Goalie has Lightning's back

Playing behind Nikolai Khabibulin, John Grahame has earned valuable points.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 22, 2003

PHOENIX -- Check out John Grahame during warmups, if you can find something to watch, that is.

The Lightning goalie doesn't move much while in net and doesn't seem bothered when a puck gets past him.

"It's stupid to get upset if you let in a goal during warmups," Grahame said. "It means absolutely nothing."

Especially if you come back 15 minutes later and perform like he did Thursday against the Kings.

Grahame hit critical mass when it was needed most during a 2-2 tie, making 37 saves, including three during the final 70 seconds of overtime.

Grahame, on his stomach during a scramble in front of the crease, raised his right arm to stop with his blocker Derek Armstrong's shot at an open net.

Grahame's right leg got a piece of Armstrong's breakaway shot with 14 seconds left, and he stoned Ziggy Palffy from in front as time expired.

"It was a good game, an intense game, a game where you had to battle and compete," Grahame said Friday. "We're trying to get points to get to the playoffs and win the division. Obviously, we would have liked to have won, but we'll take the point."

The Lightning will take what Grahame has given since general manager Jay Feaster stole him from the Bruins on Jan. 13 for a fourth-round draft pick.

Since then, the Denver native is 6-4-3 with a .923 save percentage and two shutouts. His 15 points, combined with the point earned by Kevin Hodson, gives Tampa Bay 16 points from its backups, two fewer than coach John Tortorella's preseason goal.

Grahame and Nikolai Khabibulin give the Lightning a goaltending duo that measures up with any that will be in the postseason. In fact, had Tampa Bay not upgraded its backup, it might not be closing in on its first playoff berth since 1996.

Any combination of three points gained by the Lightning, which faces the Coyotes tonight at America West Arena, or lost by the Rangers clinches that spot.

When Grahame was acquired, Hodson, who never earned Tortorella's trust and now is a Lightning scout, played in seven of Tampa Bay's 43 games with just three starts. Khabibulin was struggling and in need of a decreased work load.

Grahame showed up and won four of five starts.

"For him to come in and get the wins that he got, it kept us in the hunt," Tortorella said.

"Just from a timing standpoint, it was absolutely critical to where we are," Feaster said. "He's been everything we'd hoped for and more."

The question is, how long will he be around? Grahame, 27, said he wants to be a No. 1, which is problematic with Khabibulin around.

Grahame said he will not push the subject with Feaster, and the general manager said with a playoff run going, "Now is not the time to have to worry about that."

Keep this in the back of your mind, though. After next season, Khabibulin, 30, has a $6.5-million club option. And with a salary cap expected to be part of a new collective-bargaining agreement, who knows what percentage of the cap that would eat up.

Feaster would not comment specifically on that but did say, "Certainly at the time we acquired (Grahame), I didn't expect he would be happy carrying Nik's bags. I told him, this is an opportunity to come in and play well and do the things your capable of doing; recognize it's not as though Nik is a 22-year-old hotshot goaltender who under the current collective-bargaining agreement is going to be here for the next 10 years."

Grahame, who was struggling in Boston and let go to make room for Jeff Hackett, said he is enjoying the ride.

"This is a good situation with a lot of young players who care about winning and want to take that next step to be a championship caliber team," said the goalie, who makes $600,000. "It's something I want to be part of. It's great to be involved at the start of something and build on it. It's an exciting time to be here."

Grahame is big (6 feet 2, 215 pounds), is a good puck-handler and can make the position look easy when his positioning is right. When it is not, such as when he is on his stomach, he keeps his head. When it is, such as on Palffy's last-second shot, he is tough to beat.

"The biggest thing was I just stayed patient," Grahame said. "He tried to slide it five hole because he thought I was going to open up as I moved across. I was just able to stay with him and be patient."

Guess he was warmed up.