LEWISTON – With more than twice the equipment, twice the amount of fabric required for the jersey and, usually, three times the number of minutes played of any other player on the ice, it’s pretty hard to overlook the goaltender.
Then again, St. Dom’s is not your typical hockey team.
Brady Blackman, the Saints’ backstop, has arguably been the loneliest goaltender in Class A, facing an average of 15 to 17 shots per game. Many of those shots are “gimme’s,” shot from more than 25 feet out that make their way to the net more out of desperation than calculation.
“Some games it’s really tough,” admitted Blackman. “You’ll see one, maybe two shots, and then you go 10 minutes without seeing another. Those can be dangerous.”
Blackman’s coach, Bob Boucher, isn’t so quick to dismiss the low number of shots his netminder has faced this season.
“He hasn’t had to be spectacular all year,” said Boucher, “but his 15-20 saves per game have really been important. In some games, some of those saves were crucial at big points in the game. He’s come through for us when we’ve needed him to be there.”
Still, according to Blackman, getting more shots wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
“In games where I did get 30 shots, it felt good,” said Blackman. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the defense, though. It’s nice to have that group in front of me.”
“The No. 1 reason he hasn’t seen much action is the defense,” agreed Boucher. “We came back with four defensemen from last year plus a solid rookie in Joe Theriault. That’s made it easier on him.”
So what does a goalie with a ton of extra time during a game do to stay sharp?
He pretends.
It’s not unusual to see Blackman checking his angles on every play that crosses to his side of the red line, regardless of whether or not there is a real chance for the action to reach him.
“If I am not moving, I am just standing there,” said Blackman. “I have worked a little bit with the Lewiston Maineiacs’ goalie coach Marc Champagne, and the biggest thing he talks about is positioning. Eighty percent of playing net is position, and the rest is talent, so to get that down is the biggest thing.”
And while it may look awkward to the casual fan, it makes him, and his teammates, a bit more comfortable, especially knowing the Blackman, as a junior, has already spent one state title game between the pipes.
“I would hope it helps give the rest of the team confidence in me,” said Blackman. “I think we have by far the best defensemen as a group in the state. That makes me look better, for sure, but it helps the team, too.”
“He played in three games last year in the playoffs, and that experience always helps,” added Boucher. “We know that if it comes down to him getting up to 30 or 40 shots, which hasn’t been normal this year, he’ll be ready. We have that confidence in him.”
The Saints play tonight at 8 p.m. at the Colisee against Scarborough, which upset Portland on Wednesday. Cheverus will meet Falmouth in the first game of the Western Class A semifinal doubleheader. Lewiston, meanwhile, and the rest of Eastern Class A, will play their semifinals Saturday night at the Colisee.
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