Michael Leighton… Flyers New Answer?
Even though the Flyers gave up 4 goals in last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, that was Michael Leighton’s first loss in regulation in 11 straight starts for the team. Before last night he was 8-0-1, and letting up an average of 2.17 goals per game. He also has been saving basically 93% of shots with a .928 save percentage. In last nights game, the defense men are blaming no one but themselves. Chris Pronger stated that they gave them the game because of all of the turnovers. He also said that Toronto didn’t have to work for any of their goals. Laviolette said that Leighton played hard tonight, and that he shouldn’t be faulted for the goals…that the team let him down.
So, what does this mean for big off-season acquisition Ray Emery? To tell you the truth, I really don’t know. All I know is that having two goaltenders that can win games is a good situation to have. It will allow both goalies to have periods of rest if they coaches decide to go with a rotation style playing method. If not, it will be hard to see Emery stepping back on the ice until Leighton puts up a big losing streak. Until then, Leighton…keep doing your thing and keep helping the Flyers put W’s on the board.
