#goaltending

#goaltending

The San Jose Sharks visit the best team in the NHL in a measuring stick game that will show how well San Jose stacks up against the Colorado Avalanche. San Jose has already done something that only a few teams in the National Hockey League have done to date and that's beat the Avs, who have a 16-1-5 record and an .841 points percentage. The Sharks won 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 1.

Selected in the fourth round (115th overall), Gamzin has taken the reins as starting netminder for CSKA Moskva in the KHL. The 22-year-old backstop took over the role from former NHLer Spencer Martin, who recently left CSKA after losing the starting job, signing with the NY Rangers, and is currently playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Despite playing in a low-scoring league, Gamzin's numbers have been phenomenal.

This season, it's been No B.S. The only member of the New York Rangers who adhered to the latter motto in the club's 3-2 road loss to the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night was goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick turned aside 31 of the 34 shots he faced, ending with a .912 save percentage. And the three goals that evaded him were hardly his fault. All came off either a broken play or a giveaway, more indicative of disjointed team play.

The Pacific Division is a hot mess right now. It's hyper-competitive with the top six teams separated by five points (as of the afternoon of Nov. 18). This parity means that every team is imperfect and has at least one trait that should make fans nervous. Some clubs can't score, some have worrying play in between the pipes, and a few look great until you dig into the numbers.

"I was like, 'I feel like I've been standing still for 2½ hours already. I need to see some pucks,'" he recalled.

The opening three minutes personified the difference between the teams. Pyotr Kochetkov denied Borya Valis' five-hole attempt after the rookie escaped on a partial breakaway. 30 seconds later, the Wolves' Evan Vierling scored alone in front as Chicago won the battle behind the goal line in what was a learning moment for Blake Smith. Cedric Paré had the opportunity to answer immediately but was unable to bury from the heart of the slot.

Bad breakfast puns aside, the Islanders' first-year general manager has shown in his relatively short yet eventful time on the job that he does not shy away from the hard choices, right or wrong (and it's been a lot more right). It's a trait 100% necessary for a good GM. From coaching decisions to trades to loosening the belt on predecessor Lou Lamoriello's buttoned-down culture, Darche quickly has reshaped the organization into one reflecting his vision.