Rage in the Cage

Most of you know me and know I am an old fart. Old enough to wonder how I am still alive. I am just too cantankerous to die. I have not written a lot on the Maple Leafs, mainly because it has been very quiet lately. So I thought I would write a nostalgia blog. Today, I am concentrating on the goalies. Goalies are a rare breed. They can carry a team or, of course, the opposite. The Maple Leafs have had their share of good ones and a lot of really, really stinky ones. Trust me. I have lived through the pain of the 70s and 80s. 

Today I am mostly concentrating on the champions of the goalies. Believe me; it would be far easier to pick out the sinkers. The not-so-good list is enormous: Crha, Tremblay, and Bunny Larocque, to name a few. Larocque really hurts—the Maple Leafs gave up Picard, a viable defenceman, and a pick to get him. But I digress. On to the cream of the crop. I am not saying these are the only good goalies; this is just my list, in no particular order. 

Johnny Bower

Johnny Bower won two Stanley Cups in my lifetime. The cup years were 1962 and 1967. Johnny won the Vezina trophy twice. His career goal against average was a measly 2.51. He was an outstanding standup goalie who will always be known as a Maple Leaf hero. 

Mike Palmateer

Mike was a showboat. 

Mike became a fan favourite because of his ability to come out of nowhere. Mike has a terrific glove hand. The acrobatic style of Palmateer made me a fan for years. 

Jacques Plante

In 1970, Plante was 41 years old and was the Leafs' number one goalie. He had 24 wins and 11 losses, and a save percentage of 942. That is remarkable when you consider his age. The Leafs finished four games over 500. How bad would they have been without him?

Felix Potvin

Felix was an unsung hero when he was the goalie. In my mind, his nickname should have been Superman. Felix was one of the fastest reflexes I have seen. He was a fantastic goalie who took the Leafs for a ride in 93.

Frederik Andersen

Freddy is one of the best positional goalies in the league. The fans love him; the team loves him. Freddy has excellent rebound control and a great vision of the whole ice.

Final word

I am sure you will have a different list because you're probably not 200 years old. I have seen ups and downs, mostly down. Here's hoping for the best.

Randy

Stranded on an Island

 

Everyone knows the position the Islanders are in. They have roughly $3.9 million in cap with one more player to sign. In most cases, that would be doable, but in this player's case—yeah, not so much. That player is Matthew Barzal, and even at a home discount, there no chance he signs for that.   

This much we know: the buyout option is out the window. The Islanders are shopping Boychuck all over the world. It isn't that Boychuck can't play; teams are balking at his cap hit. They have a similar problem with Mr. Ladd. What makes his contract particularly troublesome is that it is a bonus-driven contract that makes it almost impossible to buy him out.  

The Islanders are down to one option, which is a trade. They have options. Their next best chance at trade bait is probably Bailey. Teams that need a playmaker could use the forward. He has a good rep as a penalty killer and teams love his skating. I have also been told that teams like his versatility; he can also play centre. Cal Clutterbuck is another asset the Isles could deal. Cal is a solid fourth-liner and penalty killer. Again, the main obstacle is his cap. Clubs would be more willing to take on his cap than Boychuck's. The Isles could waive Leo Komarov with Boychuck and Ladd. With the cap they have left, they might be able to sign Barzal. 

Last Word

My biggest beef when it comes to the Islanders is Josh Ho-Sang. They have to play the kid if they want to show him off to the other NHL clubs and get something of value for him. The Isles are not going to use him, so they might as well try to get something for him.  

I want to thank my friends Thomas Boyle and David Weintraub for their help with this blog's material. 

Randy.