Test Number 2

Tonight will be a bigger test to Halak than Sunday was. On Sunday he had nothing to prove and nothing to be compared to. In a city where a player can get crucified upon demonstration of a decrease in performance from week to week, Halak now has to match or better his performance from Sunday, and prove that Sunday was not a fluke. This is at least what would be going through my mind if I was a 21 year old goalie being called up in to the NHL to save my team from the sand pits it's been sinking into for over a month.

Halak came across as a calm and collective kid in net, just doing his job to the best of his abilities without any regard to what is happening beyond his crease. The way he cam far out of his net to play pucks (rather successfully I might add) shows what a comfort zone he's in. Perhaps it's fitting that he has a HAB holding up the Stanley cup on his helmet, because his Zen and focussed play launched the team in to their own "happy place".

To this I say, proceed with caution. The kid has what it takes and the makings are there for a big charge into the playoffs, but nothing is for certain, and he has only played one game. Although I feel that Halak will do what Huet did for us last year, I am still sceptical and proceeding with caution and baby steps. For now, I am getting psyched for tonight's game and will be cheering the Tricolore as loud as I can without waking up the baby.