View from the Crease

This week's "View from the Crease" highlights rising and falling goalies in the CHL. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson touches on Calvin Pickard, Mark Visentin, Kent Simpson and Mathieu Corbeil.

Rising

Calvin Pickard (Seattle Thunderbirds - WHL)

Despite the fact that the Seattle Thunderbirds have averaged a measly 2.55 goals per game this season, Pickard has managed to keep his team in the playoff hunt. Pickard has faced more shots (1,140) than any other netminder in the WHL and has successfully turned away 92.5 percent of these attempts, which ranks first in the league. He also sports a goals-against-average (GAA) of 2.68, which is seventh in the WHL, and is one of only six goalies who has posted three or more shutouts this season.

Even more impressive is Pickard's progression throughout the first half of the season. His GAA has continued to drop each month, while his save percentage has been trending higher. For the month of December (through 12/27), Pickard has posted a GAA and save percentage of 2.21 and .940, respectively. In his eight December starts, he has faced a minimum of 44 shots per game on three occasions, while witnessing 51 or more shots during two of those games. On average, Pickard has faced nearly 38 shots per game in December.

Over the course of the season, Pickard has proven that he can handle both the pressure and the workload. Pickard still projects as the top CHL goaltender for next year's NHL Entry Draft, but guys like Mark Visentin and Kent Simpson are nipping at his heels.

Mark Visentin (Niagara IceDogs) - OHL

Visentin is in a similar position to Pickard. The IceDogs are one of the lowest scoring teams in the OHL (2.72 goals per game) and Visentin's defensive corps is not much better, as Niagara gives up an average of 34 shots per game when he is in net. Though consistency has been a problem with Visentin throughout the season, he has started to show improvement during the second half of December. He has a 2-1 record in his last three starts with a GAA and save percentage of 2.34 and .920, respectively. Two of these opponents, the Peterborough Petes and Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, are near the top of the Eastern Conference as well. Additionally, while his 3.13 GAA for the month of December is nothing to write home about, it is Visentin's lowest monthly average so far this season. Visentin possesses all of the necessary skills to succeed at the next level, so if he can add stability to his game, he should be one of the top goaltenders to go in next spring's NHL Entry Draft.

Kent Simpson (Everett Silvertips - WHL)

Although Simpson's December numbers are down from previous months, he has been a model for consistency this season. His 2.43 GAA and .921 save percentage both rank third in the WHL. While he has yet to record a shutout this season, Simpson has not given up more than four goals in any one game. In fact, in his 17 starts, Simpson has had seven one-goal performances. He is not a "shutdown" type of goalie, but Simpson's steadiness is one of his greatest strengths. If he can display a little more patience with shooters, he will likely be one of those fighting for the top spot (among CHL goalies) in 2010.

Falling

Mathieu Corbeil (Halifax - QMJHL)

Corbeil is yet another example of a quality goalie playing for a weak team. However, unlike Pickard and Visentin, Corbeil has been lit up in recent weeks. More specifically, Corbeil has given up five or more goals in four of his nine December starts. In his last start (12/27 versus Moncton), Corbeil yielded five goals in the first period, causing him to get yanked after 20 minutes. This came after a six goal drubbing at the hands of Saint John, in which Corbeil never saw the ice in the third period. Even when you factor in his solid performance during the first half of December (eight goals against in four games), Corbeil's save percentage for the month still comes in at a paltry .840. Overall , Corbeil has posted a GAA and save percentage of 3.68 and .884, respectively, which is hardly anything to get excited about. Unless he becomes more consistent and learns to handle his massive frame, it is unlikely that Corbeil will be considered one of the elite goalies in next year's draft.

Scouting Report

Big, butterfly goalie who spreads out his body by taking a wide stance, thus providing significant net coverage and giving shooters very little space to work with .. possesses solid skating skills for such a large frame, which allows him to come out and handle the puck on a regular basis .. though not the most technically sound or fluid mover, he is sufficient at maneuvering his colossal body from side-to-side and post-to-post .. enjoys good range given his elongated physique but this part of his game could be even better were it not for his restricted flexibility .. sturdy in his positioning and relatively controlled in his movement .. however, he can get caught off-balance at times, thus jeopardizing his angles and exposing unnecessary space to shooters .. can also get trapped on his pads after dropping into a full/compact butterfly, as he has a difficult time shuffling along the ice .. operates best in either a butterfly slide or a half butterfly, as it allows him to move cross-crease and get back to his feet the quickest .. prefers to hug the post or load the short side when the puck is behind the net or close to the goal line extended , as opposed to utilizing the paddle-down technique .. needs to improve his rebound control given his tendency to yield second-chance opportunities in the slot area .. five-hole coverage is suspect, too .. patient with shooters and holds his ground well on breakaways and odd-man rushes .. takes advantage of his size by being aggressive at times .. very effective at stepping out to confront shooters .. plays at the top of the crease and will move outside the paint when the situation calls for it .. maintains an upright and compact posture in the full butterfly, which can make him look outright intimidating to shooters, especially given his already lofty build .. not an extremely athletic goalie so his recovery abilities are limited .. fortunately, his ability to read and react, coupled with his instinctual positioning, help offset this deficiency .. very inconsistent this season, though he did have a strong stretch in November where he gave up only six goals in five games