CONGRATULATIONS TO TEEMU, SAKU AND FINLAND FOR WINNING BRONZE! 7 Ducks will be coming home with a medal. Gold medal round on Sunday Feb 28, 2010 on NBC 12pm Pacific Time
The Olympics have given Timo Pielmeier a chance to take a sip out of the fine glass of the NHL. With the Olympics ending and the NHL resuming not long from now; the Ducks minus the Olympians took the ice, the team's first practice together in nearly two weeks. The Ducks only had one goalie available as Jonas Hiller who played for Switzerland and never failed to impress was given the chance to travel back home to Orange County and was given some rest time. Vesa Toskala was the only goalie, who was available and one goalie wouldn't do it. Thus, Anaheim recalled prospect Pielmeier up to replace Hiller just for practice. This gave the chance for Timo to have more taste of the NHL. (He had some NHL experience before the 2009-2010 NHL season, as he did play in a pre-season game.) Most importantly, this gave a chance for him to get to know some of his possible future teammates.
Recalling Timo over Justin Pogge doesn't necessarily mean the Ducks are overlooking him. This may mean they're changing the guard to take a look at that rookie guard they just hired to see how he handles the prisoners, that Pogge is one of the more experienced guards.
Pielmeier came to the Ducks from the Sharks when he was part of a trade with prospect defenseman Nick Bonino in exchange for Kent Huskins and Travis Moen when Huskins was traded, he was injured with a lower-body (ankle/foot) injury and hadn't played for Anaheim since the injury and did not play for San Jose for the remainder of the NHL season. Moen played out the remainder of the season with San Jose but did not sign with the Sharks for the 2009-2010 season. He went and signed with the Montreal Canadiens. Huskins signed a one year deal with San Jose.
Timo is 20-1-5 with the Condors and has a 3.09 goals against average with a .886 save percentage. He scored an (empty) net goal at Utah on December 19, 2009 his first career goal, he is the 10th goalie in the history of the league to score a goal. Timo would saucer the puck down the length of the ice into Utah's empty net.
Timo is definitely happy with the chance the Ducks have given him some quotes from OC Register's Eric Stephans:
Timo on facing some of the Ducks players:
“It’s a good experience to be up here with these guys,” Pielmeier said. ”It’s getting better each practice because you get to know the guys. You get used to their shots. I feel pretty good up here.”(Please click on the link provided above to read the rest of Stephans' article on Timo)
Timo deserves to be observed by the Ducks at their level instead of being observed afar in the minor leagues. As I've said before; I really hope to see him in the Olympics playing for Deutschland his native country. He was born in Dreggendorf, Germany on July 07, 1989. Provide the German-goaltender with some playing time up in the NHL let him get comfortable playing with the big boys for a couple games, then see how he fans out. I believe he'll fan out well within the NHL. In a non-traditional hockey market he doesn't have too big of expectations as he would say in an east coast NHL team and most definitely on a Canadian team, yet that isn't to see he has no expectations because he does, he was a highly touted goalie in the Sharks system before he was traded so he has those expectations hanging above his head.
Ducks prospect J.P.Levassuer took the reigns replacing Timo for the Condors. Levassuer made 41 saves against the Victoria Salmon Kings (Canucks ECHL affiliate) as the Condors would rout the Salmon Kings 3-2. Levassuer was drafted by the Ducks in 2005; he was born in Victoraville, Quebec, Canada on January 15, 1987. He has had the privilege to have some experience in the NHL in the 2007-2009 seasons. As Giguere went down with injury.
As said, the Ducks have a strong force in young and upcoming netminders. Timo is more than capable of pushing Pogge aside as being the No 3 goalie. Both Pogge and Pielmeier are great goaltenders, despite the struggles of Pogge within the past. They're both capable of backing Hiller in the near future.
No comments:
Post a Comment