Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 14, 1995 TAG: 9503140137
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The differences between the styles of goaltenders Daniel Berthiaume and Dave Gagnon are obvious.
But the results of their play for the Roanoke Express this season have been the same - the Express won with Gagnon, and is winning with Berthiaume.
Gagnon was a big and rugged stand-on-the-skates type of goalie. Pucks bounced off him the way bullets richocheted off Superman's chest.
Berthiaume, who was acquired in a trade the day after Gagnon was called up to the Minnesota Moose of the International Hockey League on Feb. 8, is what's known as a butterfly goalie. He flails his 5-foot-9, 150-pound body in front of the goal, flares his legs in the butterfly style or lies flat on the ice to stop the puck.
The exceptional goaltending of Gagnon and Berthiaume has been perhaps the main reason the Roanoke Express leads Richmond by two points in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division heading into today's game against the Raleigh IceCaps at 7 p.m. in the Roanoke Civic Center.
``You couldn't ask for two greater goalies,'' said Frank Anzalone, Roanoke's coach. ``Those are two major-impact goalies.''
They have certainly made an impact with the Express. Gagnon and Berthiaume have a combined record of 31-8-6 for the Express.
When Gagnon left the league, he already had broken league records for goals-against average (2.83) and saves percentage (.917). Berthiaume, who has a 2.84 GAA and .907 saves percentage, tied the record of 12 straight wins by stopping eight of nine shootout attempts in a 3-2 victory over Hampton Roads last Saturday.
Gagnon, who started in goal for the East squad in the ECHL all-star game in January, was widely considered one of the greatest goalies to play hockey in Roanoke. Then, Berthiaume came along.
Few would have predicted in January that the Express would lose Gagnon, then get better without him. But that has happened with Berthiaume in goal.
``It's almost like he's made people forget about Dave Gagnon,'' Anzalone said.
Berthiaume, who earned the nickname ``Bandit'' for stealing shots when he played parts of nine seasons with five NHL clubs from 1985 to 1994, is 14-1-1 since joining the Express. His GAA is 2.03 with Roanoke. Berthiaume, who began the season with Wheeling, is 20-2-2 overall.
Berthiaume's play has been so spectacular that it drew an offer last week to play for the IHL's Chicago Wolves. Berthiaume said he turned the Wolves down in order to finish the season with Roanoke.
Goaltending and a stingy defense have helped the Express close in on an ECHL record for the fewest goals allowed in a season. The Express has allowed 200 goals - the record of 218 was set by the Virginia Lancers in 1989-90 during a 60-game season. The current season lasts 68 games.
AHL TALK: Representatives of five East Coast Hockey League teams met in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday to hear the latest proposal that would shift their teams to the American Hockey League.
Roanoke Express president John Gagnon, who said last week that his team would be interested in hearing any proposal the AHL had to make, was not at the meeting. Express general manager Pierre Paiement said late Monday that Roanoke management was not informed of the meeting.
AHL president Dave Andrews made a proposal to team officials from Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlotte, Greensboro and South Carolina during Monday's meeting.
It has been reported that it would cost each of the five clubs approximately $1 million in franchise fees to join the AHL. Sources indicate that the Charlotte and Greensboro clubs most likely will move to the AHL, but the other three are undecided. Richmond entered the AHL expansion picture last weekend after the franchise expressed an interest in joining the league.
The ECHL's Board of Governors will meet in Charlotte on March 20 to discuss the matter.
AROUND THE ECHL:Defenseman Chris LiPuma of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning has been assigned to the Nashville Knights for one game. LiPuma, who is coming off the injured list, will be in the Knights' lineup tonight against Huntington. ... John Porco was reassigned to Hampton Roads by Saint John of the American Hockey League. Porco leads the Admirals with 77 points on 36 goals and 41 assists in 50 games.
\ (the following information appeared only in the State edition.)
The ECHL expansion team in Mobile, Ala., will be called the Mysticks, a Mardi Gras-related term that was selected in a fan vote over Gulf-area names ``DeltaCats'' and ``YellowHammers.'' Team management added the ``K'' to the name to gain a hockey-related tie-in ... South Carolina made a major player move when it waived Sylvain Fleury last week. Fleury, the Stingrays' leading scorer last season, had 15 goals and 32 assists this season.
by CNB