By Darren Pang Special to ESPN.com The Matchup: Ed Belfour vs. Steve Shields
There are similarities between both Belfour and Shields at younger ages. I always said Belfour was like a middle linebacker in net when he was younger. He was more wide-legged, crouched lower, and held his glove lower on the side. That's the way Shields is now. Shields overcomes some of his technical deficiencies by basically fighting the puck. Belfour was like that earlier, but he has changed his game. Both are physical in the net; if someone is close to them, neither goalie is afraid to give him a whack. They guard their territory well. Both players are capable of taking penalties. But Belfour is a far better technical goaltender than what Shields is. Over the years, working with Vladislav Tretiak, he has made himself more square to the shooter, so he doesn't have to work as hard to make saves. In the first round, Shields got pulled in Game 6 against St. Louis, regrouped and played a solid Game 7. That tells you about his mental toughness. A lot of rhythm goalies have trouble coming back after being pulled. But Shields is a battling goalie, not a rhythm goalie. Belfour, meanwhile, was as good as he had to be. He struggled in Game 3, in which Doug Weight had a hat trick. Even Bill Guerin scored a few goals that Belfour usually wouldn't give up. Since that series ended, I'm sure Belfour has been working on maintenance, especially getting himself a little farther out in the crease. I thought he played a little bit too deep in certain situations against Edmonton. Coming off a Stanley Cup championship, Belfour gets the edge over Shields. The experience of going four rounds last year, as well as his superior technique and puck-handling, gives him the advantage. Darren Pang is a hockey analyst for ESPN. | |||||
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