Interesting Hockey Notes
from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,
- The Maple Leafs, who have the NHL’s worst five-on-five save percentage since Dec. 7 at .885 and the fourth-worst overall at .882 over that span, are looking for their version of the 2006 Dwayne Roloson.
Roloson, then 36, was having an average season in net for the non-playoff Wild when he was traded at the deadline to the Oilers. The rest of the regular season was average enough, but Roloson then went on a roll in the postseason, elevating eight-seed Edmonton to the Cup final before it lost in seven games to Carolina.
That represents an exception to the rule under which late-season trades of goaltenders don’t work out as planned. Exhibit A, of course, is St. Louis’ 2014 rental of Ryan Miller from Buffalo, and by the way, Miller should be included among non-Cup winning goaltenders who merit serious Hall of Fame consideration.
That is what the Maple Leafs, whose organizational credibility rests on the team’s ability to win a playoff round for the first time since 2004, must find before the deadline. It won’t be easy for GM Kyle Dubas, but it is all but impossible to believe Toronto is going to place its currency on Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek in net.
- Maybe the fact Auston Matthews can’t seem to get a call from the officials explains why the league’s best player seems to always have a scowl on his public face, but I doubt it.
- Terry Pegula, owner of the Sabres and Bills, whose real time net worth was estimated at $5.7 billion by Forbes on Saturday, apparently is in line to receive $1 billion in public funding for a new football stadium.
This probably means that it will only be a matter of time before he starts laying off more people who work for the hockey team.
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