Whats with the 20's?

This past week both Portland and Everett picked up 20 year old goalies.  I say why?

For PDX, Brendan Burke was a good pick for their general game play style, he is a goalie who could endure the 64 games on the ice without blink of the eye.  Like Mac Carruth before him Brendan a sixteen year old proved to Mike Johnston that he could step out of the shadow of the goalie who took the most shots in the WHL last season.  He proved that he could face high Shots On Goal games with out getting to frazzled which lead this fan to believe he could manage the pipes this season.  As for Everett Austin Lotz was the next inline, but a bit too eager while standing the blue paint. Yet the eagerness is being calmed as we speak turning Lotz into a solid back door defender.

But why bring in guys who will be shipping off at the end of the sesason?  I think for a managed exposure bringing the 2013-2014 season into a new style of play for each team.

Son Of a Goal

Courtesy WHL.ca

The stats would suggest that Calvin Pickard is an average goalie, but if you have seen him play, you know, that he is a goal tender destined to follow his brother to the NHL.

Night in and Night out Calvin faces more than 30 shots per game.  He has shown his face in 32 games, and taken 1163 shots so far.  Now lets compare, Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers has played 35 games and faced 37 fewer shots, or Luke Seimens of the Moose Jaw Warriors who has played 32 games and faced 280 fewer shots.  Tyler and Lukes' stats are a close sampling of the level of play Calvin has been tasked to face when he steps out on the ice.  What dose this suggest?  Defense

Seattles Defense is iffy at best, the boys rarely go down to defend a shot for their goalie.  T-birds D-men's sticks are always in both hands while behind the blue line, nor are using they busy stick technique to defend their zone, nor to do they dig in while occupying the natural zone.  The D-men are willing to place the W on Calvin's Shoulders who routinely takes home one of the 3 stars of the game.

The Defensive end must increase their intensity to seek the puck.   They are the first string net minders, and winning those one-one battles are what keeps the puck out of the blue ice.