TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Ty Conklin, left, and Rob Scuderi, center, defend as Florida Panthers' David Booth (10) shoots on goal during first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 5, in Pittsburgh. Penguins won, 3-0.
The Associated Press
Ty Conklin knows what a lot of people are thinking, that he might be the reason the Penguins are seemingly marching again toward a second-half playoff surge.
He acknowledges such a premise is difficult to refute, especially after he turned aside 35 shots in the Penguins' 3-0 victory against the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Mellon Arena.
"I certainly understand where that thought is going, but I do not think about it," Conklin said. "I just worry about playing well."
The word "well" does not accurately assess the high level at which Conklin has played since essentially becoming the Penguins' go-to goaltender late last month.
He is 7-0-0 since a career-best 37-save effort in a shootout win on Dec. 20 at Boston -- not shabby for a guy whose signing as a free agent on July 19 went essentially unnoticed by a Pittsburgh fan base that was then consumed with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's first training camp.
Conklin, a 31-year-old veteran of 84 games over parts of five NHL seasons, seems poised to carry this region on another wild ride to the playoffs.
The Penguins are 23-16-2 with 48 points, and 15-5-0 since Nov. 21. They went 31-9-5 last season after Jan. 1 to earn their first playoff berth since 2001.
Conklin's consistently strong play has teammates believing in the possibility of history repeating.
"A lot of times you will see teams feed off their goaltender," captain Sidney Crosby said. "We are no different."
Conklin's goals-against average is 2.00. He has recorded two shutouts in the past four games and stopped 180 of 188 shots in a span of six consecutive starts.
Florida Panthers' Olli Jokinen (12), of Finland, defends against Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 5, in Pittsburgh.
The Associated Press
It is no coincidence, coach Michel Therrien suggested yesterday, that the Penguins have won a season-best six games in a row.
"He has been really solid," Therrien said. "When you have a goalie making the saves he is making, it gives you a chance to win."
Defenseman Brooks Orpik said Conklin has contributed more than "just making big saves."
"That much is visible to everybody," Orpik said. "The big thing is the way he handles the puck. It makes it so much easier on the defense. It is really like having an extra defenseman out there.
"His saves speak for themselves. But one thing we have talked about as defensemen is how much easier things have been with the way he handles the puck."
Of course, the Penguins pay a few other guys fairly well to do most of the puck-handling. The guys cashing those paychecks helped fuel their latest victory.
Crosby scored his 17th goal, and first at home since Nov. 30, and forward Evgeni Malkin scored for a team-leading 19th time -- his eighth goal in eight games.
However, Conklin played well enough yesterday to make one goal stand up, and he got that from rookie forward Tyler Kennedy, who scored his eighth of the season at 4:26 of the opening period.
Kennedy scored 12 goals in 40 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL last season. He has approached that total this season in only 28 NHL games.
The Penguins are 18-9-1 with Kennedy in the lineup.
"It is tough to say, but I do not think (that record) is a coincidence," Therrien said. "He has some speed and can score some goals. I like the way he is competing.
"Certainly he added something that was needed."
The same can be said of Conklin, who opened this season in the AHL but is now taking a star turn in the injury-caused absence of regular starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
"I feel comfortable," Conklin said. "But does it ever really look uncomfortable when you are winning games?"
Keith Barnes can be reached at kbarnes@tribweb.com or 724-853-2109.
No comments:
Post a Comment