Congratulations Emmanuel

by Brad Lee on Jan 10, 2008 1:35 PM CST

Making it look easy vs. Chicago.

By Brad Lee

Manny Legace has been named to the Western Conference All-Star team. He's the lone Blues representative in a stacked Western Conference. As we've written around here before, the starting goaltender has carried this team all year. Early in the season when the Blues showed they could be for real, Legace played possibly the best hockey of his career. But lately, he's been even better. So even though we still love Boyes (shout it loud!), it's pretty fitting Legace is the lone player from St. Louis.

According to Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch:

I did some further number crunching on his recent stretch and came up with this: since the Bluesâ€™ 5-0 loss to Detroit on Dec. 26, Legace has a 0.46 GAA and a .979 save percentage, stopping 95 of 97 shots.

Damn. You can't ask or expect a starting goaltender to play any better. Hopefully the fans will give him an even bigger ovation than the one he got Tuesday night after setting the franchise regular season scorless minute streak. You think he feels a little vindicated after he was dumped by Detroit after 2005-06 and no one else in the league wanted to sign him? The Blues showed some faith in him and he's rewarded the franchise with excellent goaltending.

(UPDATE: Here's a nice little column about Manny and the Detroit snub)

By the way, do you think Dominik Hasek feels a little odd today? The other goalie he's help marginalize in Detroit, Chris Osgood is one of the other two Western Conference goaltenders.

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damn fitting isn’t it.

by Chris D. on Jan 11, 2008 4:28 AM CST reply actions

As much as I would appreciate being named to the All-Star team as a goalie, that is the one game where I’d be likely to say… “Thanks, but no thanks.”

The theme is “Defense? What’s that?” and you’re facing the best offensive players (except maybe for one or two defensemen and couple of snubs) in the NHL. It’s a shooting gallery with bazookas, and you’re standing in front of the target! And you’re expected to stop a few of the shells while you’re at it.

Congratulations, Manny. It’s nice to see somebody who really knows how to play the position in St. Louis again.

by The Goalie Guy on Jan 11, 2008 10:11 AM CST reply actions

While I totally agree with the sentiment of who wants to play the role of the fish in the game “Let’s Shoot Fish In A Barrel,” Manny was a backup for so long and got such crappy treatment in Detroit, it’s gotta feel damn good to see his name on that list and walk into that dressing room.

by Brad Lee on Jan 11, 2008 10:15 AM CST reply actions

Love it – I swore I wasn’t going to buy anything this year at All Star – but going to be awfully hard to pass up the Legace All Star jersey and then hopefully get it signed at the Casino night or Dream Factory event. I’m so happy for him, never realized he’s never been. Dying to know the conversations between him and Ozzie……“but they gave me a standing O even though I got scored on – those STL fans definitely love me more you!”
:)

by Diana on Jan 11, 2008 11:58 AM CST reply actions