Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

The Patience of Patzold

December 13, 2007, 7:51 PM ET [ Comments]

RSSArchive
It's often said that good things come to those who wait, but Dimitri Patzold's patience has to be wearing thin by now. The 24-year-old netminder is still waiting for his first start in the National Hockey League, sitting the bench and waiting for coach Ron Wilson to call his number.

The Sharks have played 29 games this season, and veteran goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has started each of them. Patzold knows his place with the team, and doesn't envision himself replacing Nabokov for the full-time starting job, but he's unsure why he hasn't seen his first start nearly 30 games into the season.

"I knew from the beginning of the season that I had one of the best goalies in the league in front of me," Patzold said after Wednesday afternoon's practice. "All I can do is work hard and stay ready for whenever they put me in. For whatever reason, it hasn't happened yet."

Born in Kazakhstan, Patzold has come from humble beginnings and established himself as a solid goaltender. He made his North American debut during the 2003-04 season, appearing in 27 games for the Cleveland Barons as a 20-year-old. His minor-league statistics haven't been stellar, with a goals against average bouncing between 2.58 and 3.97, but he earned a spot on the Sharks roster in training camp.

Patzold has appeared in three games this season, replacing Nabokov in lopsided contests when the defense has crumbled and the offense has sputtered. The situation has contributed to a gaudy 5.51 GAA and .800 save percentage this season, allowing four goals in only 43 minutes of action.

Heading into Thursday night's games, Patzold had played in only 2.4 percent of the Sharks' 1755 total minutes, the lowest percentage of any primary backup in the league. Calgary Flames backup Curtis McElhinney is closest in playing time with 6.2 percent, seeing only 117 minutes of Calgary's 1876. Patzold's difficult appearances, combined with long periods of inactivity, have taken their toll on the young netminder.

"It's very tough," Patzold said. "It's tougher than if you play every night because it's hard to focus and stay ready when you haven't been playing. But the only thing I can do is keep showing up to practice every day."

It's become common practice for Shark fans to look ahead to the upcoming schedule, anticipating the day Patzold will make his first NHL start. Rumors swirl about a possible start every time the Sharks head into back-to-back games, and Patzold admits he's been doing the same thing lately, trying to peg the date.

"You try not to think too much about it because it's not in your hands, but I do look at the schedule," Patzold said. "I'll look to see if we have a week where we play four games, or if we have back-to-back games."

Patzold finally picked up his first start of the year last month, but it was far from the bright lights of HP Pavilion. He suited up for three games in Worcester during a brief conditioning stint, recording a 3.57 GAA and .903 save percentage in a win and two losses for the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate.

"It was good to have some games, because it helps a lot more than just practicing," Patzold said. "You can only do so much in practice, but you have to play in the game to stay sharp."

The Sharks welcome the Vancouver Canucks to HP Pavilion tonight, and Nabokov will make his 30th start of the season. Patzold will take his familiar seat on the bench, but despite the lack of activity he never tunes out or loses focus. He's always watching intently, waiting and wondering when his chance will come.

"When I watch a hockey game it doesn't matter if I'm at home, on the bench, or in the stands, it's just my nature to be focused on the game," Patzold said. "I'm always ready, always waiting to go in."

***

I put together this crudely-designed spreadsheet showing the minutes for every NHL goaltender heading into Thursday night's games and I thought it was pretty interesting. There you can see each team's total minutes, minutes for each goaltender, and their percentage of the team's total minutes. Thanks everybody and enjoy the game tonight.



[email protected]
Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment
More from
» HockeyBuzz Live - Taking Your Calls NOW!
» Now That’s A Game; SharksBuzz Postgame Show
» Pacific Division Basement Battle; SharksBuzz Postgame Show
» Where I’m Coming From; SharksBuzz Postgame Show
» Desperate Times Call For… Eager and Wellwood?