It may be trial by fire for the Lightning's Nikolai Khabibulin and the Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff, who are in the Stanley Cup final for the first time, but these goalies have plenty of experience.
By BRANT JAMES
Published May 25, 2004
[Times photo: Dan McDuffie]
Nikolai Khabibulin, top, prefers to stay in the crease and concentrate on the puck while Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff likes to direct his players whenever he can.
[AP photo]
CALGARY - Patrick Roy retorted to a slight from Jeremy Roenick in the 1996 playoffs that he could not hear the Blackhawks forward jabbering at him, because he had his "two Stanley Cup rings in my ears."
Roy, who infuriated opponents with his Statue of Liberty glove save poses and intimidated them with a wink after stopping a rocket shot, went on to win his third of four championships that year before retiring in 2003.
The Lightning's Nikolai Khabibulin and the Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff will not be able to make any such boasts in this Stanley Cup final. Neither has a minute of Stanley Cup experience, neither had ever taken a team beyond the second round before this spring. Though both have been at times dominating - a virtual requirement - in bringing their teams to this stage, neither casts the shadow of impending dread across an opponent as did Roy.
And that, arguably, is the beauty of this series.
"That's what makes it fresh," said ESPN analyst Darren Pang, a former goaltender for Chicago. "We're not comparing a three-time Conn Smythe (playoff most valuable player) in Patrick Roy vs. an inexperienced guy. I don't think there is an edge."
So it's up to Khabibulin and Kiprusoff to find their edge, and the best place to do that is within the minute details of daily preparation that are exploited or exposed on the ice.
"They will learn as they go along," Pang said. "(Kiprusoff) is a real good bounce-back goalie and I think Nik is becoming that. That's part of the game, and psychologically is where he is really improving. What happened in the past has to be removed from his memory and Kiprusoff is already very good at that."
Kiprusoff has proved very good at having a short-term memory. The 27-year-old Finn is 12-7 with a 1.90 goals-against average and four shutouts. More important, he is 7-0 after games in which he allowed four or more goals this season. Kiprusoff looked flustered and frustrated in a 4-1 home loss to the Sharks in Game 4 of the West final, allowing four goals on 10 shots in the second period before being removed at the start of the third.
Kiprusoff was efficient and in control two days later at San Jose in Game 5, earning a 19-save shutout.
"It was like most of his games this season," Flames wing Jarome Iginla said of Kiprusoff in Game 5. "He's been stellar all season and we have a lot of confidence in him because he loves to compete."
Part of that process for Kiprusoff is taking an active role in deploying his defensive units. Whereas he can be seen during games directing traffic, Khabibulin, 31, prefers to stay in his crease and concentrate on the puck.
After looking human during parts of the regular season, being platooned for a while with backup John Grahame and identified by coach John Tortorella as an area of concern entering the playoffs, Khabibulin now has the look of a goaltender capable of carrying a team to a championship. His has been markedly better, but his soft goal to Sami Kapanen gave the Flyers a third-period lead in an eventual 5-4 overtime loss.
"I think there have been times in the past when Nik has been a tremendous goaltender for a month and a half and maybe fallen off and lacked consistency," Pang said. "But when I watch Nik now I watch his stance in the net, whether he's deep in his net or he's challenging. He looks in command, he looks square, his stance looks good, and he's not cheating."
