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Monday, November 29, 1999
Shelling sparks goalie dilemma
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Does Brian Sutter listen to his heart or his head?
His heart says turn back to Grant Fuhr, the aging star with unspeakable .858 save percentage who has yet to make the impact anticipated when they forked out $3 million to land him.
Sutter believes in veteran goalies, proven winners. He didn't lobby for the acquisition of Fuhr to watch him be a spectator.
His head, however, says stick with Fred Brathwaite, whose stellar five-game run came to a crashing end in six shots and just under five minutes at the Pepsi Center on Saturday night.
He has clearly given Sutter more indication that he's the go-to guy, having allowed just eight goals in five starts prior to the debacle in Denver.
The coach, however, would love to see Fuhr get on a roll and may feel this an ideal time -- "if getting beat by six doesn't hammer home a message, nothing will" -- to try and launch one.
Having been blown out on the first leg of their six-game trip, the selection of goaltender, and his ability to rise to the task, is crucial.
The Avs hit on almost 50% of their shots --seven of 16 -- driving Calgary's goaltending save percentage down to a league low .867. Brathwaite gave up three on six, Fuhr four on 10.
"Haven't made up my mind yet," said Sutter, when asked the obvious question as the Flames arrived here yesterday afternoon.
"Our goaltending the other night obviously wasn't what we'd like, or what we're used to. Freddie let in a couple bad ones, everything exploded in our faces the first five minutes there, and then Grant came in a real awkward situation. We tried to open it up to get back in the game so every chance they had was off the rush, 2-on-1, 3-on-1, 3-on-2.
"I mean, we had 47 shots on net and 19 misses. That's almost 70 shots directed towards the net. And lose 7-1?! That's unbelievable."
So, will it be Fuhr or Brathwaite?
Either way, you won't hear any griping from the one overlooked to-morrow.
"We have a pretty relaxed relationship," says Brathwaite.
Fuhr, as well, is his partner's biggest booster.
"Freddie's played great for us this last stretch. (Saturday) night? We made a couple of mistakes, they got a few bounces ... that's the only thing happened to Freddie."
That said, Fuhr's dying to get back in and start to feel good about himself and his game.
"I'd like to donate to the cause. That'd be nice. They brought me here for a reason, and it wasn't to play average. Sure, I've been criticized this year. But that's part of why you get paid well. To take the heat when things aren't going good. I can accept that. I've been around a while. I'm a big boy.
"I've only missed the playoffs twice in 19 years. I take pride in that. And both those years, once in Toronto and once in L.A., we missed by one point, losing the final game of the season.
"The playoffs are everything. You don't get there, it's tough to look back on a season because you didn't accomplish a thing."
Ain't that the truth.
OVERTIME: Defenceman Phil Housley left the team briefly to visit his mother, battling cancer, in Minnesota. He is, however, expected to rejoin his mates today.
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