CANUCKS.COM
Q: What are your thoughts on smaller pads? Do you think its fair or a disadvantage? – Mike, Kelowna
I don’t think it really matters in a game, I think maybe in practice it does because you get so many shots. But I think if you’re on top of your game I don’t think one inch is gonna make a difference. Again, if everyone in the league is legal and has the same size, I think we’re all at the same advantage so I don’t think it really matters.
Q: Have you ever wanted to play another position on ice? – Amar
Never, I always wanted to be a goalie. So yeah, that’s a good question.
Q: In the past, you’ve been known for your passion between the posts. Lately, you seem to be keeping your cool and are a lot more focused on the game. What’s changed?
Just ever since I became #1 goalie, I think you just can’t put your team in a penalty-kill situation so you have to be smarter and you have to do the right thing. There’s always a time and place to do certain things and when you’re playing 50-60 games a year, it’s tough to find those spots.
Q: Since Vancouver is known for being critical of its goaltending, what are the positives & negatives of playing in this city? - Nat V.
Well I think I really enjoy playing here just because it’s in Canada and hockey comes first. It’s a number one sport, I’ve always enjoyed my time here. Sure there’s ups and downs but it comes with the position. There’s a lot of pressure with being a goalie, so if you have a bad game, they point the finger at you; but if you have a good game, they usually give you a lot of credit for it.
Q: Do you do anything differently to prepare yourself for the playoffs that's different from a regular season game? – Laur
No, I don’t change anything. You can’t start to change things just because it is the playoffs. It’s still the same game, it’s still the same ice surface. Everything’s the same, so why change?
Q: The Canucks are well known for giving back to the community in a variety of ways. What is your favorite charity or community event that you participate in and why? – Maria
Ever since I’ve come to Vancouver, I think Brian Burke gets very involved in the community and I’ve done a lot of stuff for Canuck Place and I think that’s the charity or the place that I like to give my time to.
Q: You've played with some great goaltenders in your career. What have these veterans taught you that you’ve found useful in the NHL? - Danny, Yellowknife, NT
Yeah I’ve had the opportunities to play with one of the better goalies and Mike Richter, he just taught me simple things. It’s things that when you see a 30, 35-year-old do, night in night out, is never to change your game, even if you lose 5-1 or if you win 5-1. Believe in yourself, believe in your system and stick with it.
Q: Outside of the rink, what do you do to enhance your skills as a goaltender to enhance your reflexes, and, or your concentration? – Greg
I think once you get home, you gotta put hockey on the side. You gotta go home, you can’t think hockey 24/7. There needs to be certain times where you do take a break. Usually the night before the game, I think about the team that I’m gonna play against and think about the shooters and what they tend to do. I have a book on certain shooters, so to just keep track of certain shooters the night before the game.
Q: Sometimes defensemen deflect shots that fool goalies and end up in the net. Do you have any policies on when you want your defensemen to stay out of the way and let you stop the puck? - Bruce
I think we all know what certain guys should do in certain situations, but when you’re in the middle of a game things happen so quick that that’s why you see so many shots go off our defense. It’s a reaction sport, it’s a class sport. They’re trying their best to keep it low but sometimes it hits them and deflects in but I don’t think they mean any of it it’s just that it happens.
Q: The Canucks are one of the top penalty-killing teams. From the goalies view what makes your team so effective?
I just think it’s because guys really care this year. They wanna be in the top 5 and that was one of our goals in the start of the year, if we could be in the top 5. That was our goal and it’s happening because we believe in our forwards, they block a lot of shots. And the defense are moving a lot of guys in front of the net so that’s why we’re successful.
Q: Do you feel that you play better under pressure and during more important games, or when under less stress? - Sonja, Ootsville
I don’t think that if I’m playing game 1 or game 80 or game 7, I always play the same I don’t worry about how important the game is. They’re all important there’s not one easy game in this league so to me, I approach every game the same way.
Q:What player would you least like to face on a breakaway? – Jamei
Probably one of my teammates, Markus Naslund. He’s very good on breakaways, well, everyone knows it. He’s very skilled so he’s probably the guy.