Pavelec, Jets crank up the tunes
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2011 (5103 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WINNIPEG Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec could get used to this: A standing ovation in the second period after three spectacular saves… First star honours… The music pumping in a locker- room buzzing with laughter and, as an added bonus, a celebratory knuckle punch from head coach Claude Noel afterward.
What’s the old saying about beer tasting better after a win?
“It’s going to be more fun when we go home now,” said Pavelec with a grin. “We know we didn’t deserve to win the games before and I’m really happy we won tonight. It’s fun winning. After the game was great, we got a great ovation from the fans and it’s nice to know they enjoy the game and they support us.
“It’s always better when you’re winning.
We can listen to music and it’s more fun overall. And it’s not about just this game — it’s going to be more fun tomorrow in the practice and we go on the road now.”
Asked if first-star honours gave him the right to choose the post-game tunes, Pavelec said: “Oh no, no. I’m not that guy. I think Laddy’s (Andrew Ladd) the guy and those Swedish kids who sit here beside me (Johnny Oduya and Tobias Enstrom) are pretty good on the music. I let them pick.”
Pavelec kicked out 28 of the 29 shots he faced, got help from a couple of posts, but was spectacular overall. His best of the night came in stopping the likes of Steve Sullivan and Richard Park on a two-on-one and Pascal Dupuis on a partial breakaway and he was especially effective with the Jets protecting a onegoal lead in the third and desperately working to secure their first win of the 2011-12 season.
“He was exceptional,” said Ladd. “He made some big saves at key times in the game where we needed one.”
Added Noel: “Pavelec was superb. I thought he was outstanding. It’d be pretty hard to fault his game. He made some key saves.”
The 24-year-old Czech admittedly struggled in his first two starts, posting a 4.56 goals against average and an awful .833 save percentage. And there was no critical change to his game other than the most simple approach of all.
“I was trying to be patient and wait for shots and waiting for guys and what they were going to do,” he said. “Sometimes you get too excited and it’s not good. I worked on it and I think tonight was a little bit better than the games before.”
OUCH UPDATE: The Jets finished the game without Ron Hainsey, who suffered an ‘upper body injury’ after blocking a shot in the second period. He will be evaluated further today. The club does have both Randy Jones and Derek Meech available if Hainsey doesn’t get the green light to return immediately.
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter:@WFPEdTait
