The plan was simple for Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson in the offseason: Hire a goaltender who would serve as a competent backup to rookie standout Steve Mason.
Sometimes even the best-laid plans go awry.
Now Mathieu Garon should be the go-to guy in Columbus, following his solid performance in net against the Anaheim Ducks last night, a game that saw Garon stop 32 of the 34 shots he faced, including blanking the Ducks in the shootout. Columbus would go on to win that game 3-2.
Garon looked solid, for the most part, but was spectacular when he had to be, making an incredible glove save on Ryan Getzlaf when it appeared the Ducks forward had him beat with 1:01 remaining in the second period.
That save kept the game tied at two, forcing the overtime session and, once that failed to provide a winner, the shootout session.
These kinds of saves are the kinds the Jackets have needed all season, but have not gotten from starter Steve Mason, who has been nothing short of abysmal: His .879 save percentage and 3.67 are at the very bottom of goaltending statistics across the entire league.
But, even though ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Aaron Tom
Now There Are No Doubts: Mathieu Garon Needs to Be No. 1 in Columbus
November 14th, 2009 by Aaron Tom Leave a reply »
Advertisement