In goal this week: 4

In goal this week Week 4 *ending on Sunday, October 28th 2007* With Goalies’World Magazine editor, Gilles Moffet Goalies’World goalie of the week Jason LaBarbera is the “King” Jason LaBarbera, of the Los Angeles Kings, is the king of the week in goal following a perfect three-win stretch at home. The 27-year old stopper from Burnaby, B.C., was our no. 1 ranked goalie in the American League last year with the Manchester Monarchs and now he’s on a roll in the big league. LaBarbera began the week with a 17-save, 6-0 shutout on Tuesday against Nashville. On Thursday he made 29 saves in a 2-1 win over Dallas and on Saturday he stopped 34 shots in a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers. Overall LaBarbera stopped 80 of 82 shots (0.976 SP) and that is remarkable but as I wrote in issue 64, LaBarbera could be a surprise this year and I like what I see so far. He jumped to 8^th place in our rankings. Goalies’World rankings Tim Thomas stays in first place Tim Thomas, of the Boston Bruins is still our no.1 ranked goalie at Goalies’World with an outstanding 4-2-0, 0.957, 1.34 record. Again. Thomas had a solid week only allowing three goals in two games. He made 26 saves in a 3-1 home win over Chicago and he also made 26 saves in a 2-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Goalies’World Top Ten 1- Tim Thomas (Boston) 2- Martin Biron (Philadelphia) 3- Pascal Leclaire (Coumbus) 4- Martin Gerber (Ottawa) 5- Josh Harding (Minnesota) New! 6- Henrik Lundqvist (NY Rangers) 7- Critsobal Huet (Montreal) New! 8- Jason LaBarbera (Los Angeles) New! 9- Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim) New! 10- Chris Osgood (Detroit) Out of the Top Ten Cam Ward (Carolina), Manny Legace (St, Louis), Nikolai Khabibulin (Chicago), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota) and Olaf Kolzig (Washingon) dropped out of our Top Ten this week. Hot game of the week 36-save shutout by Fleury The talented Marc-Andre Fleury is still struggling with consistency (he’s ranked 28^th) but he was hot on Tuesday, recording a 1-0, 36-save home shutout against the New York Rangers and that was the performance of the week. Unfortunately that was his only good game of the week. He lost 5-2 at home against Toronto on Thursday and he was pulled after the first period (15 shots, 3 goals) on Saturday in a 4-3 shootout loss against Montreal at the Mellon Arena. I read early in the week that he said he was playing better because he worked on his play behind the net. Come on! That may help but that’s not how you get confidence in stopping the puck. Goalies’World rookie of the week Carey Price solid in the shootout Carey Price had a strange game in Pittsburg on Saturday, making some great saves but also giving up some bad goals. However, when came shootout time, he was just fantastic, stopping all eight shots in a 4-3 shootout win by the Canadiens. That makes him our rookie of the week. NHL debut Curtis McElhinney, of the Calgary Flames, made his NHL debut on Monday in relief duties, playing the 3^rd period of a 4-1 home loss to San Jose. A 6^th round pick in 2002, the 24-year old rookie gave up one goal on two shots. It was the 9^th game of the year for the Flames and the first one in which Iron Mike Keenan pulled Miika Kiprusoff who is having a tough year. Injured Kari Lehtonen (Atlanta, groin), Niklas Backstrom (knee), Dominik Hasek (hip). Back from injuries Curtis McElhinney (Calgary, knee) It’s been a hot week for Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim), Pascal Leclaire (Columbus), Jose Theodore (Calgary), Jason LaBarbera (Los Angeles), Martin gerber (Ottawa), Martin Biron (Philadelphia). * Includes goalies with save percentage above 0.950. It’s been a tough week for Manny Fernandez (Boston), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota), Rick DiPietro and Wade Dubielewicz (NY Islanders), Brent Johnson (Washington). * Includes goalies with save percentage below 0.850 Shutouts Pascal Leclaire, of the Columbus Blue Jacketys, had another shutout this week, his 4^th in seven games. That is just crazy! Other zeroes were recorded by Jason LaBarbera (Los Angeles) , Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Alex Auld (Phoenix) and Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh), Shootouts Oilers win two games in shootout Carey Price (Montreal) was the shootout goalie of the week with an 8-save, 100% performance on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The losing goalie in that game, Dany Sabourin, was also solid stopping 7 of 8 shots. Mathieu Garon (0 goals on 2 shots), also had a “perfect shootout” against Anaheim and Jean-Sebastien Giguere who gave up two goals on two shots. Vesa Toskala (San Jose) and Josh Harding (Minnesota) ended up on the losing side giving up two goals on three shots against Atlanta and Edmonton, respectively. By the waym the Oilers won two games in shootouts this week. Stolen wins Jose Theodore wins a big one Jose Theodore, of the Colorado Avalanche, is a goalie to watch this year and he is doing OK so far. He was rock solid in Calgary on Friday as the Avalanche was outshot 41-22 but ended up winning the game with 3-2. Other game stealers this week were Mathieu Garon (Edmonton), Cristobal Huet (Montreal), Martin Biron (Philadelphia), Alex Auld (Phoenix), Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh) and Vesa Toskala (Toronto). By the way Toskala now has the upper hand over Andrew Raycroft as number one goalie of the Leafs. * A goalie is credited with a stolen win when he wins and his team is outshot by 10 shots or more. He also has to have a 0.900 save percentage in that game. .

Jason LaBarbera, of the Los Angeles Kings, is the king of the week in goal following a perfect three-win stretch at home. The 27-year old stopper from Burnaby, B.C., was our no. 1 ranked goalie in the American League last year with the Manchester Monarchs and now he’s on a roll in the big league. LaBarbera began the week with a 17-save, 6-0 shutout on Tuesday against Nashville. On Thursday he made 29 saves in a 2-1 win over Dallas and on Saturday he stopped 34 shots in a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers. Overall LaBarbera stopped 80 of 82 shots (0.976 SP) and that is remarkable but as I wrote in issue 64, LaBarbera could be a surprise this year and I like what I see so far. He jumped to 8^th place in our rankings.

Tim Thomas, of the Boston Bruins is still our no.1 ranked goalie at Goalies’World with an outstanding 4-2-0, 0.957, 1.34 record. Again. Thomas had a solid week only allowing three goals in two games. He made 26 saves in a 3-1 home win over Chicago and he also made 26 saves in a 2-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Cam Ward (Carolina), Manny Legace (St, Louis), Nikolai Khabibulin (Chicago), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota) and Olaf Kolzig (Washingon) dropped out of our Top Ten this week.

The talented Marc-Andre Fleury is still struggling with consistency (he’s ranked 28^th) but he was hot on Tuesday, recording a 1-0, 36-save home shutout against the New York Rangers and that was the performance of the week. Unfortunately that was his only good game of the week. He lost 5-2 at home against Toronto on Thursday and he was pulled after the first period (15 shots, 3 goals) on Saturday in a 4-3 shootout loss against Montreal at the Mellon Arena. I read early in the week that he said he was playing better because he worked on his play behind the net. Come on! That may help but that’s not how you get confidence in stopping the puck.

Carey Price had a strange game in Pittsburg on Saturday, making some great saves but also giving up some bad goals. However, when came shootout time, he was just fantastic, stopping all eight shots in a 4-3 shootout win by the Canadiens. That makes him our rookie of the week.

Curtis McElhinney, of the Calgary Flames, made his NHL debut on Monday in relief duties, playing the 3^rd period of a 4-1 home loss to San Jose. A 6^th round pick in 2002, the 24-year old rookie gave up one goal on two shots. It was the 9^th game of the year for the Flames and the first one in which Iron Mike Keenan pulled Miika Kiprusoff who is having a tough year.

Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim), Pascal Leclaire (Columbus), Jose Theodore (Calgary), Jason LaBarbera (Los Angeles), Martin gerber (Ottawa), Martin Biron (Philadelphia).

Manny Fernandez (Boston), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota), Rick DiPietro and Wade Dubielewicz (NY Islanders), Brent Johnson (Washington).

Pascal Leclaire, of the Columbus Blue Jacketys, had another shutout this week, his 4^th in seven games. That is just crazy! Other zeroes were recorded by Jason LaBarbera (Los Angeles) , Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers), Alex Auld (Phoenix) and Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh),

Carey Price (Montreal) was the shootout goalie of the week with an 8-save, 100% performance on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The losing goalie in that game, Dany Sabourin, was also solid stopping 7 of 8 shots. Mathieu Garon (0 goals on 2 shots), also had a “perfect shootout” against Anaheim and Jean-Sebastien Giguere who gave up two goals on two shots. Vesa Toskala (San Jose) and Josh Harding (Minnesota) ended up on the losing side giving up two goals on three shots against Atlanta and Edmonton, respectively. By the waym the Oilers won two games in shootouts this week.

Jose Theodore, of the Colorado Avalanche, is a goalie to watch this year and he is doing OK so far. He was rock solid in Calgary on Friday as the Avalanche was outshot 41-22 but ended up winning the game with 3-2. Other game stealers this week were Mathieu Garon (Edmonton), Cristobal Huet (Montreal), Martin Biron (Philadelphia), Alex Auld (Phoenix), Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh) and Vesa Toskala (Toronto). By the way Toskala now has the upper hand over Andrew Raycroft as number one goalie of the Leafs.

* A goalie is credited with a stolen win when he wins and his team is outshot by 10 shots or more. He also has to have a 0.900 save percentage in that game.