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Stay-Puft
10-18-2005, 04:57 PM
Capitals netminder Olaf Kolzig fends off pucks, opposing forwards

ODENTON, Md. (AP) - The Washington Capitals have a drill in which seven players surround Olaf Kolzig. Working with a single puck, they pepper the goaltender with shots until he either smothers the rebound or allows one to get by.

It's similar to the challenge Kolzig has faced in every one of his six starts. Olie the Goalie has faced an average of 35.5 shots a game, and his play has led the young, inexperienced Capitals in getting off to a satisfying 3-4 start.
"He's been unbelievable," Washington winger Chris Clark said. "Olie has been the No. 1 reason behind every win we have this year. And you can't blame him for the losses, because if we're letting in more than 30 shots a game, which we have been, it's terrible on him."

The Capitals were outshot 40-14 by Tampa Bay on Sunday, but Kolzig made 38 saves to lift Washington to a 3-2 victory.

"Ideally, 20-25 shots would be a nice number to face in a game," Kolzig said. "But look at the situation: We're a young team, we're a little inexperienced in the back end and we're still adjusting to the new rules. So we're going to give up some shots."

And the 35-year-old Kolzig has absorbed plenty of shots, many of which have nothing to do with flying pucks. If fending off slapshots was his only concern, the former Vezina Trophy winner and two-time all-star would have no complaints.

But the league's crackdown on obstruction means defencemen can no longer use their sticks or hands to slow down opposing forwards, and several of those attackers have found their way into the crease, taking Kolzig down in the process.

"My biggest issue is the guys crashing the net now," Kolzig said. "It just seems likes there's no holds barred, driving the net and then, whoops, accidentally falling into you. It's tough enough to stop the puck while having guys fall on you at the same time."

It's also difficult to make a save when the other guys have an extra man on the ice. The Capitals have been forced to play short-handed a whopping 62 times - easily the league high - and might be winless were it not for Kolzig's prowess in the net.

"The shots on goal are a concern for the coaching staff and the whole team, not just Olie," coach Glen Hanlon said. "It's kind of hard to avoid those type of things unless you cut your penalties down. But we're fortunate. We think he's the best goalie in the league."

Kolzig's 3-3 record and 4.26 goals-against average might suggest otherwise, yet those numbers belie his value to the Capitals.

"When you look at the stats and see the goalie let up four or five goals a game, you wonder how good he is," Clark said. "But the shots he's taking and the saves he's had, he's keeping us in the game."

Kolzig figures he's simply making up for time lost during the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season.

"We had a year off, so my body healed a little bit," he said. "It's a challenge, and maybe we're giving up more quality chances than we have in the past. But your job is still the same - stop the puck and give your guys a chance to win."

from NHL.com