Antti Niemi vs Columbus Blue Jackets 1/31/12
Shutouts typically do not come any easier than they did for Antti Niemi in his game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan 31, 2012.
Despite facing, and stopping, 30 shots, Niemi wasn’t tested with any truly difficult situations. You can chalk that up to one of two factors: the San Jose Sharks played a smart, tight game and the Columbus Blue Jackets were just that bad.
As a team struggling to find an identity and respect, Rick Nash and company were able to muster 30 shots past the Sharks defense. A majority of these shots were along the ice, which is Niemi’s forte.
Niemi displayed, yet again, his graceful ability of the butterfly slide by taking away any chance a low shot had of going in the net. Nash had an opportunity when his shot was kicked back to him by Niemi, which at the same time a Blue Jacket was reach for the puck and inadvertently pushed Niemi out of position. Nemo was able to recover and take away Nash’s scoring chance.
Niemi faced plenty of rebound situations tonight, be it the puck caroming off the boards to the front of the net, or his first save resulting in a second scoring opportunity for Columbus. And it would be Niemi’s butterfly slide that saved the day.
Be it his newly designed helmet, or the fact that his father was in the stands, Niemi slid into his 2nd consecutive shutout with relative ease. Now let’s see if Niemi can ride this confidence, and begin to build on these games to make him the elite goaltender that San Jose needs.
Recent Comments