Aside from the occasional night off – or the even less common instance when a save or goal isn’t deemed worthy – the gang at PHT will decide which tally or stop is the best of any given night. Once those two winners are determined, we’ll share our reasoning (and most importantly, the video clip for each) in posts for your viewing pleasure.
Of all the trades from Friday, the one that furrowed my brow the most was the deal in which the Colorado Avalanche sent Craig Anderson to the Ottawa Senators for Brian Elliott. While I understand the concept of the Avs giving up on Anderson (though I find it faulty), why acquire a middling tender such as Elliott? (I admire Elliott’s scrappy climb to the NHL level, but he’s not exactly an ideal candidate for the top spot.)
After all, I thought, how many goalies could plug up all the holes left by the Avalanche’s spotty defense?
One of the few who could conceivably pull it off (in my opinion, anyway) would be Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward. For years, he’s played behind some dubious defensive corps, yet he has a Stanley Cup ring and frequently stands on his head. Ward might not ever win a Vezina since he doesn’t put up pretty stats, but he keeps his team in games and shows a lot of poise. He also rarely gives up on a play even if a save seems nearly impossible, as you can see from this glove stop against the Philadelphia Flyers.
(Oh, and by the way ... the Hurricanes beat the Flyers by one goal.)
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