Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The problem: Two quality goaltenders, but only one goal to defend.
Matt DelGuidice was the No.1 goalie for Roanoke until this week, when the East Coast Hockey League team signed Daniel Berthiaume, a former NHL goalie who became a popular player with the Express last season. Now, if coach Frank Anzalone can work it out, there may not be a No.1 or No.2 goalie.
The Express should profit from these net gains, according to Anzalone, who acknowledged DelGuidice - who has a 7-2 record - was concerned about losing ice time with Berthiaume on board.
``Matt's going to handle it,'' Anzalone said. ``We've chatted, he and I. I tried to put him at ease. I told him he's not losing his job. If he plays well, he's going to keep playing. I don't care what the fans may think, but the truth of the matter is we've got two good goalies.
``The presence of a Daniel Berthiaume can make you nervous [if you're Matt DelGuidice], but Matt shouldn't be nervous. I told him not to be intimidated by a jersey.''
Anzalone said he would like to work out a goalie rotation similar to what he had planned for DelGuidice and Mike Parson, who was Roanoke's other goaltender before Berthiaume's signing. However, DelGuidice established himself as the No.1 goalie and had started three consecutive games before Berthiaume was signed and Parson was dealt to Johnstown.
It's likely both goalies will play this weekend. The Express plays host to the South Carolina Stingrays at 7:30 tonight and entertains the Birmingham Bulls at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Anzalone may alternate goalies on a game-by-game basis, with one goalie possibly getting back-to-back starts somewhere down the road.
``I don't see a problem with that,'' Anzalone said. ``I might play someone two [games] in a row if we're going against someone he's played well against. I don't mind using both guys. If you do that, you're going with a mentally-fresh goalie.''
Anzalone used both goalies under less than ideal circumstances Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C. DelGuidice gave up four goals in the second period - two on power-plays - and Berthiaume gave up one in the third period on the very first shot he saw.
``For us to be good, Matt DelGuidice and Daniel Berthiaume have to be very good,'' Anzalone said.
NOT-VERY-SPECIAL TEAMS: Power plays are killing the Express, in the defensive and offensive zones. The Express is not scoring when on the power play and it isn't keeping the puck out of the net when killing power plays.
Penalties truly have been the bane of the Express, which is tied with Johnstown as the worst penalty-killing team in the league. Roanoke is killing only 66.7 percent of power plays. In fact, the 33.3 percent power-play success rate for Express opponents is 1.3 percent greater than the conversion percentage of the league's best power-play team, the Nashville Knights.
``We're embarrassed by our PK,'' Anzalone said of the penalty killing. ``If we make one error, if we allow one good shot, it goes in the net. Everyone is determined to try to make it right.''
Compounding the problem is the fact that Roanoke's own power-play percentage of 19.5 is 14th among the league's 21 teams. Only five teams have scored fewer power-play goals than Roanoke's 17.
``When the puck is getting on certain people's stick [on the power play], it's not getting in the net,'' Anzalone said. ``We've got some talented people out there on the power play who need to start making the difficult plays and quit trying to take the easy road all the time.''
by CNB