SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Hockey
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
COLUMNS
NHL
The Teams
Full Schedule
Monthly Schedule
Standings
Statistics
Rosters
Injury list
Movement
Trades
Hits Gallery
INTERACTIVE
JUNIOR
MORE HOCKEY
ALSO ON SLAM!
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Nothing doin'
Freddie continues with hot hand as Flames battle Stars to draw
The little guy with the big following may have trouble wrenching compliments out of his own coach, but the nicely-dressed fella on the other bench has no such hang-ups.
"This guy is no fluke," Ken Hitchcock was protesting, following the Dallas Stars' practice here Monday afternoon. "He's for real.
"You know he reminds me of? Archie Irbe. So calm. Nothing seems to bother him. People look at a small goalie and say 'Ah, we can do better ...'
"But that's just a myth. If he comes out and challenges properly, he's as big as any goalie around.
"Don't kid yourself. This guy Brathwaite is a good goaltender."
And so he proved again last night, duelling Eddie Belfour and the defending Stanley Cup champions to a draw, 0-0, at the 'Dome.
That's Brathwaite's second shutout against the Stars as a Flame. He blanked them, remember, in his first game in Flames colours, Jan. 8 of last year, 1-0.
It was a measure of redemption for the Flames, accosted 5-1 by the Stars in Big D last week.
But that night, they didn't have Brathwaite in net.
Yes, with Grant Fuhr gone four-to-six after having a knee scoped, it's Freddie against the world.
And, for the moment, the world's playing catch up.
In the third, the teams traded chances. Brett Hull, foiled all night long by Brathwaite, pounded a puck through the goalie's pads, but it squirted out and wide of the post.
With 10 minutes and change remaining, Jarome Iginla found acres of open spaces down the right side, but his slapshot sailed high and wide on the short side.
Brathwaite made the key stop in OT, as well, getting the tip of his catching glove on a shot from a wide-open Kirk Muller in the slot.
Calgary dodged a potentially-lethal bullet in the second period.
Cale Hulse and Bobby Dollas, both detected for slashing, put the Flames in a 1:32 jackpot, but Brathwaite bailed them out.
Up against a powerplay of Mike Modano, Kirk Muller, Brett Hull, Darryl Sydor and Sergei Zubov, he and his mates held fast through the anticipated hurricane.
First, a nimble glove save off Zubov, through traffic.
Next, a stick save off a 20-ft. Hull rocket.
Then, a left pad stop off Hull again.
And, to finish, a blocker stab at the expense of Richard Matvichuk.
Earlier in the period, Hull, decently covered and with precious little room to move, snapped a shot off Brathwaite's mask.
Nearing the midway point of the first, the Flames began to assume a measure of control, sparked by the Rene Corbet-Marc Savard-Iginla line.
Corbet, in particular, was diving around like a kamikaze pilot, on a relentless seek-and-destroy mission.
After missing 16 games due to a broken foot, then being a healthy scratch the last two, he was brimming with pent-up energy.
Perhaps the best of Belfour's 11 stops came at the expense of Jason Wiemer, on a rebound. Driving across the face of the net to avoid the checking attempt of Stars' defenceman Darryl Sydor, Wiemer dove at the loose puck and managed to sling a shot that Belfour, stretched flat out on the ice, managed to block with his extended right arm.
Later, Phil Housley hit a post from the point during a Calgary powerplay.
Brathwaite wasn't quite as busy, but he still had to be sharp.
Grant Marshall found Kirk Muller directly in front.
Brathwaite took that shot high on the chest and, fortunately for him, Hull failed to get control of the rebound and an awkward backhand attempt was smothered by the Flame goaltender.
 Bert's back on blades Blue Jays boot game Bombers drop Peterson Felicien rebuilds race | Visit our Polls Archive |