Leighton to start Game 2
Daily News Flyers blog
Leighton to start Game 2
CHICAGO – Both Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton have six wins in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But when the puck drops in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the United Center, it will be Leighton - and not Boucher - gunning for his seventh win.
Through a spokesman, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette announced Leighton will start just hours after saying he would not disclose a starter.
“Let me start out this press conference by saying that anything with regards to lineup changes, goaltenders and injuries – anything that is internal, will likely stay internal,” Laviolette said.
Laviolette could have went with Boucher – who stopped 11 of 12 shots in 24 minutes worth of work on Saturday night, but picked up the loss since he gave up the game-winner to Tomas Kopecky in the third period. Boucher entered with the Flyers down, 5-4.
Instead, Laviolette stuck with Leighton – who allowed five goals on 20 shots, his most since entering for an injured Boucher in Game 5 in the second round against Boston.
Leighton is 3-1-1 this season in the game after being pulled. After his last loss, when he allowed 4 goals against Montreal in Game 3 last round, Leighton responded with a shutout.
Leighton is 6-1 with a 1.96 goals against average and .930 save percentage. Boucher is 6-5 with a 2.30 goals against average and .920 save percentage.
One day after a poor defensive effort, Chris Pronger called the mistakes "easily correctable."
"What happened [Saturday] wasn't a reflection of how [Leighton] played," Blair Betts said. "We gave them too many good scoring opportunities. Most of them came from three or four feet outside the crease, which is a tough area for the goaltender to play - especially when passes are coming from behind the net. We need to tighten up in front of our net."
Leighton said he would try and wipe the slate clean just 48 hours after Game 1.
“I’m just going to approach it the way I did last game,” Leighton said. “Just keep doing what I’ve been doing, try not to think about what happened [Saturday].
“I didn't let any really bad goals in. That's the way I look at it. I didn't make some big saves. That's pretty much what it came down to. Every good scoring chance they had, they scored. And a couple of them were good shots. There's one or two that I was mad at myself for what I did. But that's the way it goes. That's the game of hockey.”
Strange game.
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That's pretty sad— jibberjabber
Who's tonka?- He should stick with Leighton. The goals weren't his fault anymore than Boucher's was his. The defense wasn't sharp. Leighton is good and should get the shot, but if he falters early than send in Boucher.— NYluvsPhylers
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- none of the goals leighton gave up yesterday were really that bad. in fact he played alot better than Neimi did. the flyers just need to play defense and slow down the pace of the game.— Ryan
- One of them is bluffing? What if they each meant what they said?— duffers
- why must one of them be bluffing? sad you find it so difficult to believe there are two rational people on a hockey team— raoool
- Would guess he'll start ole Lumbering Leighton. Boucher will be in before the game is half over, and that will be the last of Leighton. Off to Russia. Can Boucher get it done? We can only hope. May yet see Backlund in this series. Or maybe Garth Snow.— eagle1971
- Boucher's knees can't be totally right - he had no lateral movement on that last goal...gotta stay with Leighton.— Sgerat
- You have to go with Leighton. You can't start getting into a paranoid goalie rotation at this point. Leighton deserves one more chance to rebound. Boucher won't be any better, so there's nothing to lose. If Leighton gets shelled again early, then you make the permanent shift to Boucher. But for Laviolette to stay mum ... that has to be a ploy for the Hawks, otherwise it can do nothing but harm the Flyers' locker room.— echosmyron
- The Flyers lockeroom and everyone in the organization knows who is going to start Monday. After the game I feel even more confident in the Flyers as this once again will be a wake up call and they will begin to roll. They will win Monday, win both at home, lose game 5, win it in 6.— Fabulous
- Leights has been great, Bouch has been great - just not last game - good call on sticking with Leighton, no offense to Boucher— flyersguiness
- Start BOUCHER!— largato
- I keep hearing Flyer fans saying well we scored 5 goals on you guys in your own building. We took it to the Hawks in the United Center. Thats all true to a certain extent but you lost the darn game. You blew three one goal leads. You let in 6 goals on the road. You had 4 powerplays to 0 for chicago yet you manage to only score on one. It's like saying if it was a tight defensive game and the Flyers lost 2-1 to Chicago. Flyer fans would then say, well we held you guys to only 2 goals in your own building...so whats your point?? you still lost the game! Chicago can play it anyway you want...I'm not saying the series is over, the Flyers are a remarkable team...but when you lose don't sit there and act like it was some sort of fluke or the other team won.... but...there are no buts, you lost the game. You got smoked for 6 friggen goals. Chicago came back THREE times.— blackhawk56
