Kings Article: Better Than You Remember: Roman Cechmanek

[Sheng Peng]

Roman Cechmanek was arguably better as a King than Felix Potvin. And in most seasons, better even than Jonathan Quick. No, really:

Better Than You Remember: Roman Cechmanek

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[Ziggy Stardust]

Maybe if all you watch is numbers. Anyone who suggests Cechmanek was better clearly wasn't paying attention to his body of work.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Scoring was lower back then

 

[Sheng Peng]

Maybe if all you watch is numbers. Anyone who suggests Cechmanek was better clearly wasn't paying attention to his body of work.

Let me head off this criticism: I watched all of the games back then. I paid attention to the "body of his work" back then, as I am now. I thought he was terrible as a King, until I ran into these numbers. Truthfully, I can't give a definitive answer about the discord between these numbers and what I watched over a decade ago without re-watching the games, none of which were readily available to me in my research. However, the numbers make me skeptical of my old memories.

Scoring was lower back then

This is why I compared ES Sv rankings in-season

 

[TonySCV]

Kings teams in that era were generally terrible. So if you're asserting he was better than terrible, such as "awful" or "below average", fine.

Forgettable? Absolutely.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I have two specific memories of Cechmanek that I will never forget. One was the Unibrow giving Gleason crap, mind you this kid is a rookie, after Roman surrendered a goal. Way to show solidarity and being a team guy Roman.

And my other memory of Cechmanek is this game:


There's a reason why that was his last game in the NHL.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

I have two specific memories of Cechmanek that I will never forget. One was the Unibrow giving Gleason crap, mind you this kid is a rookie, after Roman surrendered a goal. Way to show solidarity and being a team guy Roman.

And my other memory of Cechmanek is this game:


There's a reason why that was his last game in the NHL.

I almost forgot about Brad "The Fury" Chartrand

 

[kingsholygrail]

How was he in the playoffs?

 

[King'sPawn]

I remember a particular game when the Red Wings scored with less than 5 seconds to go to break the tie.

He may have some good numbers, but not necessarily a good performer. He just didn't make the quality saves the team needed him to make.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I went to close to 30 games in the 2003-2004 season and there is/was absolutely nothing memorable about him. The whole team in fact. And lol @ that video, Ziggy. That is the Sharks glory days right there! Man, I hated them so bad back then. They were always better than the Kings. They always seemed to come back in games. Fast forward 10 years and there is probably some fan watching that video weeping over the glory days. lol!

 

[Captain Mittens*]

How was he in the playoffs?

with the Kings? They never made it with him

With Philly? he sucked.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

. Fast forward 10 years and there is probably some fan watching that video weeping over the glory days. lol!

Still wouldn't be as funny as this guy

 

[YP44]

I was a check supporter. Thought his save % was high and just was given a bum rep. Then I saw him let in an Iggy goal from centre ice at the dome and realized that it's not the number of shots he stops it's how deflating the ones he lets in were.
He never could make the save whe nit counted or when the team needed.
Quick is the opposite. His numbers (SP and GAA ) are not that impressive, but Quick's nack to make the save when the team needs is amazing.

 

[johnjm22]

I'd put Byron Dafoe in the "better than you remember" category before Chechmanek.

 

[cyclones22]

I remember a particular game when the Red Wings scored with less than 5 seconds to go to break the tie.

He may have some good numbers, but not necessarily a good performer. He just didn't make the quality saves the team needed him to make.

I remember that one. It was right off a face-off at center-ice. I believe we won the face-off, and the Redwings anticipated it and just rushed the puck and picked it up and scored. That was infuriating on a number of levels. Cenchmanek for allowing the goal and Andy Murray for not seeing that strategy coming.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I was a check supporter. Thought his save % was high and just was given a bum rep. Then I saw him let in an Iggy goal from centre ice at the dome and realized that it's not the number of shots he stops it's how deflating the ones he lets in were.
He never could make the save whe nit counted or when the team needed.
Quick is the opposite. His numbers (SP and GAA ) are not that impressive, but Quick's nack to make the save when the team needs is amazing.

Came here to post pretty much exactly this

He's the anti-quick

 

[kingsholygrail]

I was a check supporter. Thought his save % was high and just was given a bum rep. Then I saw him let in an Iggy goal from centre ice at the dome and realized that it's not the number of shots he stops it's how deflating the ones he lets in were.
He never could make the save whe nit counted or when the team needed.
Quick is the opposite. His numbers (SP and GAA ) are not that impressive, but Quick's nack to make the save when the team needs is amazing.

Cloutier was like that too really. Would always let in the most deflating goals.

 

[Sheng Peng]

Then I saw him let in an Iggy goal from centre ice at the dome and realized that it's not the number of shots he stops it's how deflating the ones he lets in were.

He did seem to have a penchant for the deflating goal. I don't remember the Iginla one, but the Detroit one clear as a day. Certainly, he was ultimately disappointing. But considering the depleted Kings team in front of him, and whatever his flaws, his clear ability to stop the puck, it's pretty surprising that he did what he did in his "worst" season. Had there been a 2004-05, I think he would've been a great candidate for a bounceback year in LA or elsewhere.

I'd put Byron Dafoe in the "better than you remember" category before Chechmanek.

I think Dafoe as a King is remembered accurately. Or I'd write an article about him haha. I do think Hrudey was underrated.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Hrudey definitely was underrated when you look at how his numbers got better as the Kings got worse.

A travesty that they went out and traded for a bum like Grant Fuhr when Hrudey was having one of his personal best seasons with the Kings. It was a bigger joke when Rogie Vachon decided to start Fuhr in the last game of the season with the Kings' playoff hopes riding on that game.

 

[Jason Lewis]

I was a check supporter. Thought his save % was high and just was given a bum rep. Then I saw him let in an Iggy goal from centre ice at the dome and realized that it's not the number of shots he stops it's how deflating the ones he lets in were.
He never could make the save whe nit counted or when the team needed.
Quick is the opposite. His numbers (SP and GAA ) are not that impressive, but Quick's nack to make the save when the team needs is amazing.

Funnily enough I was writing a thing for Hockey Prospectus today in regards to Lack and Miller with this same idea.

Their save percentages are very similar, yet Lack lets in way fewer howlers than Miller does. Easier to play as a young team, when you know your goaltender is going to stop the easy/average ones most of the time.

 

[Herby]

Not as good as Felix Potvin who was stellar for the Kings at the end of the 2001 season.

No way was Cechmanek as bad as Mathieu Garon though. The whole Garon situation and how DT built a somewhat decent team in 2005-06 and handed the goaltending reigns to bums Garon and Labarbera was disgusting and the final straw for DT's career as GM.

 

[fivehole32]

The Yzerman goal with 5 seconds left will be cemented in my brain. If I remember right he went to cover it with his "lacrosse" modified glove and it just slid between his legs.

Potvin was super that 2001 season. I remember the team was so bad the year before that in 2001 Krispy Kreme gave out a dozen free donuts if the Kings shutout out a team for the 1st period. By the halfway point they changed it to a shutout. Got so many donuts that year.

 

[Sheng Peng]

Hrudey definitely was underrated when you look at how his numbers got better as the Kings got worse.

A travesty that they went out and traded for a bum like Grant Fuhr when Hrudey was having one of his personal best seasons with the Kings. It was a bigger joke when Rogie Vachon decided to start Fuhr in the last game of the season with the Kings' playoff hopes riding on that game.

If interested, here's what I wrote about Hrudey being the most underrated goalie in Kings history.

Regarding Fuhr, I agree that they shouldn't have traded for him, especially at the cost. But it's forgotten that he actually played much better at the end of the season:

Also, the last game of 1994-95 was a back-to-back.

Not as good as Felix Potvin who was stellar for the Kings at the end of the 2001 season.

No way was Cechmanek as bad as Mathieu Garon though. The whole Garon situation and how DT built a somewhat decent team in 2005-06 and handed the goaltending reigns to bums Garon and Labarbera was disgusting and the final straw for DT's career as GM.

Certainly, Potvin's 2000-01 run in LA was amazing. I was measuring full seasons, however, and I'd definitely say his 2001-02 has been overrated because of a superior team (compared to Cechmanek's) and a strong playoff.

Yea, giving the reins to the inexperienced Garon was a huge risk. Instead, imagine DT keeping Cechmanek, Roman having a pretty good to great season, making the playoffs, DT/AM keeping their jobs, and DL never coming aboard.

Guess it all worked out in the end!

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Hacksaw loved to call him "The Roman Candle"

If the Kings could get the Roman Candle going they could be a dangerous bunch.

Dammit Poway! I got a ladies line open!
Can I buy a call about San Diego State Women's hoops?
I AM BLEEPING BRILLIANT!

 

[kingsfan]

Roman Cechmanek was arguably better as a King than Felix Potvin. And in most seasons, better even than Jonathan Quick. No, really:

Better Than You Remember: Roman Cechmanek

Any time you need to explain how someone was better than Christobal Huet should be a big clue that your article is invalid. I will give you kudos on attention grabbing headlines. Completely inaccurate headlines to anyone with half a brain, but they are eye catching. Thought of trying out as a copy editor for the National Enquirer perhaps?