Sens vs. Penguins 9/23/05 Articles: Dominating return; Hasek dazzles as Sens blank Penguins...
September 24, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

Dominating return

Hasek dazzles as Sens blank Penguins in exhibition

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON - In the net, he's a twisting and turning, bending and squirming mass of energy, and not only when he's blocking pucks. Even during stoppages in play, he can't stay still, stretching his back and loosening his groin and stretching his back again, always moving.

Off the ice, he can be quirky and eccentric, patiently chatting up reporters one minute and abruptly ending the confab the next.

In so many ways, Dominik Hasek is the mad scientist of hockey goalies.

And Friday night he served notice he's back.

For how long, who knows? But if Hasek's 19-save performance in the Ottawa Senators' 3-0 NHL preseason win over a Pittsburgh Penguins team playing without its best offensive players was any indication, the gamble general manager John Muckler took 443 days ago might just pay off.

Hasek, 40 years old and 653 nights removed from his last pro game, started and played 33 minutes and 46 seconds, and when he departed midway through the second period, the announced crowd of 4,611 (99 fans short of capacity) in the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena stood and applauded.

"That's what happens if you play well," Hasek said with a smile. "This was a pretty special game for me. I was having fun after I made a few saves. But I know they didn't have their big guns like Mario (Lemieux) and (John) LeClair in the lineup either."

Dany Heatley, the winger who represents Muckler's other offseason risk, continued his solid preseason by scoring one goal, assisting on another by emerging winger Brandon Bochenski and on Zdeno Chara's empty-netter, and missing the net or being robbed by goalie Sebastien Caron on a dozen other chances.

But this night belonged to Hasek, who downplayed his fortuitous start - for good reason. Neither Lemieux, LeClair, Mark Recchi, Zigmund Palffy nor teen sensation Sidney Crosby made the trip, and the Penguins' top offensive threat was probably little-known winger Konstantin Koltsov.

Hasek's performance was significant, however, since the two-time NHL most valuable player had played only 14 games since hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.

"For me, it was a good start," Hasek said. "I had lots of work, especially during the first period. For me, this was a good workout."

After the NHL lockout started last September, Hasek attended AHL training camp with Binghamton but never played in a preseason game. He has been through too many big games to feel nervous or jittery before a preseason match, but he admitted this start felt different.

Maybe it was the slimmer pads goalies are being forced to wear this season. Or perhaps it was the restricted space behind the net for goalies to play the puck. Hasek admitted to venturing into the corner after a loose puck in the first period and being told by a linesman that he'd get a penalty if he played it.

But stopping a puck is innate to Hasek, who made his first save 77 seconds into the game with a pad stack on Erik Christensen's bid. Later in the period, he stood up to a five-on-three Penguins' power play that lasted 1:54 by stopping Ryan Stone's deflection of a point shot and stepping out of the crease to shave the angle on another blast from the blue line.

There was also a patented Hasek poke check on Andre Roy and a pad save off Colby Armstrong on a two-on-one breakaway. Hasek faced seven Penguins power plays, which ultimately prolonged his start. Senators coach Bryan Murray didn't want to replace him with backup Kelly Guard until after Grant Potulny's hooking minor was killed off.

"I thought he was sharp and real quick," Murray said. "He covered pucks and didn't give many second chances. He'd been sharp in practice, but you want to see him in a game. When you know that name, you expect a quality performance, which is what he gave us."

Added defenseman Zdeno Chara, "He played every puck like it's his last puck."

There will be other tests, more meaningful tests, in the preseason, starting with Sunday night's game against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs in Ottawa.

And the mad scientist knows he has more work to do. But for now, the Senators can rest easy that he appears ready for the season-opener, only 11 days away in Toronto.

"Dom's going to be OK," center Jason Spezza said. "He's going to lead this team. Your goalie is your most important player, and Dom's one of the best in the world."