If Halak Sweats, He Doesn't Let it Show
Ray Slover - SportingNews.com
May 13, 2010
Back in the day, Jaroslav Halak would have been called a "cucumber." As in, cool under pressure. And no matter how you slice it, it's that calm demeanor that is a critical element to the Montreal Candiens' success in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In the wake of Wednesday's Game 7 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Halak is the latest fresh-faced goaltending hero in Habs history, treading the path toward the feats of Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy. He's not there yet, but he shows every sign of filling their skates.
There is a difference that makes the Halak story a bit of a fairy tale. He is doing it with a team much less vaunted than the 1971 lineup Dryden played behind or even the 1986 edition in front of Roy. This team is much more like Roy's final Habs Cup winner in 1993.
One statistic after another could be used to show how good Halak has been. But this one stands out: In his first playoff experience, Halak is 5-0 in elimination games.
And in those games, Halak has a save percentage of better than .960. That includes 37 saves in Game 7 and blanking the Penguins on six power-play opportunities.
That number is nothing but sensational, and it improves on a sterling .924 during the season. All the more impressive, he has done it facing two of the NHL's most powerful and balanced offensive teams through 13 of the Habs' 14 games. And in those games, his save percentage is .933
Sidney Crosby, in his concession speech after Wednesday's Game 7, noted the Canadiens' success and spoke the truth when he said it wasn't just Halak's brilliance that KO'd the Penguins:
"Sometimes it was goaltending, sometimes they blocked shots, it wasn't a constant thing. If it was, we would have found a way around it."
And yet, the focal point remains the masked man in the Canadiens' net.
"You kind of expect it from him," Michael Cammalleri, himself a Habs playoff hero, said after the game. "Everyone wants to sing his praises, but I'm going to sit here and say to you, we expect it from him and we're going to need him to keep doing it."
Look at this series. Forget Game 1, in which the Penguins were 4-for-4 on the power play and chased Halak. The playoffs hinge on Halak being calm and steady in goal, and on an outstanding defensive system in front of him. The Canadiens played Game 1 fresh off eliminating the Capitals, and a letdown was natural.
But that was one game. And Halak and the Habs didn't play another game as loose as Game 1. Instead, it was Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who wilted like a flower without water under the pressure of Game 7. The game's first goal was a stinker, a variety Halak refused to allow.
After Wednesday's clincher, Halak refused to accept the credit.
"I think we did it, not me," he said. "The guys did a great job. The first half of the game they were playing unbelievable.
"That's what I'm there for, to make the save. Fortunately for us, I made the saves and the guys blocked many shots." Whether it's deflecting shots or deflecting credit, Halak remains the same: cool as a cucumber.
Ray Slover is an associate editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at rslover@sportingnews.com
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