Archive for February, 2011
Khudobin Traded to the Bruins
Feb 28th
In a trade that trickled in shortly after the NHL Trade Deadline passed, the Minnesota Wild shipped the enigmatic Anton Khudobin to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Jeff Penner and the rights to Mikko Lehtonen. Khudobin, who was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, was acquired by Boston to help stabilize and improve the sub-par goaltending in Providence.
Thrashers Send MacIntyre to Montreal
Feb 28th
The Atlanta Thrashers traded goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who was playing solid hockey for the Chicago Wolves, to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Brett Festerling. The move was made primarily to cover for a recent injury to Curtis Sanford, who was carrying the workload for the Hamilton Bulldogs. Sanford left after the first period of a game against the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday night after making five saves on six shots.
Sens Smarten Up, Claim McElhinney
Feb 28th
Curtis McElhinney, who was waived by the Tampa Bay Lightning just a few days after being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, was claimed by the Ottawa Senators shortly before the noon EST deadline this morning. The move provided the Senators with a more experienced experienced backup to their new starting goalie, Craig Anderson, and finally allowed them to place Robin Lehner in the AHL with Binghamton.
Ellis Sent to Anaheim for McElhinney
Feb 24th
Tampa Bay swapped goalies with Anaheim this morning, as the Lightning sent Dan Ellis to the Ducks in exchange for Curtis McElhinney. With Jonas Hiller fighting back from symptoms of vertigo, *update from Ducks Twitter feed* Anaheim was forced to rely on the services of McElhinney and Timo Pielmeier until Ray Emery was ready to be recalled from Syracuse. That recall took place on Wednesday, which prompted the Ducks to make another upgrade by trading McElhinney for Ellis.
Elliott Fails in Avalanche Debut
Feb 23rd
When a goalie makes his first start for a new team, all he wants is a couple of early shots to settle the nerves. For Brian Elliott, only one shot - yes, one – came his way in the first 15 minutes of the game. After giving up a power play goal on his second shot against, the rest of the night was a major struggle, as the Edmonton Oilers trounced the Avalanche, 5-1, at Pepsi Center.
Visual Feedback on Clean Ice
Feb 21st
Although I only train a select group of youth goaltenders, I cherish the opportunity to mentor and guide them through private lessons whenever possible. I have molded a handful of Colorado-native goalies since 2005, and my most prized student, Zach Quail, is playing with Shattuck St. Mary’s this season. Below is an Audio Report that reveals one of my favorite coaching and scouting tips that includes a tool you never have to carry around – a clean sheet of ice.
From Cowboy to Crease Monkey
Feb 20th
With today being Hockey Day in America, and since I was born deep in the heart of Texas, I had to celebrate in style. So I woke up early, tuned into NBC and watched the stories on a number of players that are a part of the fabric of US hockey. Of course, I’ll be playing drop-in soon, then watching the Heritage Classic this afternoon. And since I’m very proud to be an American-born goaltender, I figured I would shed a little light on my own hockey story.
Montoya Shuts Out LA with 35 Saves
Feb 19th
In his third appearance and first career start with the New York Islanders, Al Montoya continued to get more comfortable with his new team by pitching a 35-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. He stopped 17 shots in the second period and 11 more in the third to notch the second shutout of his NHL career. His first shutout came way back on April 1 of 2009, when he stopped 23 shots for the Phoenix Coyotes against the Colorado Avalanche.
Discussing Elliott’s Impact in Colorado
Feb 18th
Shortly after the trade that sent Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for Brian Elliott, I was asked to jump on Mile High Sports Radio to discuss the situation. Below is the 15-minute segment in which I provide insight on Elliott’s possible impact on the struggling Avalanche team.
Anderson Traded to Ottawa for Elliott
Feb 18th
Well, I sure saw this coming from a mile away. Craig Anderson, who displayed many different signs of frustration over the last few months, was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Brian Elliott this morning. On the surface, the Avalanche get a well-rounded and technically sound butterfly goaltender with a strong work ethic and an upbeat attitude. The Senators get a big goaltender with the ability to be a solid workhorse, meaning he could fetch a decent contract to be their starter next season.