Friday, May 22, 2009

Quenneville Goalie-Go-Round? UPDATE

Let the Quenneville Goalie-Go-Round begin! Coach Q should put a trademark on that motto. Go ahead Joel, I'll give it to you. One of these days you are going to run out of coaching jobs...although statistically you will never run out of goalies! But you might need a name for your reality show.

The Bulin Wall came crumbling down in the span of 4 minutes and 22 seconds in the 2nd period of game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Fortune was on the side of the fickle coach, Nikolai Khabibulin missed practice in recent days with an apparent illness/injury. So it was just that easy for Quenneville to blame it on a recurrence of that 'injury'.

My spidey-sense was telling me to go out on a limb just yesterday and predict that coach Q was on the verge of pulling this nonsense. I only wish I looked so smart now!

But wait, the Blackhawks won, you say. That they did. And danger lurks there. For, in the dark crevasses of Quenneville's mind the win only cements the surety of genius in his own mind. His Goalie-Swap (coming to a reality line-up on a major network this summer!) is where he unwittingly sets the table for the demise of every goalie he can get his hands on. And goalies are all the more fragile in the playoffs, when the stakes are high and careers are made...and ruined.

Unlike Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals, Q will not stick to the change. Oh it may stick for a game or two, but we may never see the completion of the goalie-go-round because chances are the Hawks won't last more than the two games Detoilet needs to send them home, now that the Goalie-Go-Round music has started.

3 goals in 4:22 minutes, and you expect me to believe that Khabibulin wasn't pulled? He was sick, a lower-body injury?? He has played the entire playoffs and Khabibulin is now SO far in the dog house that he was completely removed from the line up. Corey Crawford (who?) was suited up and planted at the end of the bench. The kid looked SCARED! He looked like a 15 year old, and as scared as he should be that he might have to play!

Quenneville is a mad genius. Maddeningly talented at ruining teams during playoff runs and often taking at least one goalie down with the ship. Welcome to our nightmare, Chicago!

UPDATE: The Goalie-Go-Round is spinning at a remarkable rate! It's a blur!
Say what you will, and I know some will, but Q creates these situations where teams begin to fall apart. No, Huet didn't play well, no the Hawks didn't bring it, but I think it all goes back to the way Q handles his teams and his goalies. After pulling Huet he puts Crawford in who gives up a goal on a 5-3, and goes back to Huet at the start of the third. Crawford can hardly be blamed for the goal he gave up and Huet can hardly be thinking positive thoughts after Q decides to go back to him. Desperation moves from the bench are translated to the ice. The Hawks had a complete meltdown because the leadership on the bench had a meltdown.

The situation has become ridiculous rather quickly. I have a feeling Khabibulin will make a fast recovery for Wednesdays game.

Posted by: From the Point

3 comments:

  1. yeah, khabibulin was sick... just like theodore had the "flu" the entire 2nd round against detroit last season. come on quennevile, there are better excuses than that!

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  2. I don't know that much abuot hockey, but as a Chicago fan, couldn't understand why Quenneville pulled Huet also!

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  3. I see the Quenneville creed is alive and well:

    "Remember when life's path is steep to pull the goaltender."

    He probably should have paid just a little more attention to that Ancient Roman Literature class.

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