Expect Bob Murray to be on the phone quite a bit Sunday.
The Blackhawks’ general manager will have to address the team’s goaltending situation–perhaps exploring trade options–after Marc Lamothe’s NHL debut proved a nightmare. Lamothe allowed seven goals after replacing starting goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, who left early in the first period with a broken left ring finger from trying to catch Al MacInnis’ slap shot.
Steve Passmore likely will be recalled Sunday from the Hawks’ International Hockey League affiliate in Cleveland. But Murray said in training camp he wanted to avoid any scenario wherein the Hawks would have to rely strictly on such inexperienced goaltenders.
Before this season, Passmore and Lamothe had just six games of NHL experience between them. Another option is Michel Larocque, who is playing with Greensboro of the East Coast League. But he, too, has no NHL experience.
Last Sunday, Murray made the decision to stick to the team’s plan to rotate Passmore and Lamothe between being Thibault’s backup and playing regularly in the minors.
“It was just a gut feeling,” Murray said then.
Coach Lorne Molleken defended the decision.
“Our plan was to rotate them and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “Unfortunately, (Lamothe) wasn’t too good.”
Ouch: Twenty minutes after the game and three hours after the injury, Thibault’s broken and extremely swollen finger still bled from the tip. Molleken said the goalie is expected to miss two to four weeks, but Thibault said he experienced the exact injury three seasons ago during a Montreal team practice and returned in 10 days.
“You can play right away, but it’s my catching hand, so every time you catch the puck, your finger’s killing you,” Thibault said. “But a month is way too much from my experience. Maybe two weeks, I’ll be playing again.
“It’s unfortunate because I was playing well and feeling a lot better. I felt I was in a good groove.”
Ouch, Part II: Lamothe’s debut proved a mixture of bad luck and bad play. One goal went in off Sylvain Cote’s skate and the two short-handed goals he allowed were off a two-on-one situation and a breakaway. But the 25-year-old rookie also allowed goals that only can be described as soft.
“Once they got a few behind me, I started battling a bit,” Lamothe said. “Maybe I dropped too soon on some shots and stayed too deep (in the crease.) This is definitely a bit of a setback, but that’s life. You have to move on.”
Ouch, Part III: Molleken benched defensemen Sylvain Cote and Anders Eriksson for the final period and a half and sent out forwards Eric Daze and Steve Sullivan for just three third-period shifts.
“Look at the way they played,” Molleken said. “You can’t win with only three guys playing.”
His turn: Wendel Clark declined to return phone calls to Chicago reporters when the Hawks bought out his contract early on this seven-game trip. But the 33-year-old winger broke his silence on the issue to a reporter in Toronto, where Clark spent 11 of his 15 seasons.
Clark took greatest exception to Murray questioning his practice and work habits.
“You can always say I’m not producing,” Clark told the Toronto Sun. “But there’s no need to bring it down to that level. Ask any of my teammates that I’ve played with in my pro career, and they’ll endorse my work ethic.”
