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Saturday, November 27, 1999
Theodore gets his fourth straight start
MONTREAL (CP) -- Make no mistake about it -- Jeff Hackett is still the Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender.But when the Canadiens face off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight (7 p.m. EST, Radio-Canada), Jose Theodore will make his fourth consecutive start.
Theodore's only previous start at the Molson Centre this season was against Colorado on a night when Hackett was injured. Tonight's start is a reward for Theodore's outstanding play on the Canadiens' recent road trip. He played the final three games of the four-game trip and picked up his first three wins of the season.
"Jeff knows that he's still No. 1, but Jose has earned a chance to play against Vancouver," said coach Alain Vigneault.
When someone asked him if there was a chance that Hackett might get rusty if he doesn't play before the Canadiens' next game, Wednesday against Dallas, the coach replied: "You don't know Jeff Hackett as well as I do. He's a hard worker and he's always ready to play when we need him. He's a great team guy, a great leader."
Hackett has proved that point by doing and saying all the right things in the past week. He has been the first player off the bench to congratulate Theodore after each of his wins. And, while Theodore's success might have touched off a goaltending controversy on some teams, Hackett defused that notion when he said Theodore deserved to start against the Canucks.
"I love this kid," Hackett said. "He's worked hard."
The three wins may have signalled a turnaround for Theodore, whose resume includes a gold medal with Team Canada at the world junior championships in 1996. A second-round draft choice of the Canadiens in 1994, Theodore created a stir in the 1997 playoffs when he made 56 saves, including 28 in overtime, in a 4-3 win over New Jersey.
But he came into this season with twice as many losses as wins at the NHL level. Still, Rollie Melanson, the Canadiens' goaltending coach, said he could see Theodore making progress.
"The key is that he has worked hard," Melanson said. "He's worked hard in the gym, and when you put the time in there, if you don't slack off, you'll be rewarded."
Theodore said one of the differences this season is that he is better equipped mentally, and Melanson noted that the 23-year-old has a better understanding of his role.
"He came into camp last year and he wasn't sure where he fit," Melanson said.
Theodore was in a battle with Jocelyn Thibault for the No. 1 job at the beginning of last season. When Thibault was traded for Hackett, the newcomer quickly established himself as No. 1, and Theodore was sent to the minors.
"He never stopped working there and he took a team that wasn't very good to the AHL semifinals," Melanson said. "They lost to Providence in six games, and nobody else took them that far.
"This season, he came in and knew that he was No. 2 and that he would have to be ready when the opportunity presented itself."
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