A star is born
We have had a bit of a crisis in Gothenburg recently. First, we lost our first string goaltender Tommy Salo to injury, then we lost our second stringer to injury later in the same game. Since the league is about to go on a bit of a break, the management and coaches brought up some youngsters from the junior squad.
And they are youngsters. Joel Gistedt is a few days past his eighteenth birthday and the second line goalie is still seventeen. So people were pretty nervous coming into the match, the press full of reports about the young goalies and how they were going to be thrown into the fire. Joel Gistedt looked nervous when he was out there in the first period. He was announced first and skated onto the ice alone to applause but he was clearly wired and active, shifting his skates from side to side as he churned up snow in the blue zone.
He faced some half-hearted shots in the first period, nothing major, Djurgården was not in very good form. But the second period got a little hotter. Frölunda had scored in the first and the game was tight when an odd man rush beared down on Joel, he covered the man with the puck who passed to an open teammate who quickly one-timed the puck towards the goal. Joel had little chance, and everyone thought it was a goal, but he had stuck his right leg out and made an amazing save, the game was still one - zip.
That save in the second period really was amazing. Gistedt is tall and lithe, he covers a lot of area. He is part of a new generation of Swedish goalies that are really, really good. I am thinking of Stefan Liv, Holmkvist, Gistedt, Henrik Lundqvist, and others who are all young and exciting. Gistedt is not even the number one under 21 goalie!
When the game ended with a shutout by the rookie in his first game, there was a standing ovation. Most of the 12,000 or more were still there, cheering madly. Joel GIstedt skated around the rink, waved to the fans, and soaked up the moment alone there on the ice.
And they are youngsters. Joel Gistedt is a few days past his eighteenth birthday and the second line goalie is still seventeen. So people were pretty nervous coming into the match, the press full of reports about the young goalies and how they were going to be thrown into the fire. Joel Gistedt looked nervous when he was out there in the first period. He was announced first and skated onto the ice alone to applause but he was clearly wired and active, shifting his skates from side to side as he churned up snow in the blue zone.
He faced some half-hearted shots in the first period, nothing major, Djurgården was not in very good form. But the second period got a little hotter. Frölunda had scored in the first and the game was tight when an odd man rush beared down on Joel, he covered the man with the puck who passed to an open teammate who quickly one-timed the puck towards the goal. Joel had little chance, and everyone thought it was a goal, but he had stuck his right leg out and made an amazing save, the game was still one - zip.
That save in the second period really was amazing. Gistedt is tall and lithe, he covers a lot of area. He is part of a new generation of Swedish goalies that are really, really good. I am thinking of Stefan Liv, Holmkvist, Gistedt, Henrik Lundqvist, and others who are all young and exciting. Gistedt is not even the number one under 21 goalie!
When the game ended with a shutout by the rookie in his first game, there was a standing ovation. Most of the 12,000 or more were still there, cheering madly. Joel GIstedt skated around the rink, waved to the fans, and soaked up the moment alone there on the ice.
posted by Jeremiah at 8:50 PM
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