Detroit’s Joseph to start Game 5 in goal against Predators
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings’ goaltender merry-go-round has stopped with Curtis Joseph back in net.
With their first-round series against Nashville suddenly tied 2-2, Joseph will start Game 5 on Thursday.
“You always want to play. It’s a fun time of the year,” Joseph said Wednesday, after being informed of the decision during practice. “I’ve worked hard on the ankle with the trainers for this opportunity.”
Joseph replaces Manny Legace, who has been Detroit’s unlikely No. 1 goalie for more than a month with Joseph (ankle) hobbled and Dominik Hasek (groin) out. The season started with Hasek in net, after he ended his one-year retirement, and Joseph on the trading block.
Joseph, who had ankle surgery last summer, sprained his right ankle Feb. 11 and missed a month — after the team said it didn’t plan to trade him. He played in five games before re-injuring his ankle during warmups March 23 at San Jose, and finished the regular season 16-10-3.
The goalie known as “Cujo” has a 58-62 career postseason record, including an 0-4 mark last year in his first season in Detroit.
“I’m putting Curtis in because we want to get a win,” Red Wings coach Dave Lewis said. “I want to change some things, and Curtis has tremendous experience. He knows how to deal with the pressure. It’s the perfect situation for him to be in.”
Legace allowed just two goals as Detroit opened the series with two home wins. But in Games 3 and 4, losses on the road, he gave up six.
The career backup was replaced early in the third period Tuesday by Joseph, a 14-season veteran, after allowing three goals.
“You’ve got to make some big saves for your team and I haven’t the past two games,” Legace said.
At the other end of the ice, Tomas Vokoun has been outstanding for the Predators.
Vokoun stopped 41 shots for his first playoff shutout Tuesday night as the Predators won 3-0 and evened the series.
“A hot goalie can carry a team,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said Wednesday. “We’ve seen it the last two games.”
And the Red Wings saw it last year.
In the first round, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks knocked off the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings.
“Hopefully, we can use it for our motivation and advantage because we know how frustrated and bad it felt at the end of that series,” Detroit’s Kirk Maltby said. “Most of the guys here were there last year, and we don’t want to go through that again.”
Vokoun, who like Legace made his first playoff start in Game 1, said he can sense the Red Wings are frustrated.
“It’s hard to play against us,” Vokoun said.
Especially on the power play.
The Red Wings, who had the NHL’s best record during the regular season, led the league in scoring and were among the top teams on the power play. Against Nashville, they are just 1-for-20 with an extra attacker.
“When you’re seeing the same team, the same power play, you understand it,” Trotz said. “There’s no gray areas. From a penalty killing standpoint, you can take a lot of options away, you know when to jump, when to pressure and when to back off.”
The Predators are expected to be without standout defenseman Marek Zidlicky, who left Game 1 with what the team will only say is an “upper-body injury.”
“We’re hoping Saturday is a good day for him,” Trotz said, referring to Game 6 in Nashville.