he had the hot hand,'' winning four in a row. After the streak ended with a 3-2 loss on Jan. 22 in San Jose, he went back to Khabibulin, and the Hawks were outscored 10-5 in three consecutive losses.
It's quite likely that if Lalime wins in Vancouver, Savard will stick with him until he loses. The big question is whether it will take only one loss to send Lalime back to the bench or if Savard might show a little more leniency and confidence in his backup because his numbers are better.
''I have no explanation as to why we've been more successful with Lalime,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said. ''But I know we like both our goalies and we have confidence in them. I go back to our last game here Saturday [a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks]. Khabby played well and gave us a chance to win.''
NOTE: Rookie center Jonathan Toews (sprained right knee) skated again Tuesday and told coach Denis Savard he felt good.
''If it was up to him, he would play [tonight],'' Savard said. ''But we're going to be a lot more careful with him. I still don't see him playing before next week in Columbus or Nashville.''
Veteran forward Martin Lapointe will return to the lineup after missing the last six games with a bruised kidney.
The Blackhawks departed for Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon, after three days of practice in San Jose, with new hope and a temporary return to backup goalie Patrick Lalime as they try to end a four-game losing streak tonight.
''I'm looking forward to starting again,'' Lalime said. ''We don't go to Edmonton too often. But I approach it like any other game in that I'm just going there to do my job.''Coach Denis Savard has had to handle his goaltending situation with diplomacy as his $6 million-a-year starter, Nikolai Khabibulin (15-18-4, 2.88 GAA), has fallen on hard times lately, losing his last 10 starts. Meanwhile, Lalime (8-6-1, 2.48) has won four of his last six starts, and the Hawks earned at least a point in five of those games.
''I've been in streaks like this before, and every goalie goes through them if he plays often enough and long enough,'' Khabibulin said. ''There's only so much you can control. Sometimes you play your best and lose, and sometimes you play your worst and still win. I believe the team plays just as hard for me [as for Lalime].''
Savard praises both of his goalies and says he still believes in Khabibulin and wishes his teammates would be as productive for him as they have been for Lalime. The Hawks have been outscored 34-19 during Khabibulin's 10-game skid while outscoring their opponents 18-12 in Lalime's last six starts.
''It certainly doesn't mean the players like one goalie better than the other,'' Savard said. ''I'd have to look at the teams we played, too, to better understand why that's the case. But our players like both their goalies, and they play hard for them.
''Of course, since Khabby plays a lot more often than Patty, he's going to get more of the losses or wins. But I'm going to start Patty [tonight] because he's done well against Edmonton, Khabby against Calgary [on Thursday] because he's done well against Calgary and then go back to Patty in Vancouver [on Sunday]. Then we'll see where we go from there.''
Savard stuck with Lalime the last time because ''he had the hot hand,'' winning four in a row. After the streak ended with a 3-2 loss on Jan. 22 in San Jose, he went back to Khabibulin, and the Hawks were outscored 10-5 in three consecutive losses.
It's quite likely that if Lalime wins in Vancouver, Savard will stick with him until he loses. The big question is whether it will take only one loss to send Lalime back to the bench or if Savard might show a little more leniency and confidence in his backup because his numbers are better.
''I have no explanation as to why we've been more successful with Lalime,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said. ''But I know we like both our goalies and we have confidence in them. I go back to our last game here Saturday [a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks]. Khabby played well and gave us a chance to win.''
NOTE: Rookie center Jonathan Toews (sprained right knee) skated again Tuesday and told coach Denis Savard he felt good.
''If it was up to him, he would play [tonight],'' Savard said. ''But we're going to be a lot more careful with him. I still don't see him playing before next week in Columbus or Nashville.''
Veteran forward Martin Lapointe will return to the lineup after missing the last six games with a bruised kidney.
