Enoch
This is my boomstick
thome_26 said:haha, dominated. First goalie in ages to "dominate" with a sub .900save%. In his final month his GAA was something like four and half on an average of like 32 shots. Now, he played better then his numbers indicate, he was after all behind a REAL bad defense. Lehtonen wasn't playing behind much either though. Not to the same extent, but the numbers difference is absolutely drastic. And a simple fact is, his numbers and play has taken an absolute nose dive every time importance of games escalate. He's taken steps back in the two finals he's started in for Canada, and he has yet to put forth a decent showing in any playoffs except for in 02 where he was solid.
There's a reason Lehtonen is higher nor 95% of peoples lists.
Atlanta's defense in comparison to Pittsburghs defense at the start of the season is extremely unfair. The Pens may not have been an AHL team last year, like some claimed, but at the same time, at the start of the season their defense was downright pathetic. I do not know how many times I saw point blank shots against the Pen goaltenders. We are talking 9 - 10 point blank, almost never miss shots from the crease area. It was pathetic. Obviously the team got better as the year wore on, and the addition of Strbak and Jackman significantly increased the quality of the Pens blueline and the teams overall play. However, Fleury was long gone by then....The shots he had to face on a night in/night out basis were ridiculous.........Initially, he was extraordinary, but eventually he just couldn't take the barrage. No one could, and I stand by that. Not a goalie in this league could have faced what the Pens goalies did early on and came out looking good.