The KHL's regular season came to a close Sunday, the NCAA is in the midst of its conference playoffs, and Canadian junior regular seasons will be closing next weekend. So, it's getting close to signing season, and I figured I'd post a little on the blog about some of the players who will potentially be joining the organization in the coming weeks and months. Before I do, though, I wanted to quickly address the new ownership situation.
Norfolk coach Darren Rumble said he was going with the goalie who showed more consistency and wins. With Dustin Tokarski and Riku Helenius both splitting time at the net, Tokarski has emerged lately as the go-to guy.
As Pete reported, Tokarski allowed one goal on 26 shots Friday against Binghamton, and shutout Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Wednesday. He’s currently tied for third among AHL rookies, and is ranked ninth among the league with 10 wins.
Antero Niittymaki is currently tied for the best save percentage in the NHL with Ryan Miller of Buffalo with a .939 mark. He's also second in the league in goals against average at 1.93.
We give props to the Turku mobster.
Here's your stat of the week:
Through six games, Norfolk's goaltenders have a combined 2.19 GAA and .925 save percentage. Mind you, they're 2-4-0 as a group, but you'd have to believe that if Tokarski, Helenius, and Janus keep this up the Admirals are going to be in great shape.
I mean, it's not like Martins Karsums can stay scoreless forever, right?
Just a reminder that tonight is opening night for the Lightning and Admirals, and Bolt Prospects chat will be open. It's available to anyone registered on the BP message board, and registration is free.