Canada Faces Pressure in Goaltending as 4 Nations Face-Off Begins
As Canada prepares to hit the ice in Montreal on Wednesday night for the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden, much attention will be on the star-studded roster featuring NHL superstars like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sam Reinhart.
In contrast, the Canadian goaltending situation presents a less illustrious story with St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington taking on starting duties for the game. "There's not much to be said, right?" Binnington expressed to reporters on Tuesday. "It's about action, and let that do the talking. I'm excited."
The past dominance of legendary goaltenders such as Ken Dryden, Grant Fuhr, Martin Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo seems to have shifted, leaving Canada in search of reliable talent between the pipes.
The current Canadian netminders, Binnington, Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault, and Vegas goalie Adin Hill, have struggled this season, averaging a save percentage of .898. Hill leads the trio with a .900 save percentage, ranking him 30th in the NHL.
While both Hill and Binnington have celebrated Stanley Cup victories, and Montembeault garnered a world championship gold, Canadian head coach Jon Cooper could be looking at the impressive goaltending talent from the United States, including Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the NHL in several key statistical categories.
Carey Price, a veteran goaltender with two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup title, remains optimistic about the future of Canadian goaltending. "There's always talent out there," he remarked, indicating that the growing global talent pool is raising the competition level for all nations.
Price pointed out the increasing number of skilled goalies worldwide, noting that countries like Sweden and Russia have strong contenders, including Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark and other formidable talents from Russia.
Despite alternative options such as Washington's Logan Thompson and Colorado's Darcy Kuemper, general manager Don Sweeney opted for the current trio of netminders, all of whom have represented Canada at some level.
Marc-André Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, empathized with the pressure faced by Canadian goaltenders but expressed confidence in their abilities. "It's always pressure as a goalie, it doesn't matter where you play, but, yeah, they'll be fine," he said, urging fans to support instead of doubt the players.
