Ok, I have tried to collect my thoughts about last night's game. I'm not disappointed for myself, because I'm not a "true" Wild fan. If that was a loss for the Cowboys in the NFL, then yes, I'd be disappointed for myself. But since I'm a José fan first, then a Wild fan because he plays for them, then I'm more disappointed for HIM. I want him to play well and get wins for HIS sake. Because he is such an awesome person, and he works so hard, and is such a great teammate that he deserves to have good results.
I think we can all admit it was not his best showing. But he didn't have a bad game. He had a really strong game, and an unfortunate shootout. From a spectator's viewpoint the 3rd goal in regulation might have been a little soft. But I'm not professing that I know all the inner workings on the ice and know how everything comes together, or doesn't. So that looked like a goal that might've been on him. But if so, one bad goal in the game? Not a big deal. And he had some really great saves in there, and a very strong OT. You can't pin this loss on him, period.
Then the shootout. Oh the evil shootout. I'm not a fan of the shootout at all. Even when it's a goalie I don't care about, or teams I don't care about, I hate shootouts. They are evil for goalies. Yes, if a goalie does well in them, then they can look like a hero. But more often than not they make a goalie look like the goat, and it sucks. What was it Robert Luongo said about shootouts in his "poetry":
"Then you, shootout,
I despise you, I will not lie,
Why can’t we just end it in a tie?"
So, so true Looo.
What's odd is José is usually a pretty good SO goalie. Before last night his SO record was 15-8. I think that's a great record for a goalie! So I'm not sure what happened last night...it was just an off SO for him.
But I think it's silly and unreasonable for people to expect any player to be perfect all the time. It's impossible. I really hope that he's given the chance to show he can bounce back from this game.
Soooooo...on a happier note. Did anyone watching the game on Versus notice the really nice things the commentators said about him....right before the game went to crap? I mean, it was RIGHT before that goal that tied it up. Then the goal that followed 39 seconds later. :(
It was after they came back from a TV timeout, and commentator #1 that was down by the ice started with:
Guy #1: "If José Theodore holds on, it will be career win #250. And with the kind of summer he went through, which really wasn't much of a summer of stability or certainty, being dumped by Washington after being so important to them. It's great to see him land on his feet. Guys, the Wild know they brought in...obviously a Vezina and Hart Trophy winner, so a great athlete. But they're pretty happy about the kind of teammate he is as well."
Guy 2: "Yeah, he won the Masterton Trophy last season for dedication to the game."
Guy 3: "Yeah, he's been nothing but solid in the locker room too. He's been real attentive. He'll go to a lot of meetings. Even when he's not playing he's in a penalty kill meeting, wants to always understand what the guys in front of him are looking to do. Both coaches...I talked to not only just Richards but Bob Mason, the goaltending coach for MN, he's very impressed with how he's acclimated himself on and off the ice.
Josh Harding, very good young goaltender, went down in training camp with an injury, they did not have a goaltender. They actually didn't start the season in Helsinki with Theodore. They signed him right at the beginning of the year then he joined the team in North America. He's been an excellent pick-up. A lot more than just a back-up."
Then before he could even get those last words out, that rocket of a goal by Tyutin streaked past José. If he'd gotten a glove on that one, it probably would've taken his arm with it.
Anyway, I was so proud of José after hearing what they said. We all know that José is a great teammate. Others have said it before. He's a team player, and he'll do whatever he can to help the team. And if that's sit on the bench until called upon, then he'll do it without complaining. One of the many reasons we believe in Theo.