No one wants their team to do poorly, but I've been watching DC sports since about 1988, so I've seen a lot of poorly. Those initial expectations of "Ooh, look we're getting Jayson Werth/Albert Haynesworth/Jason Taylor/Jaromir Jagr/Joe Gibbs again/David Wells/Glenn Davis/Donovan McNabb/Michael Jordan!" never quite match up to reality. I asked my resident local sports historian- ok, my dad and the best examples he could come up with of proven stars coming to town and staying good were Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff. Two people, fifty some years ago. Therefore I stick to my theory that Washington DC is where big names go when they want a bit of a paid vacation. They don't work hard, collect a check, and then move on somewhere else where they're good again. It seems to refresh them and frustrate us.
So I kept my enthusiasm to a minimum when it came to Tomas Vokoun. The numbers look good: no GAA over three, save percentages over .900, an under .500 record since 07-08 but it was the Panthers What I saw in practices were solid saves down low, but high and especially glove-side he was weak and slow to move from side to side. I figured (hoped) practice wasn't a game situation but still I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the answer to troubles I wasn't even sure they had in the first place.
I've been reading around that no one better say there's a goalie controversy, that it's only been one game and we really shouldn't focus on Varly's 30 save shutout for the Avs or Jose's 27 save shutout for the Panthers, but I don't like being told my opinion is less than someone else's opinion.
I'm not buying my ticket on the Vokoun love train just yet. Ten minutes of scoreless hockey on low shots doesn't make up for sixty minutes of poor reactions and five goals allowed, especially when the defensive style really doesn't keep down the goals against. I'd love to be proven wrong, but for now I think I'm going to be a little more anxious when Neuvy gets the night off.
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