The Chicago Blackhawks signed Finnish goalie Antti Raanta as a potential backup to Corey Crawford in the future. If his recent play is any indication, the future may be bright for the 24-year-old.
Anchoring Chicago's AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, Raanta has been in net for all three of his team's wins this past week. In home wins Saturday and Sunday, Raanta turned away 75 of 78 shots and was the first star of both contests.
After a 5-4 overtime loss to Hamilton Tuesday, Rockford fell behind 2-0 in Toronto Wednesday. Raanta held the Marlies at bay in the last 30 minutes of the game, allowing the IceHogs to prevail, 3-2.
Saturday against Charlotte, Raanta made 29 stops in a nip-and-tuck affair that ended when Raanta stopped four of the five skaters he saw in a 2-1 shootout win. The next afternoon, Raanta and the IceHogs fell behind 2-0 in the first five minutes to the Texas Stars.
It looked like a blowout was brewing, but Raanta and the Hogs dug in and ground out a 4-2 victory. Raanta faced 48 shots on the afternoon, stopping 46 of them.
In seven games this season, Raan ...
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Article written by Jon Fromi
Chicago Blackhawks Farm Report: Antti Raanta Leads Rockford to Top of AHL West
October 28th, 2013 by Jon Fromi Leave a reply »
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