Joseph leads goalie voting

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Memo to the National Hockey League: Expect a few minutes delay for the all-star game's opening faceoff on Feb. 6.

After the first round of fan voting for the North American team's starting lineup showed goalie Curtis Joseph with a 2-to-1 lead on his nearest rival, a home-town standing ovation will have to be accommodated in the program.

Joseph has polled 49,152 votes, almost as many as the combined tally of Chris Osgood (28,098) and Patrick Roy (21,460). Voting ends Jan. 3. Joseph would be the second Leaf to be elected for the starting lineup, following Felix Potvin winning the nod in goal in 1993-94.

Joseph expected a lot of teammates' ribbing for the big numbers.

"We're stuffing the ballot boxes at our house," Joseph said of wife Nancy and children Madison, Taylor and Tristan. "Before my kids do their homework, they have to punch out a few hundred.

"I think (the lead) is because we've played more home games than anyone else. We've also had a good start. As a team, we've really improved defensively since last year."

Joseph heads into tonight's game against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., with a 1.88 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, 12 wins and three shutouts -- ranking among the top three in each category.

"This isn't a sympathy vote because the game will be in Toronto," backup goalie Glenn Healy said. "He has been our most valuable player. He has earned the vote."

Asked in jest if he were organizing a campaign for his own candidacy (each ballot has a space for write-in votes), Healy chuckled.

"If my last name was other, I'd have it made," he said.

Steve Thomas, who is on the ballot, has 10,475 votes among wingers, well down the list behind Paul Kariya's 68,238. On Monday when the World team's voting was updated, captain Mats Sundin led all centres with 48,988. Joseph and Sundin rank seventh and eighth in overall voting.

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