  Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton will face off against Chicago Blackhawks Antti Niemi in the Stanley Cup final. (QMI Agency photos) |
CHICAGO - CHICAGO - There are two Cinderella starting goaltenders in the Stanley Cup final, but only one glass slipper.
Someone is about to be exposed in seven games or less.
The question is: Who? And that someone could just as easily be the unlikely Antti Niemi as much as the less likely Michael Leighton.
There has never been a Stanley Cup matchup like this in goal, with a little-known starter for Chicago, an even lesser-known starter for Philadelphia.
This isn’t Patrick Roy versus Martin Brodeur of 2001. This isn’t Ed Belfour vs. Dominik Hasek of 1999.
The last time Chicago won the Cup, Glenn Hall outdueled Terry Sawchuk. The only time Philadelphia has won the Cup, Bernie Parent was in goal, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Vezina in both years.
Tonight begins the battle of the nobodies.
“These are two guys with one thing in common,” defended Jeff Reese, the goaltending coach of the Philly Flyers. “Both are getting an opportunity to do something and both are making the most of it. “
When asked if someone had told him in the summer that the starting goaltenders in the Stanley Cup final would be Niemi and Leighton, Reese, the former Maple Leaf, replied: “It never would have occurred to me.”
Truth: It never would have occurred to anyone in the hockey business.
This doesn’t happen — only it’s happening this year.
“It’s not about perception anymore,” said ex-NHL goalie Kevin Weekes, now working as a broadcaster. “It’s about performance. Really, what we think about these goalies doesn’t matter. One of them is going to win the Stanley Cup.”
Leighton has started seven games in the playoffs and lost one of them. His goals against average is a crazy 1.45. His save percentage is a lofty .948. He leads the playoffs with three shutouts. In a traditional sense, none of this makes any sense at all.
Niemi leads the playoffs with 12 wins. At 2.33, his goals against average ranks second in the post-season and his save percentage of .921 is just below that of Jaroslav Halak.
They may not be names in goal but they are playing like them.
“There has never been a matchup like this before,” Reese said.
“I don’t think Niemi was even pencilled in to make that hockey club. He ends up making the club as the backup, ends up taking over towards the end of the year, and now he’s the guy.
“It’s a different story with Michael. He wasn’t even in our organization at the beginning. But like Niemi, he got a chance and you can see their confidence building with every series. I think we have our work cut out for us against Niemi. And I think they have their work cut out for us, against Michael.”
In three rounds, the Flyers have already beaten Martin Brodeur, Tuukka Rask and Halak. You could argue that Niemi is the weakest of the four goaltenders they have faced in the post-season.
In three rounds, the Blackhawks have gotten to Pekka Rinne, Roberto Luongo and Evgeni Nabokov. All of them more heralded than Leighton. One of them is almost certain to crack in the final.
“That’s the story isn’t it,” said Mike Milbury, the hockey analyst. “Which one is it?”
Ebb and flow
For now, until the puck is dropped for Game 1 on Saturday night, Leighton and Niemi are riding the crest of a wave, ebbing and flowing as the MSPs — most surprising players — of the playoffs. And what do Leighton and Niemi think of their sudden fame?
“I think,” said Niemi. “I shouldn’t be thinking at all,” he said.
Said Leighton: “I thought the only way I’d get this chance was if Cam Ward got hurt.”
To that point, he turned out to be correct. Ward got hurt, and it was then Carolina decided it wanted someone other than Leighton in goal. He went on waivers, Philadelphia claimed him and the rest, up to now, is history.
The glass slipper awaits either Niemi or Leighton: But only one of them gets to go to the ball.
steve.simmons@sunmedia.ca
