After Tuesday morning’s skate, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told the media that Antti Niemi would start in net against the Los Angeles Kings.
Round and round we go…
The staggering issue the Blackhawks continue to deal with is neither of their netminders appears ready/willing/able to grab the top of the depth chart. Niemi has had a handful of opportunities to become the undisputed No. 1, and has struggled with each chance. Meanwhile, Cristobal Huet has defined mediocrity all season, especially since the beginning of the calendar year.
When the trade deadline passed as quietly as a fart in an elevator for the Blackhawks, the stink every fan now has to deal with is the situation between the pipes. Niemi has shown flashes of ability to become the man, but hasn’t consistently brought that effort to the ice. Indeed, Niemi’s goals against average has increased in every month since November (1.44) by just enough that while December was still exceptional (1.74), January (2.41), and February (2.84) have allowed doubt to creep into the minds of 'Hawks fans.
And yet by comparison, Huet has been worse. Since November ...
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Article written by TAB BAMFORD
Antti Niemi Starts Wednesday: Blackhawks Carousel Turns Again
March 9th, 2010 by TAB BAMFORD Leave a reply »
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