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Wednesday, October 6, 1999
Hack's a crackerjack
With Jeff Hackett in net, goaltending's best part of Habs' game
His coach goes even one step further.
"Without a doubt, not only do we expect him to, but we know he's going to do it," says Montreal Canadiens bench boss Alain Vigneault of goaltender Jeff Hackett about responding to the pressure heaped upon his shoulders. "Hack is a fierce competitor, a perfectionist."
These are qualities the 31-year-old netminder will have to draw on as the Canadiens, picked by most to miss the post-season, begin the 1999-2000 campaign.
Goal scoring is not this club's forte as the Habs turned on the red light just 184 times last season. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning scored less with 179.
Yet the Habs were one of the better Eastern Conference clubs following the Christmas break. Was it just coincidence that Hackett fell into their lap in mid-November in a six-player trade with Chicago?
Great defensive play
"We got Hack sometime in November and then we began to play some of our best hockey," says Vigneault. "I don't like to think back to last year. In fact I told my guys I don't want to think back to last year. But from Christmas on we were one of the best clubs in our conference because of our defensive play."
Don't expect much to be different this season and once again Hackett will be called on to hold the fort.
"The pressure is on everybody," says Hackett, who posted a 24-20-9 mark with a 2.27 GAA and .914 save percentage in 53 games in Montreal. You can add to those numbers a total of five shutouts, including one against the Oilers in a 2-0 win at Skyreach Centre as he outduelled Tommy Salo on March 24.
Hackett also pulled out a 5-2 win Dec. 29, 1998 in Edmonton to wrap up a perfect 2-0 mark against the Oilers with just the two goals against on 54 shots for a .963 save percentage.
No reminders needed
But enough of personal statistics.
"This is a team game. I know what my job is and how important it can be," he insists. So he doesn't need writers or broadcasters to remind him of his job description.
Hackett, unlike the media, has faith in his teammates and that their offence will come more readily this year.
"Trevor (Linden) will help big time and then there's Shayne (Corson), Saku (Koivu), Brian (Savage) and Martin Rucinsky. They will all have better years," insists the London, Ont., native. "A lot of them weren't here at the start of last year."
Neither was he. But once that deal was made with the Hawks, Hackett stepped into the limelight.
"When you come to Montreal you step into a lot of media coverage and recognition," he says. "In Chicago it was the Bulls, the Bears, Cubs and then the Blackhawks and White Sox. That's just the way it is."
But the netminder, who this off-season signed a four-year contract, casting aside a shot at unrestricted free agency next season, rarely faltered. Yet, here we are in 1999-2000 and the experts are once again predicting the Habs' demise.
"Everyone has his own opinion and we can't sit here and talk about it," insists Hackett.
Hard workers
"We're committed to being a hard-working team. We know what the expectations are.We can't worry about what everyone's writing or saying. We just have to go out and be successful."
They will try to do just that with a focus on defence and netminding until their goal scorers begin to find the range. The game has changed, says Vigneault, and the Canadiens will key on what they do best.
"With the elements that we have, we have to focus on defence first and hope that some of our players will get those timely goals.
"With all due respect to hockey experts, what is more important is how we feel about our game, especially how the players feel. It's been a very positive camp. We know it's going to be tough, a war right to the end," he says.
And Vigneault is prepared for the battle, especially with Hackett in net.
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