Bryzgalov Signs Extension

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

 

Tova Bryzgalov’s superb play since
being claimed off of waivers from
the Anaheim Ducks on November 17
has earned him a three-year contract
extension from Wayne Gretzky’s club.

Bryzgalov, a 27-year-old
native of Togliatti, Russia, initially
found himself in a tough place with the
Ducks after being forced to play behind
superstar goaltender Jean-Sebastian
Gigure. But recent developments in
Phoenix have worked out perfectly for
Bryzgalovy, as the team traded Alex Auld
to Boston, now leaving Bryzgalov with
the starting goalie reigns.

“I’m extremely excited to sign
with the Phoenix Coyotes, I’m very
excited about our team, coaches and
management. I chose to stay in Phoenix
because I love our fans, my teammates
and I’m confident that we have a bright
future ahead of us,” Bryzgalov said.

Bryzgalov could very well be
the money goaltender the Coyotes need
to vault themselves into the playoffs
and beyond. While the team is short on
immediate talent, they do have some
legitimate stars such as Shane Doan and
Ed Jovanoski, on the roster, as well as
a good crop of young players, including
Kyle Turris, Peter Mueller, and Martin
Hanzal, that are also being primed for

stardom. It now appears that Phoenix
has locked up an excellent goalie with
sterling credentials.

The Ducks drafted Bryzgalov in
the second round, 44" overall, in the 2000
NHL entry draft.
He was eventually
saddled with the
pressure label of
the franchise’s
goalie of the future.
However, after
the emergence of

“Bryzgalov could
very well be the
money goaltender

January 28, 2008

collected a Stanley Cup ring at the end
of the season.

After going to the Coyotes,
Bryzgalov firmly entrenched himself as
Phoenix’s number one guy by winning
his first four games
and being named the
NHL’s second star
of the week. Since
joining Phoenix,
he has gone 16-
10-2 with a 2.33
GAA and a .921

Gigure in the 2003 399 SV’s percentage
NHL playoffs, th e Coy otes need. while being the
Bryzgalov was primary factor in

somewhat shunted
to the side and forgotten about.
Bryzgalov calmly waited in
the wings until the 2006 Stanley Cup
playoffs. Gigure had to take time off
to deal with a family emergency, and
Bryzgalov was called upon. He ended up
leading all playoff goaltenders in goals
against average (1.46), save percentage
(.944), and shutouts with three. He led
the Ducks until Gigure returned and

the Coyotes’ push
to the postseason.

“We are extremely pleased to
sign Ilya to a long-term contract. He’s
a world-class goaltender with a Stanley
Cup on his resume and has been a great
addition to our hockey club. We are
thrilled have him in a Coyotes uniform
for the next three years,” said Phoenix’s
general manager Don Maloney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese January 17", Vancouver
Canuck’s captain Markus Naslund played
his 1000" career NHL game. While the
Canucks lost 3-2 in a shootout against
the Detroit Red, Naslund scored a terrific
spin-o-rama goal to help Vancouver get
back into a game in which they were
down 2-0.

During his 849 plus game
playing career with the Canucks that has
spanned 1|1-and-a-half seasons, Naslund
has been the face of the franchise and
captain since 2000.

A native of the Swedish hockey
town Ornskoldsvik, was a first round
draft pick, 16" overall, of the Pittsburgh
Penguins in 1991. He came over to
North America to begin his NHL journey
in the 1993-94 season, the same year the
Canucks went to the Stanley Cup finals
against the New York Rangers, and
began his development.

It wasn’t until the 1995-96
season that Naslund really came into
his own, scoring 19 goals and adding
33 assists for 52 points in just 66 games
with the Penguins. It was during that
season that Pittsburgh dealt Naslund to
the Canucks in one of the most lopsided
trades in hockey history. The Penguins
sent Naslund to Vancouver for Alek
Stojanov, who is now a fireman.

Naslund quickly progressed
during his first few years in Vancouver,
and by 1999 he was a 36-goal scorer. He
became an established league superstar

Naslund Reaches the
Millennium Mark

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

after becoming team captain in 2000-01,
scoring 41 goals that year and following
it up with campaigns of 40, 48 and 35
goals. In 2002-03, he career highs in
goals assists and points with 48, 56 and
104 respectively.

During his tenure in Vancouver,
Naslund has proven that he is one of the
top offensive players in team history. He
is the franchise’s all-time leader in goals
and points, second in games played and
assists, and has more hat tricks than any
other Canuck.

In the past two seasons,
Naslund’s offensive statistics have
declined a bit. However, what often gets
forgotten is that he is being forced to play
a team system that is not suited to his
game. Now however, with the departures
of Crawford and Bertuzzi, and the hiring
of current head coach Alain Vigneault,
Naslund has had to adapt to the newer,
much more defensively minded style of
play favored by Vigneault. Unlike other
star players forced to alter their games,
Naslund hasn’t complained to the media
or demanded changes from management,
he’s stuck to his game played hard like
always. Lately, he also hasn’t been put
with the Canuck’s best offensive talents
such as Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Most
games Vigneault seems determined to
inexplicably play him with checkers
like Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler.
Most guys would be in tough to score
continually with those guys.

It’s not that Burrows and Kesler
are bad players, there not, it’s just that
scoring goals isn’t their job, so it’s unfair
to expect Naslund to score piles of goals
when he’s playing with line mates whose

primary job is to prevent goals, not score
them. In November there was proof of
this as Vigneault finally put him with the
Sedins and Naslund responded with 12
points in eight games.

In the sacrifice of offensive,
what some people haven’t noticed is that
Naslund’s defensive game has improved
dramatically, and during the past two
months he has had an impressive plus/
minus.

    

Naslund is currently in the final
year of a three-year, $18 million contract
that pays him $6 million per season. He’s
on pace for 27 goals and 64 points this
year. If any other Canuck accomplished
that, with the exception of the Sedins,
fans and analysts would be screaming for
a long-term, multi-million dollar contract
extension. For Naslund however, there’s
been far too much criticism.

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