A Good Ol’ Fashioned Duo In Chicago
There is a duo in Chicago that is turning heads. It is gaining media attention throughout the area, as well as the league. These two have performed well all year, and have challenged one another to be better. To be honest it is hard to think where Chicago would be right now without either of them.
I am not talking about Kane and Toews.
For Chicago, Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin have been as important to the team as any of their other 24 players. In a league designed for scoring and speed, the goalie can sometimes be an overlooked position. However, it is where the Blackhawks have dumped the most money over the past few seasons, and now it is beginning to show dividends. Watching these two goalies throughout the year has been like watching a boxing match, a long 12 round fight between two heavy weights. Landing blow after blow when given the chance to shine. So lets introduce the challengers…
In the one corner, hailing from France, at six feet one inch, weighing 205 pounds-Cristobal Huet. 
He is the new comer on this Blackhawks team, being aquired after the team wanted to secure their goalie situation. Many said when the season started that they had no business giving him just under $5.7 million a year. That still might be the case, however you need to look harder than his numbers to prove this. He is putting up exactly the kind of numbers that t
he Hawks had hoped. Huet has posted 12 wins and has a 2.37 goals against average. The losses have been rough though, and have caused the team to skip his turn to start on a couple of occasions.
In the other corner, the crafty veteran, hailing from Russia, also at six feet one inch, and weighing 209 lbs- Nikolai Khabibulin. Now in his fourth season with the team, Bulin, as many call him, has not lived up to expectations and at times has looked horrendous. The up swing to brining a guy in like thiswas the leadership and experience, however Chicago has not even sniffed the playoffs with him guarding the pipes. But this year is a different story for the guy making $6.8 million, he has had a resurgence and has numbers that are pretty equal to Huet. His goals against average is near identical and has tallied 15 wins, his latest coming at San Jose.
This round is a draw. But the fight wages on.
But the question is what are the Blackhawks to do? They have the option of trading away Bulin in hopes of getting a building block, or they could keep him for the playoffs and lose him come June. On the other hand they could resign the 36 year old netminder and try and find a way to ship Huet out of town, which could be tough with the contract he is attached with.
Only time will tell who stays and who goes, it is a good situation for a team to be in.
Who would you want?
Posted by The Hockey Writers
on Feb 3 2009. Filed under Chicago Blackhawks, Top Story.
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Plenty of time for that trade deadline to break those two up. You can bet that if the Hawks need just a little something that one of these two guys are going to go. My money is on Bulin to be traded.
There is no doubt, this one is easy keep Khabibulin. Lets all remember how he took the quite average Tampa Bay Lightning to the stanly cup finals……and won. His experience is undeniable and has proved to be one of the greatest when the game is on the line. The only reason he is never mentioned in the same class as Ruberto Lolungo and Martain Brodour is because he isn”t canadian. He is one of the most under rated players in the game and i think its about time we start giving this guy some credit. Just because Huet has had a good half a season doesnt mean he is even close to Khabibulins caliber as a playoff performer. So if it was up to me and i wanted to make a run for the cup i would go with the very experienced former stanly cup champion the bulin wall.